8/29: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Our daily look at the Cubs minor leaguers.  Tennessee was off and the AZL Cubs regular season has come to an end.  They wound up winning the wild card.

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Boise got the bats going once again beating Everett 9-5.  Stephen Bruno was back at it going 2-for-3 with an RBI, he is now hitting .354.  Dan Vogelbach was 1-for-3 with a home run, his 10th of the season.  Rock Shoulders had a nice night going 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and two RBIs.  Darien Martin and Marco Hernandez each had a hit and an RBI.  Albert Almora was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.  Tayler Scott started, but did not factor in the decision pitching only four innings and allowing three runs, two earned.  Michael Heesch did get the win pitching the next two innings not allowing a run.  Nathan Dorris pitched two scoreless innings and Eduardo Orozco pitched the final frame, giving up two runs.

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Cedar Rapids jumped on Peoria early and held on to beat Peoria 9-5.  Jorge Soler was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.  Chadd Krist and Jacob Rogers each had one hit and one RBI, with Krist having a triple.  Zeke DeVoss and Dustin Geiger each had a hit and a hit and combined to score three runs.  Yao-Lin Wang started and struggled, giving up nine runs, seven earned on eight hits in getting the loss.  Bryce Shafer and Pete Levitt combined to pitch the last five scoreless innings.

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Christian Villanueva had a good first game as Daytona won 4-1.  Villanueva was 2-for-3 with a home run, RBI, and two runs scored.  Javier Baez was 1-for-3 with a triple, RBI, and run scored.  Taylor Davis, Elieser Bonne, and John Andreoli all had a hit a piece in the win.  PJ Francescon started and was really good pitching six innings allowing one run on three hits, while striking out three.  AJ Morris got the call in the seventh and recorded his sixth save of the season.

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It took extra innings in game two as Daytona ended up on the losing end of the second one 3-1.  Frank Del Valle started and pitched five innings allowing one run and striking out six.  Ryan Searle pitched a scoreless sixth, but Jeffrey Lorick struggled giving up two runs in the eighth inning as he took the loss.  Rebel Ridling accounted for the only run for the Cubs as he hit a home run in the fourth inning.  Javier Baez was 1-for-3 with a stolen base in game two.  John Andreoli, Elieser Bonne, and Rafael Lopez all had a hit in the loss.

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Iowa got shut out on Wednesday losing 3-0 to Nashville.  Ryan Rowland-Smith started and took the loss giving up one run, two earned in five innings.  Jay Jackson threw one perfect inning in relief striking out one and Jeff Beliveau gave up one run in two innings of work.  There was nothing too exciting on the offensive end.  Diory Hernandez was 2-for-4 with two doubles.  New Cub Anthony Recker was 1-for-3 with a double and Adrian Cardenas also had a double in the loss.  Greg Rohan, Dave Sappelt, and Jeff Frazier all had one hit a piece in the shutout loss.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

 

8/28: Around the Cubs Minor League System

The Cubs minor league recap for Tuesday, August 28.  Daytona was again cancelled because of rain.

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The AZL Cubs tried to come back, but ended up losing to the Diamondbacks 6-4.  Dillon Maples started and got the loss allowing two unearned runs in one inning.  The Cubs used six more pitchers to get through the rest of the game.  Some of the good pitching performances were Loiger Padron who struck out three and allowed one hit in two innings.  Anthony York struggled giving up three runs in just 0.2 innings.  Daniel Adrian, Jin-Young Kim, and Arturo Maltos-Garcia all combined to strike out eight in just three innings.  Garrett Schlecht was really good night going 4-for-4 with a double, triple, and three runs scored.  Yasiel Balaguert was 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored.  Trevor Gretzky and Carlos Penalver each had a hit and an RBI.  Justin Marra had a double and Jeff Baez knocked in one run in the loss.

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Boise jumped on Everett early scoring seven runs in the first two innings and ended up winning 7-3.   Stephen Bruno has been outstanding and Tuesday was no different going 3-for-5 with a run scored.  Jeimer Candelario and Gioskar Amaya each hit a home run with Candelario driving in two and Amaya three.  Wilson Contreras and Marco Hernandez had two hits a piece with Contreras having two RBIs.  Carlos Escobar and Darien Martin each had a hit in the win.  Although he didn’t have a hit it was nice to see Albert Almora get back in the lineup.  Pierce Johnson got the start pitching two innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits while striking out three.  Jose Arias pitched the next three innings allowing one run on one hit, while walking four and striking out three.  Brian Smith pitched the next 2.2 innings and got the win not allowing a run and striking out three.  Rafael Diplan notched his first save of the season, striking out two of the four outs he recorded.

