TEMPE, Ariz. -- Kendry Morales hit a grand slam for his first homer of spring training and the Los Angeles Angels beat a Chicago Cubs split squad 8-2 Friday.
The 24-year old Morales upped his spring average to .355 with two hits in three at-bats. He is expected to start the season as the Angels' first baseman even though he batted only 61 times with three homers in 2008.
"What we need from Kendry is obviously production," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's going to be up there with a lot of guys on base."
Through three seasons, Morales has 12 homers with a .249 average in 377 at-bats.
"He has big power," Scioscia said. "Whether it translates into 15, 20 or 30 home runs, it's impossible to say. He's had good at-bats all spring. Defensively, he's working like a demon (at first base)."
His slam came in the third inning off Cubs starter Chad Gaudin.
Gaudin worked 1 2/3 innings and allowed six earned runs in his third start. In his last outing, he worked two scoreless against Kansas City on March 9. Gaudin was acquired from Oakland in the July deal that brought Rich Harden to the Cubs, and went 4-2 with a 6.26 ERA in 24 games, all in relief.
Dustin Moseley, one of at least three Angels starters competing for two spots in the rotation coming out of camp, allowed two runs and four hits with four strikeouts against a Chicago lineup that only featured Ryan Theriot and Milton Bradley out of the likely regulars.
"The last inning, a couple of pitches I would have done a little different, but I threw my fastball all day long," said Moseley, 2-4 with a 6.79 ERA over 10 starts and 12 appearances in 2008 after recovering from offseason elbow surgery. "I didn't throw a lot of breaking pitches. I had good command of (the fastball)."
Moseley worked three scoreless innings to start. He downplayed facing a lineup that featured a lot of players with very high numbers on the backs of their jerseys.
"If I had been making those same pitches to (Cubs regulars) I think I would have been successful," Moseley said.
Scioscia was happy with the outing.
"It was a great workout for Dustin," he said. "His pitch count was where it needed to be."
Notes
With manager Lou Piniella with the Cubs squad facing Seattle at home, pitching coach Larry Rothschild ran the team and was thrown out for arguing balls and strikes by home plate umpire Kerwin Danley. Scioscia described RHP Kelvim Escobar's Friday bullpen session as a "two-hit shutout."
