Riding the Bus: April 15, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)

WEDNESDAY • APRIL 15, 2015

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It’s definitely hit or miss for the Iowa Cubs in the early going as they were only able to register eight hits, and two runs in a 3-2 loss this afternoon.  That would have been just fine if the Cubs bullpen could have closed the door late, but poor command did them in, as it usually does late in ballgames.  The Cubs got a great effort from starter Donn Roach, but couldn’t cash in when they needed to as they were 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

 At the Plate:

• John Andreoli had another nice game, he was 1-for-4 with a double, and a walk.
• Chris Valaika snapped out of a funk today, he was 2-for-4 with a double, his second of the season.
• Jonathan Mota has been red-hot as of late, he continued that today, he was 2-for-4 with an RBI, he’s now hitting .462 on the season.
• Adron Chambers, and Addison Russell each had one hit in the loss.

On the Mound:

• Donn Roach deserved better today, he was brilliant.  Roach worked six scoreless innings, giving up one hit while striking out three.
• Blake Cooper was just okay out of the pen, he worked 1.2 innings, giving up one run on two hits, but did pick up a hold.
• Blake Parker had nothing today, he worked 1.1 innings, giving up one run on one hit while walking three(!).
• Drake Britton took the loss in this one, he worked two-thirds of an inning, giving up one run on two hits while walking one.

Full Box Score

Well, that didn’t go so well.  The South Bend Cubs didn’t have much of an opportunity in this one as they trailed 9-0 by the third inning en route to a 10-7 loss.  It was nice to see the Cubs make a come back in this one, but there isn’t much you can do when you are chasing that many.  Jake Stinnett just didn’t have anything tonight, he couldn’t find the plate, and the Cubs made three errors behind him, that’s a recipe for disaster.

At the Plate:

• Trey Martin has been doing a pretty solid job at the top of the South Bend lineup, he was 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored.  He also had an outfield assist.
• Gioskar Amaya went 2-for-3 with a double, and a run scored in the loss.
• Cael Brockmeyer continued the doubles binge that he is one, he went 2-for-4 with a walk, his sixth double of the season, an RBI, and a run scored.
• Chesny Young had a solid game, he was 2-for-5 with an RBI, and a run scored.

On the Mound:

• Jake Stinnett got the start and as I said, struggled with his command.  He worked 2.1 innings, giving up eight runs, five earned, on three hits while walking seven (see?), and striking out two.
• Jasvir Rakkar came on in long relief and did a nice job, he worked 3.2 innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on four hits while striking out four.
• David Bote, the infielder, saved the bullpen from further work in this one, he worked two scoreless innings, giving up three hits, while striking out two, go figure.

Both Tennessee, and Myrtle Beach were postponed.

Riding the Bus: April 12, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)

SUNDAY • APRIL 12, 2015

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An odd scheduling quirk as the SB Cubs open a series with Dayton on a Sunday, minor league baseball at it’s finest.  The Cubs jumped out to a quick three run lead in the third, and by the time the inning was over the game was tied at three.  The SB Cubs pitching held Dayton down the rest of the game allowing the bats to wake up and score five times en route to a 8-3 win.

At the Plate:

• Gleyber Torres is hitting his stride, he went 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI’s, a stolen base, and a run scored.
• Jason Volser was all over the place, he went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, and a stolen base.
• Rashad Crawford had a solid game from the nine spot, he went 2-for-2 with two walks, three RBI’s, and three runs scored.

On the Mound:

• Zach Hedges got the start and picked up the win, he worked five innings, giving up three runs, two earned, while walking one, and striking out two.
• Jasvir Rakkar was good once again, he worked two scoreless innings, surrendering zero hits while walking one, and striking out three.
• James Norwood was outstanding as well, he worked a scoreless inning, giving up two hits while striking out two.
• Tommy Thorpe closed things out, he worked a scoreless inning, surrendering zero hits, while walking one, and striking out one.

Full Box Score

One night after a thrilling comeback win, the Pelicans couldn’t find any offense as they could only muster three hits in a shutout loss.  The Pelican pitching was solid, but that doesn’t mean much if you can’t score.

At the Plate:

• Chris Denorfia, who is rehabbing from an injury, went 1-for-2 with a double.
• Mark Zagunis was out in right field today, he went 1-for-4 in the loss.
• Jeimer Candelario was 1-for-3 tonight, he’s now hitting .250 on the season.

