Cubs 16, Giants 14: Aces wild for both in 30-hit, 16-walk game

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Believe it or not, this game was started by the Cubs’ Cy Young winner, Jake Arrieta, and the Giants ace and World Series hero, Madison Bumgarner.

Neither made it through four innings, with Arrieta’s day cut short in the first by a blister on his thumb. Their combined pitching lines: four innings, 12 hits, 10 earned runs, five walks and three strikeouts.

Classic baseball in March in Arizona.

Arrieta scare

Arrieta left after just 34 pitches and seven batters faced (just one out).

“It’s really not that much of an issue,” said Arrieta, who plans to make his final spring start as scheduled Tuesday and insists he’ll be ready for Opening Day. “I would have loved to pitch a lot longer.

“It was a nice game to be part of, an ESPN game against the Giants, [Madison] Bumgarner on the other side. It’s frustrating, but at the same time, it’s more important to kind of let this calm down and put it behind us.”

Leading off

Leadoff man Dexter Fowler went 3 for 4 with a walk and triple.

In his last 30 plate appearances this spring, he has nine hits, six walks and been hit by two pitches for a .567 on-base percentage.

Victorino faces decision

Former All-Star outfielder Shane Victorino, a four-time Gold Glove winner, is mulling an offer from the Cubs to stay with the club long enough to continue rehab and open the season at AAA Iowa for a month.

Victorino hasn’t played since March 8.

Until this week, the Cubs were optimistic he could return to action in time to prove his fitness – the only thing manager Joe Maddon said he needed to see to make a decision on the veteran.

Candy man can hit

Third base prospect Jeimer Candelario was invited from the minor-league side for the day, started at third base and delivered two hits, including his third homer of the spring in five at-bats.

Candelario, who was optioned out of big-league camp last week, is 13-for-36 (.361) this spring with two walks and seven extra-base hits.

Out of left field

Candelario got a chance to play because manager Joe Maddon used third baseman Kris Bryant as his left field starter Thursday, something he expects to do at times during the season.

Olmos traded

Left-hander Edgar Olmos, a non-roster invited player in camp, was traded to the Orioles for a player to be named later, the Cubs said Thursday.

On deck

Brewers at Cubs, Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz., 3:05 p.m., CSN, mlb.com audio, Jimmy Nelson vs. Jon Lester.