South Bend Cubs (A) 2015 – Born on Third

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.

Full Box Score

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.

Full Box Score

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.

Full Box Score

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

Full Box Score

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.

Full Box Score

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.

Full Box Score

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.

Full Box Score

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.

Full Box Score

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.

Full Box Score

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.

Riding the Bus: May 4, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Reports)

MONDAY • MAY 4, 2015

Full Box Score

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.

Full Box Score

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.

Final Box Score

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.

Full Box Score

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.

Riding the Bus: May 2, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Reports)

SATURDAY • MAY 2, 2015

Full Box Score

A number of teams are having trouble beating Oklahoma City this year, you can add Iowa to said list as they lost yet again to the Dodger, 4-1.

At the Plate:

Arismendy Alcantara is starting to heat up, he was 2-for-3 with two walks, an RBI, and a stolen base.
Rubi Silva had a solid game, he was 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and an outfield assist.
Javier Baez, Taylor Teagarden, Christian Villanueva, and John Andreoli all had one hit in the loss.

On the Mound:

Tsuyoshi Wada got the start and was the hard luck loser as he was brilliant. Wada worked seven innings, giving up two run, both unearned, on two hits while walking one, and striking out five.
Yoanner Negrin couldn’t keep things close late in this one, he worked two innings, giving up two runs on three hits while walking three, and striking out one.

Full Box Score

After losing both an early and late lead, Tennessee somehow found a way to pull this one out with a run in the tenth. Of course that run came from a Kyle Schwarber dinger, hero.

At the Plate:

Kyle Schwarber only had one hit but it was a big one, he finished the night 1-for-5 with said dinger, an RBI, and a run scored.
Dan Vogelbach got back on track, he was 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, a triple, an RBI, and a run scored.
Stephen Bruno has been good all year, he was 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored in the win.
Bijan Rademacher provided the early fireworks, he was 1-for-4 with a dinger, three RBI’s, and a run scored.

On the Mound:

Corey Black got the start and was missing bats left and right, he tossed 5.2 innings, giving up four runs, three earned, on six hits while walking two, and striking out ten(!).
Starling Peralta has been good all year, he was again last night, he worked two scoreless innings while surrendering three hits.
P.J. Francescon picked up a blown save, and a win, he worked 2.1 innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out one.

Full Box Score

Things got a little dicey for the Pelicans late in this one, but they were able to weather the storm and hang on for a 5-4 win over Lynchburg.

At the Plate:

Mark Zagunis flashed some rare power, he was 1-for-3 with his first dinger of the year, an RBI, a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored.
Jacob Rogers had a solid game, he was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored.
Trey Martin was productive in the win, he was 1-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored.
Carlos Penalver had a great game from the bottom of the order, he was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and two RBI’s.

On the Mound:

Paul Blackburn got the start, and picked up his second win of the season, he worked five innings, giving up one run on six hits while walking one, and striking out two.
Gerardo Concepcion had an off and on appearance, he worked two innings, giving up three runs on four hits while walking two, and striking out six.
Tayler Scott, and Jasvir Rakkar both worked a scoreless inning late with Rakkar picking up his second save of the season.

Full Box Score

It’s nice to be on this side of things, after blowing a number of saves early this year the South Bend Cubs finally registered a come back win of their own. Trailing 4-2 in the eighth the Cubs pushed three runs across to the delight of the sellout crowd in South Bend.

At the Plate:

Gleyber Torres is terrorizing Midwest League pitching, he went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and three runs scored.
Chesny Young had a great game, he was 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBI’s, and a run scored.
Cael Brockmeyer has been outstanding, he was 2-for-4 with a run scored in the win, and is hitting .356 on the season.
Yasiel Balaguert made his one hit count, he went 1-for-4 with a double, and three RBI’s.

On the Mound:

Trevor Clifton started this one, and didn’t get much help behind him. Clisfton worked five innings, giving up three runs, on earned, on three hits while walking two, and striking out three.
Tyler Ihrig was great out of the pen, and earned his first win of the season. Ihrig worked three innings, giving up one run on four hits in the process.
James Farris was perfect in the ninth to pick up his first save of the season, he struck out the side as well.