On the Mound:

• Tyler Skulina got the start, and was outstanding, he worked five innings, giving up one run on three hits while walking three, and striking out five.
• James Pugliese had a rough go of it, he worked two innings, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out one.
• Matt Brazis had a similar effort, he worked two innings, giving up two run on three hits while walking one, and striking out three.

Full Box Score

The Smokies made some noise early on, then couldn’t push anymore runs across the plate the rest of the game.  By the second inning it was 6-1 Smokies then that was it as far as scoring runs goes.  The Braves were able to score once in the 4th, and once in the 9th to make it close but they still fell to the Smokies 6-3.

At the Plate:

• Elliot Soto got things done at the top of the order tonight, he was 2-for-6 with a run scored.
• Albert Almora had another solid game, he was 2-for-5 with a walk, a double, and two runs scored.
• Christian Villanueva had a productive day, he was 2-for-5 with three RBI’s, and a run scored.
• Dan Vogelbach continued his hot start today, he went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI’s, and a run scored.

On the Mound:

• Rob Zastryzny got the start, he worked 3.1 innings giving up two runs, one earned on three hits while walking three, and striking out five.  Unfortunately he was hit by a batted ball in the foot and had to leave the game.
• Stephen Perakslis was outstanding, he worked 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up one hit while walking one.
• Michael Jensen was solid today, he worked two scoreless innings, giving up two hits while walking one, and sriking out one.
• Hunter Cervenka struggled in this one, he worked 1.2 innings, giving up one run on one hit while walking two, and striking out two.
• Andres Santiago earned the save by retiring one hitter, he worked a third of an inning, while walking one.

Full Box Score

Another outstanding effort from the Iowa Cubs today as they pounded Memphis 7-2 to earn a series split.  The long ball was on display all day as Addison Russell, Kris Bryant, and Jonathan Mota all went deep, dingers!  The Cubs pitching held their own and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way.

At the Plate:

• John Andreoli did his job at the top of the order today, he went 1-for-3 with two walks, a double, and a run scored.
• Addison Russell is on fire right now, he hit 3-for-5 with a dinger, two RBI’s, and two runs scored.  He’s now hitting .389 on the season.
• Kris Bryant did it again, he was 1-for-4 with his second homer in as many days, three RBI’s, and a run scored.
• Jonathan Mota had a huge day, he went 3-for-4 with a homer, an RBI, and two runs scored.
• Adron Chambers had another solid game, he went 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and a double.

On the Mound:

• Barret Loux got the start for Iowa and was erratic for the most part, he worked 3.2 innings, giving up two runs on four hits while walking three, and striking out three.
• Drake Britton was brilliant today, and picked up the win, he worked 2.1 scoreless innings, surrendering zero hits while walking one.
• Zac Rosscup, Armando Rivero, and Blake Parker all worked a scoreless inning in relief to close out the Redbirds.

 

Riding the Bus: April 10, 2015 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)

FRIDAY APRIL 10, 2015

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The South Bend Cubs moved to 2-0 on the young season tonight as 2014 15th round draft pick Jeremy Null was brilliant.  Null got the start and worked five scoreless innings, giving up just two hits while striking out seven, not a single walk.  That was more than enough for the SB Cubs offense as they pounded out ten hits en route to a 7-4 victory over Bowling Green.

At the Plate:

• Trey Martin provided the production from the top of the order in this one, he was 1-for-5 with three RBI’s, and a run scored.
• Chesny Young has had a good start to the season, he went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the victory.
• Jeffrey Baez was solid yet again tonight, he went 2-for-4, and is now hitting .375 on the season.
• Jesse Hodges and the bottom of the order were noticeable in this one, Hodges went 2-for-4 with a double, and a run scored.
• Charcer Burks, and Rashad Crawford each had a hit, and a walk in the eight and ninth spots respectively.

On the Mound:

• The pen didn’t fair as well as Null in this one, Jasvir Rakkar worked two innings, giving up two runs, one earned on five hits while striking out one.
• Tommy Thorpe closed things down, he worked two innings, giving up two runs on three hits while walking one, and striking out three.

Full Box Score

Not a whole lot went right for the Pelicans tonight as they fell behind Wilmington 6-0 in the fourth on their way to an 8-3 loss.  If was a rough night on the mound for Pelicans starter Daury Torrez, he could only get through 4.2 innings as he picked up his first loss of the season.

