Javier Baez is crushing the ball, tonight he smashed one off the light tower, prepare yourself Chicago, Baez 2.0 is coming soon.
Category: Iowa Cubs (AAA) 2015
Javier Baez is Destroying the Baseball (VIDEO)
Another two homer night for Javier Baez as he is knocking down the door to the Major Leagues once again. Baez has played in 32 games with Iowa this season, and is hitting .325 with seven home runs, and 26 RBI’s. Not to mention his K rate is now at 27.5% which is way more playable, he’s getting really close to coming back up.
Riding the Bus: May 7, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)
THURSDAY • MAY 7, 2015
Walk-off! The Pelicans improved to a seasons best seven games over .500 with a 2-1 win over Salem thanks to a Billy McKinney walk-off dinger! You can also thank Duane Underwood for dominating on the mound.
At the Plate:
- Mark Zagunis is an on base machine, he was 0-for-2 with three walks in the win.
- Billy McKinney is similar to Zagunis in regards to being one of those on base machines, he was 1-for-1 with FOUR walks, said walk-off dinger, an RBI, and a run scored.
- Jacob Rogers, and Trey Martin each had one hit, both singles.
On the Mound:
- Duane Underwood Jr. got the start tonight, and was brilliant. He worked seven innings, giving up one run on three hits while walking one, and striking out four.
- Juan Paniagua was solid out of the pen, he worked two scoreless innings while striking out one.
- Michael Heesch picked up his second win of the season, he worked a scoreless inning in doing so.
A tough loss for the Smokies as they saw an early 4-0 lead slip away in a 5-4 loss. The Smokies scored four times in the first inning and couldn’t find anymore offense the rest of the way.
At the Plate:
- Albert Almora has picked up where he left off before the injury, he was 1-for-4 with a run scored, he’s hitting .310 on the season.
- Kyle Schwarber was solid in this one, he went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
- Bijan Rademacher had the big hit for the Smokies, he was 1-for-4 with a double, and three RBI’s.
- Elliot Soto was the best of the bunch tonight, he was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
On the Mound:
- Corey Black got the start, and he struggled with his command, he worked five innings, giving up three runs on four hits while walking four, and striking out seven.
- Fernando Cruz was outstanding out of the pen, he worked three scoreless innings, giving up one run, unearned, on one hit while striking out four.
- Stephen Perakslis picked up the loss in this one, he worked two-thirds of an inning, giving up one run on three hits.
Things got a little close late in this one but the South Bend Cubs hung on to beat Bowling Green 3-2. Not many teams can say that as Bowling Green boasts a 17-11 record on the year, tonight the Cubs had just enough.
At the Plate:
- Charcer Burks has been great this year, it continued tonight, he was 1-for-3 with two walks, and two RBI’s.
- Justin Marra found some extra base magic, he was 1-for-3 with a double, and a walk.
- Jesse Hodges was solid as well, he went 1-for-3 with his fifth double of the year, a walk, and a run scored.
- Jeffrey Baez had a nice game, he went 1-for-3 with a walk, and a run scored, maybe that will get him going.
- Gleyber Torres continues to get on base, he was 1-for-4 with a walk in the win.
On the Mound:
- Zach Hedges got the start, and he does what he usually does, put up zeroes. He worked five scoreless innings, giving up three hits while walking two, and striking out four.
- Ryan McNeil was decent out of the pen, he worked two scoreless innings, giving up one run on two hits while striking out two.
- Jordan Minch was touched up, he worked 1.2 innings, giving up one run on one hit while walking one, and striking out two.
- James Farris had his shortest outing of the year, but it was all he needed to pick up his third save of the year. He worked a third of an inning to shut the door.
The Iowa Cubs didn’t have much going in this one, but found a way to push four runs across the plate in the seventh for a 4-1 victory in Nashville.
At the Plate:
- Arismendy Alcantara has been flashing the power in Iowa, he was 1-for-4 with a walk, his fourth dinger, two RBI’s, a stolen base, and a run scored.
- Mike Baxter has been solid all year, he was 2-for-4 with a run scored, he’s now hitting .314 on the season.
- Jonathan Mota was right in the middle of the action, he went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the win.
- John Andreoli, Chris Valaika, and Taylor Davis all had one hit tonight.
On the Mound:
- Tsuyoshi Wada got the start, and continues to make a push to be promoted, he worked 5.2 innings, giving up one run on four hits while walking two, and striking out six.
- Gonzalez Germen has been awesome in Iowa, he worked 1.1 scoreless innings to pick up his third win, he struck out two in the process.
- Blake Cooper worked a scoreless inning to pick up his second hold of the year.
- Brian Schlitter worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his first save of the season.
Riding the Bus: May 6, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)
WEDNESDAY • MAY 6, 2015
South Bend really couldn’t get much going earlier this afternoon as they dropped a 4-3 decision to Great Lakes. Leading 2-1 after five, the Cubs gave up single runs in the sixth, seventh, and ninth.