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Peoria gave up three runs in the ninth and lost to Wisconsin 4-1.  In some really good new Ben Wells got the start in his first game with Peoria since coming back from injury.  He pitched two innings allowing no runs on two hits, with one walk.  Willengton Cruz did a very nice job in relief pitching five innings allowing one run on three hits, while striking out four.  Justin Berg took the loss giving up three runs in the ninth inning.  The Chiefs only had four hits on Tuesday.  Pin-Chieh Chen and Dustin Geiger each had hits as did Timothy Saunders and Jacob Rogers.  Jorge Soler did not have a hit, but walked twice and scored the Chiefs lone run.

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Tennessee gave up one run in the ninth to tie the game, but walked-off in the 10th beating Mobile 6-5.  Logan Watkins was the hero hitting the walk off home run in the 10th, he ended the night 2-for-4 with a double and a home run.  Michael Brenly had quite a nice night as well going 3-for-4 with a home run, one RBI and two runs scored.  Matt Cerda was 2-for-4 with a run scored and Michael Burgess had a pinch hit RBI single.  Junior Lake and Rubi Silva each had a hit in the Smokies win.  Austin Kirk got the start going seven strong innings.  He gave up three runs, two earned on seven hits, while walking one and striking out one.  Kevin Rhoderick gave up a run in one inning, but got the ball to Frank Batista with the lead.  Batista blew the save, but got the win.  Tennessee is playing good ball lately and they are now 33-32, but it appears to be too late as they are five out and are one game away from being eliminated.

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Iowa lost to Nashville 7-3.  Horacio Ramirez wasn’t good giving up seven runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings.  Miguel Socolovich, Rafael Dolis, and Jairo Asencio combined to pitch 3.1 innings not allowing a run.  Alfredo Amezaga was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.  Tony Campana and Matt Tolbert each had two hits, with Tolbert scoring a run.  Greg Rohan, Dave Sappelt, and James Adduci each had a hit in the Cubs loss.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

8/27: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Here is the start of the last week of the regular season in the minor leagues.  The Boise Hawks were off and Daytona was postponed.

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The Cubs scored three in the second and that was enough as they beat the Giants 3-1.  Ryan McNeil was outstanding pitching four scoreless, hitless innings.  he did however walk three and struck out two, his ERA now sits at 1.35.  Corbin Hoffner was equally as impressive striking out five in two scoreless innings.  After Chad Marin gave up a run, Alvido Jimenez came in and struck out two, pitching 1.1 perfect innings and getting the win.  Steve Perakslis pitched the ninth and notched his second save of the season.  Yasiel Balaguert was all the offense the Cubs needed hitting a three-run home run in the second.  Carlos Penalver, David Bote, and Dan Lockhart all had a hits a piece in the Cub win.

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Peoria beat Wisconsin again on Monday, beating them 7-3.  Starling Peralta was good on Monday starting and getting his fifth win of the year.  He pitched six innings allowing two runs on three hits, while walking two and striking out eight.  Luis Liria struck out two in two innings and Bryce Shafer pitched the final frame giving up a run and striking one out.  Jacob Rogers had another nice night at plate going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs.  Bijan Rademacher had two hits of his own knocking in two on the night and Chadd Krist had a hit and an RBI as well.  Timothy Saunders and Dustin Geiger each had a hit and scored a run, with Saunders stealing his seventh base of the season. Jorge Soler had a double and scored two runs in the win.

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Tennessee scored five in the first two innings and held on to beat Mobile 5-3.  Dae-Eun Rhee started and got the win going five innings, allowing two runs, one earned on eight hits.  Zach Rosscup, Casey Weathers, and Tony Zych combined to pitch the next three innings and got the ball to Brian Schlitter who notched his fifth save of the season pitching a perfect ninth.  Jae-Hoon Ha had nice night at the plate going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.  Junior Lake and Logan Watkins each had two hits, with Watkins scoring a run and Lake having a double.  Matt Szczur and Rubi Silva each had a hit in the Smokies win.

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Iowa scored two in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough losing to Nashville 4-3.  Seth McClung started and took the loss allowing four runs on eight hits in five innings.  Esmailin Caridad, Jaye Chapman, and Marcus Hatley all pitched a hitless and scoreless inning each of baseball.  Greg Rohan ended the night 2-for-4 with a home run, his fourth since moving to Iowa.  Dave Sappelt hit his seventh homer of the season, a two run shot in the ninth.  James Adduci, Tony Campana, and Alfredo Amezaga all had a hit in the Cubs loss on Monday night.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

 

8/25: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Saturday’s minor league recap.