At the Plate:

• Jacob Hannemann is doing good things early on, he was 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a stolen base.
• Ben Carhart had a solid 2015 debut, he went 1-for-3 with a double, and two runs scored.
• Mark Zagunis has been impressive, he was solid in the loss tonight, he went 1-for-4 with a walk, and a stolen base.

On the Mound:

• Daury Torrez got knocked around in this one, he worked 4.2 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits while walking one, and striking out five.
• I’m excited about Josh Conway, he just didn’t have it tonight, he went 1.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits while walking one, and striking out one.
• Gerardo Concepcion is on the comeback trail, he was great tonight, he worked two scoreless innings, giving up no hits while walking one, and striking out two.
• Tayler Scott finished this one off, he worked one scoreless inning, giving up one hit while striking out two.

Full Box Score

 A weird one in Mississippi as the Smokies jumped out to a 5-0 lead only to see it vanish in an 8-7 loss.  The Smokies attempted to mount a comeback in the 8th, but could only close the gap to one run.  A tough night for the Smokies pitchers as the Braves worked six walks, and registered nine hits.

At the Plate:

• Pin-Chieh Chen provided some production at the top, he was 1-for-4 with a walk, and two RBI’s.
• Bijan Rademacher is red-hot, he went 3-for-5 with a double, and three RBI’s.
• Dan Vogelbach had a solid game, he finished the night 1-for-3 with two walks.
• Willson Contreras smacked the ball all over tonight, he was 3-for-5 in the loss.
• Stephen Bruno came off the bench to have a good game, he went 2-for-2 with a run scored.

On the Mound:

• Ivan Pineyro got the start and struggled with command, he worked four innings, giving up three runs on three hits while walking three, and striking out four.
• Andres Santiago wasn’t much better, and was hung with the loss, he worked just two-thirds of an inning, giving up three runs on three hits while walking two, and striking out one.
• Michael Jensen was the lone bright spot tonight, he worked 1.1 scoreless innings, surrendering no hits while walking one, and striking out three.
• Fernando Cruz was roughed up as well, he worked two innings, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out three.

 Full Box Score

It hasn’t been the start that the Iowa Cubs, and Cubs fans were expecting.  For the second straight night the Memphis Redbirds took it to Iowa, it was especially bad tonight as Iowa trailed 7-0 after two.  Some of the big league club’s struggles are rubbing off on Iowa as they can’t seem to find any offense yet.

At the Plate:

• Junior Lake is displaying his new approach, he was 1-for-3 with a walk in the loss.
• Addison Russell is one guy that is swinging it well, he went 1-for-4 with a double, he’s hitting .375 so far this season.
• Chris Valaika, Mike Baxter, and Jonathan Mota were the only other I-Cubs to register a base hit, one each.

On the Mound:

• Carlos Pimentel didn’t have it tonight, he worked 3.2 innings, giving up seven runs, five earned while walking four, and striking out five.
• Jeffry Antigua was okay out of the pen, he worked 2.1 innings, giving up one run on two hits while walking one, and striking out two.
• Zac Rosscup, and Blake Parker were able to stop the bleeding as each guy worked a scoreless inning.

Cubs Remain Winless, but a Bryant Dinger! (VIDEO)

FULL BOX SCORE

The Cubs fell behind almost immediately as Jason Hammel did not have his best stuff, he allowed the first two men to reach base then gave up a loud three run homer to Nolan Arenado, just like that it was 3-0.  A lead that the Cubs would not threaten until late, and even  then they came up short.  Things got much better for us in the second inning as Jorge Soler ripped a single then went along for the ride on Braynt’s absolute bomb.  The only bright spot from the Cubs was Matt Szczur he made things happen, he went 2-for-2, with a run scored, a stolen base, and a dinger.

@CubsDen @ESPNChiCubs great video of Kris Bryant‘s home run. Via @Stewart2121 pic.twitter.com/uS0J9Fym7L

— Cubs Nation (@CubsNation14) March 7, 2015

Riding the Bus; Minor League Reports for April 7, 2014

Monday, April 7, 2014

Full Box Score

At The Plate:

The bats were making noise in the early going, but the production, and the lead disappeared in this one, as Daytona dropped a close one to Brevard County, 5-4.  Albert Almora is settling into a grove after starting the season slowly, he was 1-for-4 with a run scored in this one, and is now hitting .316 on the season.  Dan Vogelbach is still sluggish with the bat, but had a decent game tonight, he went 1-for-3 with a walk.  One guy who has been locked in at the plate is Jeimer Candelario, he was 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI, a run scored, and committed two errors (oops).  The man with the “best name in the minors” had a solid game, Rock Shoulders was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI’s, and a run scored.