Riding the Bus: April 30, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Reports)

THURSDAY • APRIL 30, 2015

Full Box Score

South Bend closed out April this afternoon with a 6-3 victory over West Michigan, the win moved the Cubs to 11-10 on the season. Erick Leal was solid on the mound, and the Cubs had the bats working just enough to take the matinee.

At the Plate:

Gleyber Torres is not performing like an 18 year old in single A, he went 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored.
Chesny Young was productive without a hit, he went 0-for-3 with a walk, two RBI’s, and a run scored.
Jason Volser had a solid day, he went 2-for-5 with two RBI’s, a double, and a run scored.
Justin Marra has struggled at the plate, but he was productive today, he went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and a run scored.
Gioskar Amaya, and Rashad Crawford each had one hit in the win.

On the Mound:

I mentioned Erick Leal was good, what else is new? Leal worked five innings, giving up two runs on six hits while walking one, and striking out four.
Ryan McNeil picked up a hold, he worked one inning, giving up one run on two hits.
Francisco Carrillo was outstanding today, he worked three scoreless innings to pick up his first save of the year. Carrillo surrendered only one hit, struck out three over said three innings.

Full Box Score

Myrtle Beach looked like they had this one wrapped up before Wilmington struck for four runs in the bottom of the 8th to take this one 6-4.

At the Plate:

Mark Zagunis had a decent night, he was 1-for-4 with a triple, and an RBI.
Jacob Rogers has slowed down, but had a good game, he was 2-for-4 with his fourth double of the season, and a run scored.
Trey Martin has had a good start to his high-A career, he was 1-for-4 with a double, and an RBI in the loss.

On the Mound:

Daury Torrez is the definition of a pitcher that pitches to contact, he worked six innings, giving up two runs on six hits while walking none, and striking out one.
Josh Conway got roughed up in this one, he worked 1.1 innings, giving up three runs on three hits.
James Pugliese worked in and out of some trouble, he tossed two-thirds of an inning, giving up one run, unearned, on two hits.

Full Box Score

The Smokies fell behind early in this one, and couldn’t fight all the way back as they fell to Birmingham 5-3. Things got interesting late as Tennessee scored three times over the final four innings but their rally fell short.

At the Plate:

Jacob Hannemann likes it in double-A, he was 2-for-5 with two runs scored, he’s hitting .357 on the season.
Pin-Chieh Chen had a solid night, he was 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, and an RBI.
Kyle Schwarber is rolling, he was 1-for-3 with his fifth double of the year, a walk, and an RBI.
Dan Vogelbach, Willson Contreras, Elliot Soto, and Anthony Giansanti all had one hit in the loss.

On the Mound:

Rob Zastryzny got the start but didn’t last very long, he worked one inning, giving up three runs on two hits while walking two, and striking out one.
Jeffry Antigua took over and was decent, he worked four innings, giving up two runs on five hits while walking one, and striking out one.
Michael Jensen was solid, he tossed two scoreless innings, giving up two hits while striking out two.
Starling Peralta was good as well, he worked a scoreless inning to keep the Smokies alive.

Full Box Score

Giving this Oklahoma City team thirteen innings worth of at bats is probably going to end bad, and it did for Iowa tonight. The Cubs didn’t have much working offensively as they only pushed across two runs in the loss.

At the Plate:

Javier Baez returned to the lineup tonight, that’s definitely a good thing. Baez was 1-for-6 with a double.
Christian Villanueva had a good night, he was 2-for-4 with a dinger, a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored.
John Andreoli was solid as well, he went 2-for-5, and is now hitting .261 on the season.

On the Mound:

Carlos Pimentel got the start, and was outstanding. He worked six innings, giving up one run on just one hit while walking two, and striking out three.
Yoanner Negrin picked up a blown save tonight, he worked an inning, giving up one run on one hit.
Joe Ortiz was solid, he worked two scoreless innings, he surrendered one hit while walking two.
Blake Cooper worked a scoreless inning, he has a 2.31 ERA on the season.
Andres Santiago has been so good this year, he worked two scoreless innings, giving up two hits while walking three, and striking out two.
Michael Wagner took the loss tonight, he worked one inning, giving up two runs on two hits while walking three, and striking out two.

