Against the Angels, David DeJesus continued his cold hitless start in warm Arizona, going 0 for 3 in the lead off spot. On the other end of the spectrum, fifth outfielder long shot Brian Bogusevic’s bat remained Ghost Rider hot. He went 3 for 3 with a double and a homer to account for half of the Cubs four runs. Non roster invitee was the other offensive highlight in Tempe, going 2 for 4 with a solo shot of his own while manning first base.

Nick Struck got the start and went the max three innings that Cubs starters have been stretched to so far this Spring. He provided a solid scoreless outing to lower his Cactus ERA to 1.80, while only allowing two hits with one strike out. Closer Carlos Marmol was dinged for one run, as was rotation depth man Chris Rusin. The southpaw, however, went three innings as well and otherwise had a good outing.

Hector Rondon continued his solid start to camp with yet another scoreless frame and Jensen Lewis matched Rondon’s effort to earn his second save in the Cactus League, securing the Cubs 4-2 win over the Angels.

However, back at home camp the rest of the Cubs squad was on the losing end of a tight ballgame. Potential starting third baseman Luis Valbuena was put in the leadoff slot once again, but was cooled off and left with an 0 for 2 effort. In fact the top four spots in the lineup were held hitless, including Anthony Rizzo in his final appearance before taking a break to go play WBC ball for Italy.

Mar. 3, 2013; Tempe, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Brian Bogusevic (66) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. The Cubs beat the Angels 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The Cubs in fact were held to just two hits all afternoon in Mesa, yet managed to score three runs. Two came on the first Spring homer for prospect Javier Baez, who cashed in on a walk to Brett Jackson ahead of him. The third run came in the sixth inning without the benefit of a hit. Nate Schierholtz walked with one out and swiped second base two batters later. He would then advance to third thanks to a wild pitch, and Baez eventually was gifted another RBI by drawing a bases loaded walk. One Spring Training game a Hall of Famer makes not, but it was great to see a prospect flash power yet show patience at the plate at an early age.

The Cubs remained at .500 despite the pair of games, sporting a 5-5 record.

Sappelt’s round tripper ended up being the winning run of the game, but Brett Jackson also picked up a RBI with a sac fly that brought in Starlin Castro, who led off the bottom of the fourth with a double. Prospect Matt Szczur earned a bases loaded walk to provide an insurance run and capped the Cubs scoring for the day.

Feb 18, 2013; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Christian Villanueva (61) poses for a picture during photo day at Fitch Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Edwin Jackson took a step in the right direction in terms of backing up his newly inked multi million dollar contract with the Cubs. The rotation’s projected third starter provided two innings of scoreless ball, only allowing a pair of hits that came with two outs. Drew Carpenter and Nick Struck were the pair of relievers that allowed the Rockies two runs, while Chris Rusin matched Jackson’s performance on the day.

The Cubs also got to see a couple of familiar faces across the diamond, with former Cubs Tyler Colvin and DJ LeMahieu now rocking Colorado purple. Colvin got action as the lead off hitter for the Rockies and went 1 for 3. LeMahieu came on late in the game and registered a lead off triple in the eighth against his former team, eventually scoring the second and final run for the visitors. Mean while, the Cubs return on the trade last year did not partake in the action. Ian Stewart, as you are aware, is currently sidelined with an injury and Casey Weathers is not part of the Major League camp in Arizona. At this rate the Cubs are looking to remain the losers of the exchange.

Tennessee Smokies second baseman Logan Watkins was named the Cubs’ Minor League position player of the year. As the case with these awards, the recipients of these accomplishments are not always viewed as top prospects within the organization. However, the 23 year old Watkins could be trending in the right direction. With the Smokies this season, Watkins hit .281/.383/.422 this season to go along with 9 home runs, 28 stolen bases, and a total of 40 extra base hits. Between Watkins, Junior Lake, Josh Vitters, and Javier Baez ; the Cubs have several infield spots with only one clear opening at the third base position. Though, it is fair to suggest that Lake and Vitters may not be long for the Cubs’ organization. That would leave Watkins and Baez. Baez will likely take over at the third base position, while Watkins may be blocked by Darwin Barney at the second base position. Nonetheless, this award, will now bring added attention onto Watkins next season.

Watkins’ teammate, starting pitcher Nick Struck, earned the honor of being the Cubs’ Minor League pitcher of the year. Struck, who turns 23 in October, has been one of the few pitching prospects that the Cubs have at the upper levels of their Minor League system. Struck appeared in 28 games (26 starts) with the Smokies this season while posting an ERA of 3.18. Struck was promoted to the Iowa Cubs towards the end of the season, however, the starting pitcher has yet to make his debut for the I-Cubs. Struck will likely start the 2013 season with the Iowa Cubs, and depending on his success, could be pitching in the Major Leagues by the time the 2013 season concludes.

Struck and Watkins will receive their awards at Wrigley Field on Monday.