On The Mound:

Exciting night for the Cubs organization as Rob Zastryznyy made his Daytona debut tonight, and had moments of brilliance in the no decision.  Zastryzny worked four innings, giving up four runs on six hits, while walking two, and striking out six.  The D-Cubs bullpen was solid once again in this one as the quartet of Yao-Lin Wang, Zach Cates, Arodys Vizcaino, and Austin Reed combined to work five innings only yielding one unearned run which proved to be the difference tonight.

 

Full Box Score

At The Plate:

Another light night at the dish for the Smokies as they fell to Pensacola for the fourth time in five games, 3-2.  Dustin Geiger has had a solid start to 2014, especially in the power department, Geiger was 2-for-4 with his second home run of the season, an RBI, and a run scored.  Jeudy Valdez was the only other Tennessee player to make a difference with the bat, he went 2-for-3 with a double, and an RBI in the loss.

On The Mound:

It wasn’t a bad night at all for Tennessee pitching, especially out of the bullpen, still not good enough for a win.  Matt Loosen got the start tonight, he worked five innings, giving up three runs on six hits, while walking three and striking out two.  Ryan Searle, Hunter Cervenka, and Tony Zych combined to toss three scoreless, hit-less innings out of the pen, they didn’t even walk anyone, and struck out five.

Full Box Score

At The Plate:

Not a whole lot going on for the Iowa hitters, but they made the most of their opportunities and beat Nashville 4-1.  Brett Jackson, who has had a rough start to the season, had a tremendous game.  B-Jax was 2-for-2 with a triple, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base.  As a team, the Iowa Cubs had four stolen bases in this one, saw an opportunity and exploited it.  Christian Villanueva had the big hit in this one, he was 1-for-4 with his first home run of the season, three RBI’s, and a run scored.

On The Mound:

All sorts of good things from the Iowa Cubs staff tonight.  Tsuyoshi Wada started tonight, and took home the win, he worked 6.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits, while walking one, and striking out eight.  Working as the setup man, Neil Ramirez worked 1.1 scoreless innings, he didn’t walk anyone, and struck out two.  Blake Parker worked the ninth for the save, he flirted with danger but got the job done, he worked a scoreless inning, giving up two hits, and striking out two.

 

Riding the Bus; Minor League Reports for April 4, 2014

 

Friday, April 4, 2014

 ** Kane County was postponed, they will play a DH tomorrow

Full Box Score

At The Plate:

Still not much going on for the Daytona offense in game two, but it was nice to see them come back from a 3-0 deficit to force extra innings.  Pin-Chieh Chen had a solid game from the lead-off spot, going 3-for-5 with a double, and RBI, and a run scored.  The middle of the order came up empty again tonight, but the bottom of the order was productive.  Bijan Rademacher was 2-for-4 with a double, run scored, and was caught stealing.  For the second straight game Gioskar Amaya was solid, he went 1-for-3 with a walk, and a run scored.

On The Mound:

Jose Rosario got the start for Daytona, and struggled with his command for most of the night.  Rosario worked four innings, giving up three runs on five hits, while walking three, and striking out five.  Michael Jensen, and Andrew McKirahan each worked two scoreless innings out of the pen to get the game into extra innings.  Austin Reed took the loss for Daytona, he worked two innings, giving up one run on one hit, while walking one, and striking out three.

Full Box Score

At The Plate:

Not a lot of offense in this one, but just enough for the Smokies to win their first game of the season.  It was Kris Bryant once again, Bryant went 1-for-4 with his second home run of the season, an RBI, and a run scored.  Dustin Geiger was able to get his first hit of the season, he went 1-for-4 with a single in the win.

On The Mound:

The other big news of the night was C.J. Edwards making his double A debut, and he didn’t disappoint.  Edwards worked four scoreless innings giving up one hit, while walking one, and striking out four, outstanding.  The rest of the Smokies staff was untouchable as well, P.J. Francescon took over for Edwards and took home the win.  Francescon worked three scoreless innings giving up two hits while walking one, and striking out two.  Armando Rivero was just about perfect in the late innings of this one, as he earned his first save of the season, Rivero worked two scoreless innings giving up one hit, while striking out four.