At the Plate:
- Charcer Burks is having a great 2015, he was 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .341 on the season.
- Jesse Hodges was solid, he went 2-for-4 with a double, and a run scored.
- David Bote was good again today, he went 1-for-4 with a triple, an RBI, and a run scored.
- Cael Brockmeyer, and Giokar Amaya each had one hit in the loss, Amaya added an RBI, and a walk.
On the Mound:
- Erick Leal got the start, and was solid, he worked 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on five hits while walking one, and striking out four.
- David Garner doesn’t usually give up anything, he did today, he worked 1.1 innings, giving up one run on one hit while walking one, and striking out two.
- Tommy Thorpe was hung with the loss, he tossed two innings, giving up one run on two hits while walking one, and striking out two.
A rough start to the double header last night as the Pelicans saw an early 4-1 lead turn into a 5-4 loss at the hands of Salem.
At the Plate:
- Mark Zagunis did his job by getting on base in this one, he was 0-for-2 with two walks, and a run scored.
- Wes Darvill had a similar night, he was 0-for-1 with two walks, and a run scored.
- Jeimer Candelario was solid, he went 2-for-3 with a double, and a run scored.
- Victor Caratini was most of the offense, he went 2-for-3 with his third double of the year, and two RBI’s.
On the Mound:
- Daury Torrez got the start and worked deep into this one before picking up the loss. Torrez worked 6.1 innings, giving up five runs, four earned, on eight hits while walking one, and striking out six.
- James Pugliese was stuck with a blown save as he could not get out of Torrez’s trouble, he tossed two-thirds of an inning, giving up one hit while walking one.
The Pelicans got back on track in game two as the bullpen shut the door on Salem late in a 4-2 victory.
At the Plate:
- Mark Zagunis had another solid game, he went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and a run scored.
- Wes Darvill came up big in game two, he was 2-for-4 with his first dinger of the year, an RBI, and a run scored.
- Billy McKinney was locked in, he went 2-for-2 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and a run scored.
- Jacob Rogers, and Carlos Penalver each had one hit in the game two victory.
On the Mound:
- Tayler Scott got the start and was solid, he worked three innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on four hits while walking one, and striking out five.
- Zach Cates was awesome out of the pen, and picked up his first win of the season. He tossed two scoreless innings, giving up one hit while walking one, and striking out one.
- Jasvir Rakkar continued his domination at the end of games, he worked two scoreless/hitless innings to pick up his fourth save of the year.
The Smokies needed late magic in this one as they lost a 1-0 lead in the 6th but struck for one in the seventh to take game one, 2-1.
At the Plate:
- Albert Almora returned to the lineup, and was productive, he went 2-for-3 with two singles.
- The Smokies walked all over the place (7 total), Kyle Schwarber was 0-for-1 with two walks.
- Anthony Giansanti found extra bases in this one, he went 1-for-2 with a triple.
- Bijan Rademacher, and Pin-Chieh Chen picked up the RBI’s in the win.
On the Mound:
- Frank Batista got the start, and was stellar, he worked six innings, giving up one run, unearned, on five hits while walking one, and striking out four.
- P.J. Francescon has been awesome all year, he worked a scoreless inning to pick up his third save.
Sweep! It took the whole game, but it was worth it as the Smokies scored four times in the seventh (last) inning to sweep the double header with a 4-1 game two victory.
At the Plate:
- Bijan Rademacher had a solid game, he went 1-for-2 with two walks, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored.
- Dan Vogelbach was good, as usual, he went 3-for-4 with a double, and three RBI’s.
- Jacob Hannemann, Willson Contreras, and Ryan Dent all had one hit in the win.
On the Mound:
- Andres Santiago got the start, and was good. He worked 4.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits while walking one, and striking out three.
- Gerardo Concepcion was solid in is AA debut, he worked two-thirds of an inning, allowing nothing.
- C.J. Edwards was outstanding, he worked a scoreless inning while striking out the side to pick up his first win of the season.
- Michael Jensen tossed a scoreless inning to pick up his first save of the season.
Tough matchup for the Cubs in this one as they were completely shutdown by Kendall Graveman of Nashville. The Cubs were only able to scratch out five hits in the shutout loss.
At the Plate:
- Chris Valaika was really the only guy to swing it well in this one, he was 2-for-4 with two singles.
- Javier Baez, Taylor Teagarden, and Rubi Silva all had one hit in the loss.
On the Mound:
- Dallas Beeler got the start, and was roughed up, he worked four innings, giving up five runs on nine hits, while walking two.
- Michael Wagner was pretty good out of the pen, he worked three innings, giving up one run on three hits while striking out one.
- Joe Ortiz worked a scoreless inning late to keep the Cubs in it, sort of.
Matt Szczur Cracks Second Dinger of the Year Before Departing (VIDEO)
Odds are that Matt Szczur will be summoned back to the major league team after Chris Denorfia pulled up lame last night. Szczur was pulled after the eighth inning, but before that he crushed his second dinger of the year, got all of it.
