Red-hot Giants host Cubs today

Left-hander Madison Bumgarner will make his third Cactus League start today as the red-hot San Francisco Giants host the Chicago Cubs in a spring training game at Scottsdale Stadium.

The Giants have won seven of their last eight games after winning just one of their first four games to start the spring schedule.

The Cubs, who play two games against the Giants this week, have won five of their last seven games.

Chicago will send former first round draft pick (2005) Chris Volstad to the mound. Volstad, 25, was acquired by the Cubs in January when the team sent disgruntled starter Carlos Zambrano to the Miami Marlins.

The Giants are sending most of their A-teamers out there today. Ryan Theriot is in at second base as Freddy Sanchez still hasn’t been cleared to play the field and both teams are having their pitchers hit today (i.e., no designated hitter). Also, manager Bruce Bochy is putting Brandon Belt in right today. The Baby Giraffe has logged 10 innings in right field, six in left, and 27 innings at first base so far this spring.

First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. (PT) and the game can be heard live via web stream at sfgiants.com.

Today’s starting lineups…

San Francisco (8-3-1):
1. Pagan (cf)
2. Cabrera (lf)
3. Sandoval (3b)
4. Posey (c)
5. Huff (1b)
6. Belt (rf)
7. Theriot (2b)
8. Crawford (ss)
9. Bumgarner (p)

Starting pitcher: M. Bumgarner (0-0, 1.59)

Chicago Cubs (5-4):
1. DeJesus (rf)
2. Barney (2b)
3. Castro (ss)
4. Soriano (lf)
5. LaHair (1b)
6. Mather (3b)
7. Clevenger (c)
8. Sappelt (cf)
9. Volstad (p)

Starting pitcher: C. Volstad (0-0, 0.00)

Pre-game notes: The Giants sent five more players to the minors yesterday, paring their spring roster down to 55 players … Starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong, out with a strained back, will throw a bullpen session tomorrow. He’s scheduled to toss 45 pitches and, barring any setbacks, should make his Cactus League debut on Monday … According to Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News, Mike Fontenot is not listed as one of the Giants’ bench players today. He was supposed to be back in action today after missing a week of games due to a sore groin … Today is Will Clark‘s 48th birthday. Have a day, Thrill!

Innings by position: Below are the number of innings that each player has logged at his position(s), through the Giants’ first 12 Cactus League games.

C — Stewart (28),  Whiteside (27), H. Sanchez (19), J. Williams (10), Susac (9), Joseph (6), Posey (6)
1B — Pill (43), Belt (27), Huff (16), Dominguez (13), Oropesa (3), Anders (3)
2B — Burriss (24), Panik (18), Theriot (18), Fontenot (15), Noonan (14), Arias (16)
3B — Gillaspie (49), Sandoval (37), Dominguez (12), Noonan (4), Burriss (3)
SS — Crawford (37), Arias (26), Theriot (17), Adrianza (15), Burriss (4), Panik (6)
LF — Christian (27), Cabrera (26), Perez (12), Burriss (11), Graham (8), Belt (6), Huff (5), Parker (5), Pill (5)
CF — Pagan (33), Brown (27), Blanco (20), Graham (15), Cabrera (10)
RF — Schierholtz (31), Kieschnick (22), Blanco (20), Perez (10), Belt (10), Graham (9), Parker (3)