Full Box Score

At The Plate:

The Iowa Cubs are mirroring the big league club with the bats, and that’s not a good thing, they came up empty in a 9-0 loss to Memphis tonight.  Matt Szczur lead-off for Iowa and was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base.  That was it, Iowa only had two hits in the loss, they did draw five walks but were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

On The Mound:

Three bad innings, that’s all it took tonight as Memphis scored once in the fourth, three times in the fifth, and five times in the sixth.  Carlos Pimentel got the start for Iowa, and also took the loss, he worked five innings, giving up four runs on five hits, while striking out six.  Jonathan Sanchez was much worse, he worked two-thirds of an inning, giving up five runs on one hit (ONE HIT), while walking three, and striking out three.  Marcos Mateo, Blake Parker, and Zac Rosscup all had scoreless appearances out of the pen, but it was too little too late.

Thanks for reading!

Spring Training is Here; February 27 Preview, Lineups, Etc.

Finally, Spring Training is about to begin.  The Cubs open their brand new facility in Mesa, and the 2014 Spring schedule tomorrow afternoon against the Diamondbacks.  Jeff Samardzija gets the start amid trade rumors that are still swirling given the perceived stalled contract negotiations between him and the Cubs.  The Cubs will be opposed by Bronson Arroyo and a power laden D-Backs lineup that was bolstered in the off-season with the acquisition of Mark Trumbo who will play LF for Arizona tomorrow.

Here are the lineups, and the extra pitchers that both teams will be carrying.  For the image impaired that are reading, the Cubs plan to use Wesley Wright, Alberto Cabrera, Justin Grimm, Pedro Strop, Blake Parker, Hector Rondon, and Jose Veras in addition to Shark.  The game begins at 2:00 PM CST, and will be televised (!) on WGN.

Minor Matters – May 26, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)

Full Box Score

At The Plate – Iowa is on a roll, they have now won four games in a row, and seven of their last eight.  The Cubs could only manage four hits, and two runs but it was enough for the victory over Oklahoma City.  Brian Bogusevic, and Brent Lillibridge each had one hit, and one stolen base in the victory, both hits were singles.  It was the Edwin Maysonet show offensively for the Cubs, he was 2-for-2 with his fourth home run of the season, an RBI, a double, and two runs scored.

On The Mound – Barret Loux finally got things in order and was outstanding to earn his third win of the season.  Loux went six strong innings giving up one run on three hits while walking three and striking out six.  Blake Parker was solid as usual to close this one out; he worked one scoreless inning while striking out one to earn his seventh save of the season.

Full Box Score

At The Plate – Make that five wins in a row for Iowa, and eight wins in their last nine games as they finished off an impressive double-header sweep over a good RedHawks team.  The Cubs struck for three runs in the first inning and that lead held up until the sixth inning when Oklahoma City tied things up, but the Cubs bounced right back in the bottom half to win it 4-3.  Logan Watkins was 1-for-3 with his fifth home run of the season, an RBI, and a run scored.  Brian Bogusevic, Brett Jackson, and Brad Nelson each had one hit in the victory, Bogusevic and Jackson also had a stolen base.  Donnie Murphy was 1-for-2 with his fourth home run of the season, two RBI’s, and a run scored.

On The Mound – Yoanner Negrin got the start in this one, he normally does most of his work out of the pen, but he was solid.  Negrin worked 4.1 innings giving up two runs on two hits while walking three and striking out five.  Marcus Hatley worked 1.2 innings giving up one run on one hit while walking one and striking out two, which was good enough to give Hatley his first win of the season.  Zach Putnam worked a scoreless seventh inning to pick up his fourth save of the season.

Full Box Score

At The Plate – The Smokies pounded out ten hits and five runs en route to a 5-2 victory over Huntsville on Sunday Night.  Matt Szczur was 2-for-4 with his ninth double of the season, an RBI, and a run scored.  Rubi Silva was 2-for-4 with his ninth double of the season in the win.  Tim Torres is having a solid 2013, he was 1-for-3 with his second home run of the season, two RBI’s, and a run scored.  Arismendy Alcantara continues to hit, he was 1-for-3 with a walk (that’s great to see from him), and he made his seventeenth error of the season.