Riding the Bus: April 29, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Reports)

WEDNESDAY • APRIL 29, 2015

Full Box Score

Jeremy Null was outstanding once again for the South Bend Cubs, unfortunately he didn’t factor in the decision, but his performance went a long way towards a 2-0 victory.

At the Plate:

Charcer Burks continued his strong season, he was 1-for-3 with a walk, and a run scored, he is now hitting .328 on the season.
Gleyber Torres is awesome, he went 2-for-3 with a triple, two RBI’s, and a walk in the win.
Chesny Young was also a part of the attack, he went 1-for-4.
Jason Volser had a so-so kind of game, he was 2-for-4 but committed an error, and was caught stealing.

On the Mound:

Jeremy Null got the start, and was stellar. He worked 5.2 scoreless innings, giving up six hits while walking no one, and striking out six. On the season Null has not allowed any walks (!), and struck out twenty-three.
James Farris was solid out of the pen and picked up the win, his second of the year. Farris worked 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit while walking one, and striking out two.
Jordan Minch worked a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his first save of the season.

Full Box Score

After a late run to tie things up, the Smokies couldn’t hold Chattanooga off the board the rest of the way, and fell 3-1 this afternoon.

At the Plate:

Kyle Schwarber didn’t pound any baseballs into submission, but was 1-for-4 with a double.
Willson Contreras was the only offense in this one, he went 1-for-4 with a double, and a run scored.
Stephen Bruno continued his hot 2015, he was 2-for-4, he is now hitting .310 on the season.
Elliot Soto, and Ryan Dent each had one hit in the loss.

On the Mound:

Felix Pena got the start and did everything but win, he worked seven innings, giving up one run on four hits while walking two, and striking out seven.
C.J. Edwards was hung with the loss, he worked two innings, giving up two runs on three hits while walking two, and striking out one.

Full Box Score

Pitching dominated this one, and the Pelicans were able to push across two runs in the 8th to steal it 2-1. The Pelicans only had four opportunities with runners in scoring position, but they came through when it mattered most.

At the Plate:

Mark Zagunis has been off and on at the plate, he was on today, he went 2-for3 with a walk, and an RBI.
Billy McKinney just hits, he was 2-for-4, and is now hitting .310 on the season.
Victor Caratini, and Trey Martin each had one hit in the victory.

On the Mound:

Jonathan Martinez has been pretty darn good all year, tonight was no different, he worked six scoreless innings, giving up two hits while striking out two.
Ben Well made an appearance out of the pen, and got the win. He worked one inning, giving up one run on two hits.
Gerardo Concepcion was outstanding in picking up his first save of the year. He worked two scoreless innings, giving up one hit while walking two, and striking out one.

Riding the Bus: April 27, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Reports)

MONDAY • APRIL 27, 2015

Note: Iowa game two was postponed. South Bend, and Myrtle Beach were off tonight.

Full Box Score

Not a whole lot of punch from Iowa tonight as they were smoked by the Sky Sox 7-0. Game two of the series was postponed, not a very productive night.

At the Plate:

Mike Baxter continued his solid 2015, he was 1-for-2 with a walk, he’s now hitting .350 on the season.
Chris Valaika was one of the few Cubs to find success at the plate, he was 2-for-2 with a walk, he was also caught stealing.
Christian Villanueva was the only other Cubs player to register a hit, he was 1-for-2 with a double, and a walk.

On the Mound:

Tsuyoshi Wada didn’t have much of anything tonight, he worked five innings, giving up seven runs, six earned, on twelve hits while walking one, and striking out one.
Armando Rivero was solid, he worked a scoreless inning, surrendering no hits while striking out two.

Full Box Scores

Tennessee didnt really put muich together in this one as they lost to Chattanooga 5-3. It was a 4-1 game in the bottom of the seventh were the Smokies were able to push two runs across to cut the deficit to one, that was as close as they could get in this one.