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It was a game of big innings early, until the ninth when the AZL Cubs walked off with another win, this time 8-7.  Paul Blackburn started, but wasn’t at his best giving up three runs on four hits in three innings of work.  Rafael Dolis and Jasvir Rakkar each pitched an inning allowing two runs a piece.  Ethan Elias did a great job keeping the Giants at seven runs as pitched the next three innings allowing no runs on no hits, while walking two and striking out four.  The good luck charm Steve Perakslis improved his record to 4-0 as he got the win after pitching a scoreless ninth.  The Cubs had a lot of nice days offensively.  Carlos Penalver and Yasiel Balaguert each had two hits and drove in two a piece.  Ben Carhart was 2-for-6 with a walk off single and Shawon Dunston had one hit, a double and three RBIs.  Trevor Gretzky and David Bote both contributed with two hits and combined two score three runs for the Cubs.  Daniel Lockhart and Garrett Schlecht each had a hit and an RBI in the Cubs victory.  The victory clinched a spot in the playoffs for the Cubs.

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Boise got out to a quick start and held on to beat Vancouver 8-6.  After a recent struggle Jeimer Candelario appears to have broken out as he went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored, and three RBIs.  Stephen Bruno stayed red-hot going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.  Dan Vogelbach also had two hits, including a double and an RBI.  Wilson Contreras and Gioskar Amaya each had a hit with Contreras knocking in two and Amaya one.  Albert Almora left the game early with an apparent injury, but I have no word yet as to what the problem was.  Ian Dickson started, but did not factor in the decision as was only able to last 4.1 innings as he allowed four runs on seven hits.  Hunter Ackerman did get the victory as he threw the next 2.2 innings giving up one run and striking out five.  Eduardo Orozco got the ball to Nathan Dorris and Dorris closed out the win and the second half for Boise.  With the victory Boise is the second half winners and are headed to the playoffs.

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A three run fourth was enough for Joseph Zeller and the Cubs bullpen as they beat Wisconsin 3-2.  Zeller pitched quite well giving up one run on seven hits in six innings.  Sheldon McDonald pitched the next two innings allowing one run, but got the ball to Larry Suarez who notched his fifth save of the season striking out two in a scoreless ninth.  Timothy Saunders had another nice night going 2-for-4 with a homer and a double.  Chadd Krist also hit a home run, a two run shot in the fourth inning.  Oliver Zapata had a hit, two walks, and two stolen bases and Zeke DeVoss also added a hit in the Chiefs win.

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Daytona lost game one to Tampa 3-2.  Although they only had three hits, they threatened late, but couldn’t finish.  Ronald Torreyes, Elieser Bonne, and Vladimir Frias were the only Cubs to have hits on Saturday.  Nelson Perez drove in the two Cubs runs in game one without the benefit of a hit.  Eduardo Figueroa started, but took a no decision as didn’t give up a run in four inning, while striking out six.  Matt Spencer took the loss as he really struggled with his command walking five and allowing all three of the Yankees runs to score in just 0.2 innings.  Matt Iannazzo finished game one out throwing a scoreless 1.1 innings.

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Daytona returned the favor in game two as Ryan Searle and staff only allowed three hits in a 4-1 win.  Searle started and pitched pretty good going five innings allowing one run on three hits and striking out five.  From there Jeff Lorick pitched a scoreless sixth and Scott Weismann notched his fourth save of the season throwing a perfect seventh.  John Andreoli and Ronald Torreyes hit one-two in the order and set the table of the Cubs in this one.  Torreyes was 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored, and an RBI.  John Andreoli was also 2-for-4 with a double, triple, and two runs scored.  Rebel Ridling had two hits of his own and drove in one run and Nelson Perez drove in another run, again not having a hit.  Javier Baez broke through with a double in the victory.

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Mobile scored one in the ninth to tie it and got one in the 10th to beat Tennessee 4-3.  Nicholas Struck was in line for the win pitching seven innings, allowing two runs, one earned on six hits, while striking out six.  Zach Rosscup did his job getting the ball to Frank Batista, but Batista couldn’t get the save in this one allowing the ninth inning run.  Casey Harman took the loss allowing an unearned run in the 10th.  Rubi Silva had a nice night at the plate going 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs.  Jae-Hoon Ha had three hits and Junior Lake had two hits and a run scored.  Logan Watkins was 1-for-5 with a home run for the Smokies in the tough loss on Saturday.

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Things have been better for Iowa as of late and Saturday was no different as they beat Oklahoma City 4-1.  Ty’Relle Harris started and got the win pitching six strong innings.  He allowed one run on four hits while striking out six.  Miguel Socolovich and Jeff Beliveau each pitched a perfect frame to get the ball to Jairo Asencio who struck out two and pitched a scoreless ninth to record his fifth save of the season.  The Cubs had a few nice nights offensively on Saturday starting with Diory Hernandez who had a home run and three RBIs.  Dave Sappelt was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Matt Tolbert also had two hits with a run scored.  Greg Rohan and Jeff Frazier each had two hits a piece with Frazier having two doubles and Rohan having one.  It is good to see Iowa finishing the season strong.