On The Mound – Eric Jokisch is putting together quite the solid season; he was good again in this one as he picked up his fourth win of the season.  Jokisch worked 5.2 innings giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out six, he lowered his ERA to 3.44 on the season.  Trey McNutt bounced back with a solid performance out of the pen, he worked a scoreless inning while striking out the side.  Zach Rosscup was solid as well going 1.1 scoreless innings while walking one and striking out two.  Frank Batista worked a scoreless inning as well while striking out one; he has a sparkling 2.14 ERA on the season.

Full Box Score

At The Plate – Daytona fell behind 4-0 early and couldn’t ever get back in this one as they fell to Lakeland 5-3.  Zeke DeVoss had a solid day from the leadoff spot going 3-for-4 with a walk, all three hits were singles.  Javier Baez was 1-for-3, he also made his twenty-third error of the season, he’s now hitting .266 this year.  Jorge Soler was 1-for-4 with his seventh home run of the season, two RBI’s, and a run scored.  Chadd Krist was 2-for-4 with his fourth double of the season in the loss.

On The Mound – P.J. Francescon got the start in this one, and was roughed up as he suffered his fourth loss of the season.  Francescon worked six innings giving up four runs on six hits while walking three and striking out six.  Yao-Lin Wang was solid going 1.2 innings giving up one run on no hits while walking one and striking out two.  Jeffrey Lorick was good out of the pen going 1.1 scoreless innings giving up two hits while walking one and striking out two.

Full Box Score

At The Plate – The Cougars did everything but win this game as they built a 5-2 lead in the fifth inning only to see it disappear in the sixth en route to a 6-5 loss.  Pin-Chieh Chen was solid out of the leadoff spot going 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and two runs scored.  Albert Almora continues to hit, he was 2-for-5, which actually lowered his average to .538 on the season.  Marco Hernandez was 2-for-4 with two singles, and an RBI in the loss.  Gioskar Amaya was 1-for-4 with his first home run of the season, an RBI, and a run scored.

On The Mound – Taylor Scott was roughed up, but really only had two bad innings as he earned a no decision.  Scott worked 5.2 innings giving up four runs on six hits while walking three and striking out two.  Eddie Orozco added fuel to the fire in the fateful sixth, he worked 2.1 innings giving up two runs on four hits while walking one and striking out three.  Jeffry Antigua was solid going one scoreless inning giving up one hit while striking out one.

Minor Matters – May 18, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Reports)

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At The Plate – The losing ways continue for the Iowa Cubs and they can blame themselves as they made four errors in the loss.  Logan Watkins was 1-for-4 with his seventh double of the season, and a run scored, he also made his fourth error of the season.  Ian Stewart got a rare start and made it count going 2-for-4 with a double, and a run scored.  Donnie Murphy was 2-for-3 with an RBI in the loss.

On The Mound –  Chris Rusin got the start and didn’t help himself as he made on of the errors, but he battled.  Rusin went 6.2 innings giving up four runs, three earned, on five hits while walking two and striking out three.  Zach Putnam worked out of Rusin’s trouble in the seventh getting the final out on strikeout.  Rafael Dolis worked a scoreless inning in relief giving up two hits while striking out one.  Blake Parker worked a scoreless inning as well giving up on hit while walking one and striking out one.

Full Box Score

At The Plate –  The Smokies are on a roll again, with the win they are now three game above .500 for the season.  Matt Szczur shows up in every recap, he was 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored, he is now hitting .304 on the season.  Ronald Torreyes was 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored.  Arismendy Alcantara was all over the scoresheet in this one, he was 3-for-4 with his fifth home run of the season, two doubles, two RBI’s, and a run scored, he also made his fourteenth error of the season.  Anthony Giansanti also had a big day, and has been awesome since he was promoted to Tennessee, he was 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, an RBI, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .353 on the season.

On The Mound –  Dallas Beeler got the start and his fourth win of the season as he was solid.  Beeler went six innings giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits while walking two and striking out six.  Trey McNutt got back on track working one scoreless inning giving up one hit while striking out two.  Kevin Rhoderick continues to struggle, he worked one inning giving up one run on two hits while walking one and striking out one.  Brian Schlitter worked the ninth for his second save of the season, he went one inning giving up one run, unearned, on two hits while striking out one.

