Gonzales started Monday's Cactus League's loss to the Cubs and allowed five earned runs on three hits and two walks over two-thirds of an inning. He struck out one.
The young southpaw's spring could hardly have gotten off to a more unfavorable start, as Gonzales got himself in trouble early with a leadoff walk to Kris Bryant and unraveled from that point. Despite the ugly final line, the 28-year-old, who's expected to serve as the ace of the staff once again after posting a 16-6 record last season, put a positive spin on the results after the game, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "You go out the first one and you just want to feel good and throw some strikes," Gonzales said. "My timing was a little off and I was frustrated a little bit by my execution. But for the first time out, I wanted to feel good and have the ball feel good coming out of my hand. The results are what they are at this time of year."