At the Plate:

Kyle Schwarber was outstanding again, he wen 2-for-3 with a walk, a dinger, an RBI, and a run scored.
Ryan Dent had a solid game, he went 1-for-4 with a dinger, two RBI’s, and a run scored,

On the Mound:

Corey Black got the start and struggled just a bit, he worked five innings, giving up four runs on four hits while walking three, and striking out five.
Jeffry Antigua was outstanding, he worked three scoreless innings, giving up one hit while striking out three.
Michael Jensen struggled, he worked one inning, giving up one run on one hit while walking three.

Riding the Bus: April 23, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Reports)

THURSDAY • APRIL 23, 2015

Full Box Score

This one was over before the fans could even get into their seats as New Orleans scored six times in the first en route to a 9-2 victory.

At the Plate:

Arismendy Alcantara was 1-for-4 with a run scored, that is his first AAA hit this year, hopefully that gets him going.
Chris Valaika supplied the only offense, he was 1-for-3 with a diner, two RBI’s, a walk, and a run scored.
Christian Villanueva made a couple of costly mistakes in the field (2 errors), and was 1-for-4.
Taylor Teagarden, and Taylor Davis each had one walk, and one hit in the loss.

On the Mound:

Jeffry Antigua got the start, and wasn’t so great, he worked 3.2 innings, giving up nine runs, four earned, on seven hits while walking four, and striking out two.
Andres Santiago did a solid job in relief, he worked 3.1 scoreless innings, giving up three hits while walking two, and striking out two.
Michael Wagner, and Armando Rivero each worked a scoreless inning in garbage time.

Full Box Score

It was all Daury Torrez in this one as the Pelicans starter was outstanding in shutting down Winston-Salem. The Pelicans built a 6-0 lead by the fourth inning, and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way as Myrtle Beach improved to 9-4 on the season.

At the Plate:

Jacob Hannemann had quite the day from the lead-off spot, he was 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a stolen base, and two runs scored.
Billy McKinney has been on a roll of late, he was 2-for-4 tonight, and is now hitting .325 on the season.
Jeimer Candelario had a solid game, he was 1-for-3 with a walk, and a run scored.
Ben Carhart provided some production, he was 1-for-3 with a double, two RBI’s, a walk, and a run scored.

On the Mound:

Daury Torrez got the start and the win tonight, he was outstanding. Torrez worked seven scoreless innings, giving up four hits while striking out one.
Both Michael Heesch, and Jasvir Rakkar tossed a scoreless inning out of the bullpen.

Full Box Score

The South Bend Cubs have had issues with blowing leads early in the season, but they figured out a way to resolve that, slaughter their opponent. After scoring sixteen times last night, the Cubs tallied ten times tonight and only allowed Great Lakes to record four hits in the win.

At the Plate:

Trey Martin was in the middle of things again, he was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
Chesny Young continued his hot start, he was 2-for-5 with a stolen base, and a run scored.
Gioskar Amaya has a solid night, he was 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored.
Cael Brockmeyer provided some production, he was 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI’s, a walk, and two runs scored.
Gleyber Torres had another impressive game, he was 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI’s, and a run scored.
Yasiel Balaguert is getting back into games, and was solid tonight, he went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, three RBI’s, and a run scored.

On the Mound:

Erick Leal got the start, and was stellar, he worked five scoreless innings, giving up three hits while walking one, and striking out six.
Tyler Ihrig might have been better, he tossed four scoreless innings to pick up his first save of the year. Ihrig only surrendered one hit, didn’t walk anyone, and struck out five.

Full Box Score

After falling behind early 1-o, the Smokies outscored Jackson 9-1 the rest of the way en route to a 9-2 victory. A much needed victory for the Smokies as the last two nights they watch late inning leads disappear in horrible fashion.

At the Plate:

Kyle Schwarber had a monster game, he went 3-for-6 with his second dinger of the season, two RBI’s, and two runs scored.
Dan Vogelbach was 1-for-3 with a double, three walks(!), and two runs scored.
Willson Contreras had a solid game, he was 2-for-3 with two doubles, an RBI, two walks, and two runs scored.
Ryan Dent was great, he went 3-for-4 with three RBI’s.