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At The Plate – Nice response the last few days from Daytona as the bats have woke up in a big way, fifteen more hits today in the victory.  The D-Cubs were only 5-for-20 with runners in scoring position in this one, but having twenty chances is rather impressive.  Zeke DeVoss has been struggling but had a solid game going 2-for-5 with two singles, he was picked off as well.  Javier Baez had another solid game going 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored.  Jorge Soler picked up right where he left off from yesterday, he was 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored.  Dustin Geiger also kept things rolling going 2-for-5 with yet another double, and a run scored.  Ben Carhart supplied the power in this one going 1-for-5 with his first home run of the season, three RBI’s, and a run scored.

On The Mound – Zach Cates got the start and picked up his fourth win of the season going 5.2 innings giving up three runs on five hits while walking two and striking out one.  David Cales was solid out of the pen going 2.1 innings giving up two runs, one earned, on three hits while walking one and striking out four.  Hunter Cervenka was solid again working a scoreless ninth for his fourth save of the season.

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At The Plate – Another solid game between the Cougars and the high-powered Kernels, this time Kane County got the best of them winning 4-0.  Dan Vogelbach was 2-for-4 with his seventh double of the season, he’s now hitting .288 for the year.  Rock Shoulders has been coming back down to Earth as of late, can’t really blame him, but was solid in this one going 2-for-4 with his ninth home run of the season, an RBI, and a run scored.  Oliver Zapata provided some surprising offense out of the nine spot going 3-for-4 with his third home run of the season, two RBI’s, and two runs scored.

On The Mound – Pierce Johnson was brilliant in this one as he shut down the prospect laden Kernels.  Johnson went six scoreless innings giving up six hits while walking one and striking out nine to earn his second win of the season.  Justin Amlung was solid out of the pen going two scoreless innings while walking two and striking out three.  Jeffry Antigua closed the door in the ninth working a scoreless inning giving up on hit while striking out two.

Minor Matters – May 11, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Reports)

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At The Plate – The Cubs left some runs out on the bases in this one but they found just enough offense to come away with a win.  Brett Jackson was 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI’s, and  his fourth stolen base of the season.  Dave Sappelt had a good day going 2-for-4 with his first home run of the season, two RBI’s, and a run scored.  J.C. Boscan was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in the win.  I mentioned that Iowa left some runs out there, they were 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position, and left nine guys on base.

On The Mound – Guillermo Moscoso was brilliant in this one for the Cubs as he improved his record to 2-0 on the season.  Moscoso went seven innings giving up one run, unearned, on six hits while walking one and striking out seven.  Zach Putnam worked a scoreless inning out of the pen giving up one hit while walking one.  Blake Parker was solid again for his fifth save of the season, he worked a scoreless ninth while striking out one.

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At The Plate – The Smokies finally found a way to beat the Barons, and almost blew the lead late before hanging on to a 5-4 victory.  Matt Szczur was good again at the top of the order going 2-for-4 with two RBI’s, two runs scored, and two stolen bases, he now has twelve stolen bases on the season.  Ty Wright was 2-for-3 with a walk, and a double in the win.  Christian Villanueva had another solid day going 3-for-4 with two doubles, and an RBI, he’s hitting .294 over his last ten games.

On The Mound – Matt Garza had a solid outing for the Smokies, and more importantly came out of it healthy again.  Garza went 3.1 scoreless innings giving up three hits while walking two and striking out two.  Matt Loosen struggled with his command out of the pen but managed to get the win.  Loosen went four innings giving up three runs on two hits while walking four and striking out six.  Marcus Hatley struggled a little bit but earned his first save of the season going 1.2 innings giving up one run on two hits while walking two and striking out one.

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At The Plate – After falling behind 3-1 early the Cougars went to work at the plate scoring six times over the final six innings en route to a 7-4 victory.  Pin-Chieh Chen was solid at the top of the order going 2-for-5 with a double.  Dan Vogelbach was 1-for-4 with a walk, a double, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .292 on the season.  Willson Contreras had a huge day going 3-for-5 with a double, his fourth home run of the season, two RBI’s, and two runs scored.  Gioskar Amaya only had one hit in this one (1-for-5) but he had two huge RBI’s.

On The Mound – Michael Heesch flirted with disaster all day long but pitched out of trouble for the most part.  Heesch worked six innings giving up four runs on twelve hits while walking one to earn his second win of the season.  Brian Smith was outstanding out of the pen, he worked three scoreless inning giving up two hits while striking out three to earn his first save of the season.

NOTES:  Daytona had a double-header scheduled, and both games were postponed.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s out there, including mine, the best one there is!