Riding the Bus: May 4, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Reports)
MONDAY • MAY 4, 2015
Not much offense in this one as the Cubs and Sounds combined for three runs on just thirteen hits. The right team had more as the Cubs were able to tightrope their way to a 2-1 victory on the road.
At the Plate:
- Arismendy Alcantara is heating up, he was 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, and a run scored.
- Matt Szczur showed off his power, he was 1-for-2 with two walks, a dinger, two RBI’s, and a run scored.
- Javier Baez had another good night, he was 1-for-2 with a walk, and stolen base.
- Taylor Davis was solid, he went 2-for-4, he’s now hitting .333 on the season.
- Mike Baxter and John Andreoli each had one hit in the win.
On the Mound:
- Eric Jokisch got the start and was outstanding, he worked six innings, giving up one run on four hits while walking one, and striking out five.
- Brian Schlitter was good out of the pen tonight, he worked a scoreless inning while giving up one hit, and striking out one.
- Justin Grimm is working his way back, hooray. He worked a scoreless inning, surrendering one hit while walking one, and striking out two.
- James Russell is also doing some good things, he worked a scoreless inning as well to pick up his third save of the season.
A long one early this afternoon saw the Smokies comeback then blow a lead late in a tough loss. The Smokies only gave up six hits in thirteen innings, unfortunately that was just enough for Birmingham.
At the Plate:
- Pin-Chieh Chen was seeing the ball well today, and that’s an understatement. Chen was 2-for-2 with FIVE walks, a dinger, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored. That’s right, he reached base SEVEN times.
- Willson Contreras was solid, he went 3-for-5 with a walk, and two doubles.
- Stephen Bruno has been really good, he was 2-for-6, he’s now hitting .293 on the season.
- Ryan Dent had a good game from the nine spot, he was 1-for-5 with a walk, a stolen base, and two runs scored.
On the Mound:
- Felix Pena got the start and struggled with his command, he tossed 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on just two hits while walking five, and striking out four.
- Fernando Cruz bounced back today, he worked 1.1 scoreless innings, surrendering just one base hit.
- Michael Jensen was also really good, he worked two scoreless innings, giving up two hits while striking out three.
- Stephen Perakslis was brilliant, and I thought he was going to get the win, he worked three scoreless innings, surrendering zero hits while striking out three.
- Zach Cates picked up the blown save, and loss, he worked two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on one hit while walking one, and striking out one.
Things got a little out of hand in this one as Myrtle Beach fell behind early before racing in front late. Trailing 2-0, the Pelicans charged ahead with six runs in the fourth inning to take a 7-6 lead. The Pelicans didn’t stop there as they finished the night with fourteen runs, and seventeen hits.
At the Plate:
- Mark Zagunis was 2-for-6 with two doubles, and two runs scored.
- Wes Darvill was 1-for-3 with two walks, a triple, three RBI’s, and two runs scored.
- Billy Mckinney was 2-for-4 with a triple, three RBI’s, a walk, and a run scored.
- Jacob Rogers was 3-for-5 with a dinger, four RBI’s, a walk, and a run scored.
- Jeimer Candelario was 2-for-6 with a double, and a run scored.
- Kevin Brown was 3-for-5 with a double, and a run scored.
- Daniel Lockhart was 2-for-5 with an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored.
- Carlos Penalver was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI’s, a walk, and two runs scored.
- Alberto Mineo was 0-for-3 but walked twice, and scored three runs.
On the Mound:
- Jen-Ho Tseng got the start was oddly erratic, he worked three innings, giving up three runs on six hits, while walking two.
- Josh Conway was touched up as well, he worked one inning, giving up three runs on three hits while walking two, and striking out one.
- Michael Heesch was outstanding, and he picked up the win. Heesch worked three scoreless innings, surrendering two hits while striking out three.
- Jasvir Rakkar was solid once again, he worked two scoreless innings to notch his third save of the year.
Two quick runs from Great Lakes was the extent of the scoring in this one as South Bend could not get anything going in a 2-0 loss.
At the Plate:
- Charcer Burks continued his hot 2015, he was 1-for-4 with a stolen base, he’s now hitting .313 on the season.
- Chesny Young is also swinging it, he went 1-for-4 in the loss.
- Jason Volser, Justin Marra, and Rashad Crawford all finished the day with one hit.
On the Mound:
- Jake Stinnett wasn’t too bad, he worked five innings, giving up two runs on seven hits while walking one, and striking out five.
- Francisco Carrillo was dominant, he worked three scoreless innings, surrendering one hit while striking out one.
- Tyler Ihrig was also good, he worked a scoreless inning to keep the Cubs in it late.
Javier Baez Crushes First Dinger (VIDEO)
Welcome back, Javy. Javier Baez had his best game in Iowa since returning from his leave of absence, it included a bomb. Only good things can come from him getting hot.