On the Mound:

Felix Pena got the start and picked up his second win of the season, he worked 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on four hits while walking two, and striking out eight.
Matt Brazis was solid, he worked a scoreless inning, giving up one hit while walking two, and striking out one.
P.J. Francescon, and Michael Jensen each had a scoreless appearance out of the pen.

Riding the Bus: April 22, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Reports)

WEDNESDAY • APRIL 22, 2015

Full Box Score

The Iowa Cubs are struggling a bit since the departure of Kris Bryant, today was no different as they blew a late 3-2 lead en route to a 6-3 defeat.

At the Plate:

Jonathan Mota has had a hot start to 2015, he was 2-for-4 with an RBI, he’s now hitting .355 on the season.
Junior Lake was solid, he was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and an RBI.
John Andreoli was all over the bases, he was 1-for-2 with a double, two walks, a stolen base, and a run scored.
Taylor Davis, and Matt Szczur each had one hit in the loss this afternoon.

On the Mound:

Tsuyoshi Wada is working his way back from injury, he tossed 5.1 innings, giving up two runs on six hits while walking four, and striking out five.
Hunter Cervenka struggled in his return to AAA, he worked 1.2 innings, giving up three runs on three hits while walking four, and striking out three.
Joe Ortiz struggled with his command, he worked two innings, giving up one run on one hit while walking two, and striking out one.

Full Box Score

Things got off to a promising start for Myrtle Beach as they pushed across a run in the first, but that was it as they fell to Winston-Salem 4-1.

At the Plate:

Mark Zagunis had a decent day, he went 1-for-3 with a walk, and yet another outfield assist.
Wes Darvill had the best day, and he didn’t even start, he went 3-for-3 with a double, and a stolen base.
Billy McKinney, and Victor Caratini each had one hit in the loss.

On the Mound:

Jonathan Martinez got the start, and the loss today as be struggled with finding the plate. Martinez worked five innings, giving up three runs on five hits while walking four (see?), and striking out one.
Josh Conway was knocked around a bit, he worked 1.1 innings, giving up one run on two hits while walking two.
Gerardo Concepcion was outstanding again today, he worked 1.2 scoreless innings, he did not surrender a hit, and struck out two.

Full Box Score

There really isn’t much to say about this one, everything went right for South Bend as they destroyed Great Lakes 16-3. The Cubs pounded out twenty hits, and we the beneficiary of five errors in the win.

At the Plate (just going to list them):

Trey Martin went 2-for-6 with a double, and two runs scored.
Chesny Young was 3-for-3 with a stolen base, and four runs scored.
Gioskar Amaya went 1-for-3 with two walks, an RBI, and three runs scored.
Cael Brockmeyer was 3-for-4 with a walk, two RBI’s, and a run scored.
Justin Marra was 1-for-1 with his second dinger, two RBI’s, and a run scored.
Jesse Hodges went 2-for-6 with a double, three RBI’s, and two runs scored.
Gleyber Torres was 2-for-5 with two RBI’s, and a run scored.
Charcer Burks was 2-for-3 with two walks, and a run scored.
Rashad Crawford went 2-for-5 with two RBI’s.

On the Mound:

Jeremy Null didn’t much help at all in this one, he worked six scoreless innings, giving up three hits, surrendering no walks, and striking out four.
Tommy Thorpe picked up the save, yes, a save. He worked three innings giving up three runs, one earned, on five hits while walking one, and striking out one.

Full Box Score

Another monster blow out tonight, this time it was the Smokies going all sorts of crazy on the Jackson Generals. After breaking out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first, the Smokies gave all four of them back to tie the game up. It was all Smokies, scoring eight runs over the next eight innings en route to a 13-4 win.

At the Plate:

Pin-Chieh Chen went 3-for-4, with a double, two walks, two runs scored.
Albert Almora was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and a two runs scored.
Kyle Schwarber went 4-for-6 with an RBI, and a run scored.
Dan Vogelbach was 2-for-5 with a double, a dinger, a walk, five RBI’s, and two runs scored.
Stephen Bruno was 2-for-5 with a walk, two RBI’s, and a run scored.
Elliot Soto went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, two RBI’s, and two runs scored.
Ryan Dent wasnt 2-for-5 with a dinger, an RBI, and a run scored.

On the Mound:

Ivan Pineyro got the start, and picked up the win, he tossed 5.2 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out six.
Zach Cates was solid tonight, he worked 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up one hit while walking one, and striking out three.
Starling Peralta worked 1.2 scoreless innings while striking out three.

Riding the Bus: April 18, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Reports)

SATURDAY • APRIL 18, 2015

Full Box Score

Duane Underwood Jr. was brilliant in the first game of the double-header tonight, in fact, he was almost perfect. Underwood Jr. took a no-hitter into the seventh (last inning of a DH) before giving up a couple hits, so very close. The Pelicans had six hits in the victory, three of which were of the extra base variety.

At the Plate:

Shawon Dunston Jr. had a big game, he was 2-for-3 with a triple, a stolen base, and two runs scored.
Jacob Rogers continued his strong year at the plate, he was 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored.
Victor Caratini had a similar night, he was 1-for-3 with a double, and an RBI in the win.

On the Mound:

Duane Underwood Jr. got the start and the win in this one, he worked six innings, giving up one run on two hits while walking one, and striking out four.
Starling Peralta came on in relief of Underwood Jr. and shut the door, he worked a scoreless inning while walking one.

Full Box Score

The Pelicans came out swinging in game two as they scored four times in the top of the first en route to an 8-4 win, and a double-header sweep. The seven inning game saw the Pelicans pound out twelve hits, once again they went heavy on the extra base hits with five.

At the Plate:

Jacob Hannemann was solid at the top of the order, he was 2-for-4 with a double, and two runs scored.
Mark Zagunis is a joy to watch at the plate, he was 2-for-2 with a double, a run scored, and two more walks.
Billy McKinney had a big game two, he was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, an RBI, and two runs scored.
Jeimer Candelario has been good so far this year, he was 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored in the win.
Ben Carhart supplied the power, he was 1-for-2 with a dinger, three RBI’s, and a run scored.

On the Mound:

Paul Blackburn didn’t have his best stuff, but he battled and got the win, he worked five innings, giving up four runs, three earned, on seven hits while walking one, and striking out four.
Josh Conway was brilliant in picking up the save, he worked two scoreless innings while striking out one.

Full Box Score

The Smokies are rolling, they took care of Pensacola tonight to run their record to 6-3 on the season. Everything was working in this one for the Smokies, they pounded out twelve hits, and scored seven times in the win. The pitching was on point as well tonight giving up just one run on five hits while striking out ten.

At the Plate:

Elliot Soto got the job of leading off tonight, and he did it well. Soto was 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
Albert Almora have a game, he was 5-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored.
Stephen Bruno came up big in this one, he was 1-for-4 with two RBI’s, he’s now hitting .385 on the season.
Willson Contreras with a huge contribution off the bench, he was 1-for-1 with a dinger, three RBI’s, and a run scored.

On the Mound:

Felix Pena got the start tonight, and was stellar, he worked six innings, giving up one run on four hits while walking two, and striking out six.
Fernando Cruz was outstanding out of the pen to pick up his first save of the year, he worked three scoreless innings, giving up one hit while walking two, and striking out four.

Full Box Score

The South Bend Cubs have a disturbing trend of blowing saves, today was their fourth one of the season already. Things looked very much in hand late as the Cubs led Great Lakes 4-1 heading to the ninth, four runs later and the Cubs saw their record fall to 4-6 on the season.

At the Plate:

Trey Martin, and Chesny Young were a solid one-two punch at the top of the order in this won. Martin went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored. Young went 1-f0r-4 with a triple an RBI, and a run scored.
Jeffrey Baez had a solid game, he went 1-for-4 with a double, his third of the season.

On the Mound:

Zach Hedges was brilliant tonight, he worked five scoreless innings, giving up two hits while striking out three,
Tommy Thorpe did a fine job out of the pen, he worked tow innings, giving up one run, unearned, on two hits while walking one, and striking out one.
James Farris took the brunt of it in this one, he worked two innings, giving up four runs, two earned, while striking out five.