It was an exciting night, Congrats to Boise Hawks and the AZL Cubs in clinching a playoff birth.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

8/20: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Monday, August 20 Cubs minor league report.  After a couple days of being rained out Daytona had a scheduled off day on Monday.

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The AZL Cubs dropped Monday night’s game to the Padres 5-1.  The good new first, Paul Blackburn started and pitched well.  He pitched four innings allowing no runs on two hits and four strike outs.  The bad news now, Rafael Dolis gave up three runs, two earned in 1.1 innings in taking the loss.  Arturo Maltos-Garcia couldn’t keep the game close allowing two runs in just .2 innings and Daniel Adrian pitched the final two innings on Monday.  The Cubs didn’t do much offensively, but there were a few bright spots.  Carlos Penalver and Yasiel Balaguert were each 2-for-4 and Penalver scored a run.  Danie Lockhart and Justin Marra each had a hit with Marra driving in the only Cubs run in the game.  David Bote and Trevor Gretzky each had a hit in the loss.  The Cubs will look to get back on track tomorrow.

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Boise got off to a great start on Monday, but gave up six runs in the last three innings to lose 8-7.  Ian Dickson started and pitched five innings, giving up two unearned runs on three hits, while striking out four.  Hunter Ackerman had a tough night, giving up four runs on three hits in 2.2 innings.  Tyler Bremer was the losing pitcher in this one as he gave up two runs.  Dan Vogelbach had a nice night at the plate going 3-for-4 with a home run.  Marco Hernandez hit a home run hit his fifth home run of the season and drove in two RBIs.  Trey Martin also drove in two runs and Xavier Batista had an RBI as well.  Stephen Bruno continued his hot stretch at the plate going 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored.  Albert Almora ended the night with one hit and Wilson Contreras had a hit and an RBI.  It was not a good loss for the Hawks, but tomorrow is a new day.

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Wisconsin ambushed Joseph Zeller and the Chiefs beating Peoria 8-1.  Zeller struggled giving up seven runs, five earned on 10 hits in six innings.  Willengton Cruz and Luis Liria pitched the final two innings combining to give up one unearned run.  On the offensive side Timothy Saunders continued to rake going 2-for-4 and he is now hitting .371 since going to Peoria.  Zeke DeVoss was also had two hits, one being a double.  Bijan Rademacher was 1-for-3 driving in the lone Chiefs run of the night.  Jacob Rogers and Pin-Chieh Chen each had a hit in the loss on Monday.

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With the game tied at one, Tennessee put up four in the eighth and defeated Chattanooga 5-1.  Nicholas Struck got the start and did a real nice job pitching six strong innings.  He gave up one run on six hits, walking two, and striking out three.  After Trey McNutt pitched a scoreless seventh, Brian Schlitter cam in and got the win, pitching the final two innings of this one.  Junior Lake had a nice night offensively going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Michael Brenly also had a double and he drove in two runs of his own.  Jae-Hoon Ha and Rubi Silva each had two hits and Ha scored a run.  Logan Watkins and Justin Bour each had a hit and scored a run in the win.

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After a nice stretch for Iowa they lost to Memphis on Monday 11-3.  Ty’Relle Harris got the start, but didn’t last long giving up three runs, two earned in just four innings.  Jay Jackson gave up a run in his two innings of work before giving the ball to Michael Hatley who really struggled.  Hatley didn’t record an out, but gave up six runs on three hits and four walks.  Esmailin Caridad and Brian Esposito finished off the game for Iowa combining to pitch the last three innings.  Offensively the Cubs had a few nice performances.  Greg Rohan and James Adduci each had two hits and each had an RBI in the loss.  Alfredo Amezaga and Blake Lalli also had two hits a piece and each also scored a run.  Tony Campana and Dave Sappelt both had a hit and Matt Tolbert had an RBI in the loss.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

8/19: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Sorry for the dealy, better late than never I guess, right??

The AZL Cubs were off on Sunday, Daytona was suspended after one inning of play.  I wonder if the D-Cubs still remember how to play baseball.

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Top performer:  Taylor Scott – 5.o IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K  (ND)

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Top performer:  Dustin Geiger – 1-for-4, HR(16), 2 RBI’s (46)

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Top performer:  Matt Cerda – 2-for-4, RBI (10), 2 runs scored

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Top performer:  Greg Rohan – 2-for-3, 2B (3), HR (3), 3 RBI’s (22), run scored

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August 19,2012 Minor League Record: 2-2

Thanks for reading,
– George

8/17: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Our daily trip through the Cubs system.

FULL BOX SCORE

The AZL Cubs out hit the A’s, but also made five errors and lost 4-3.  Ryan McNeil got the start going three innings allowing no runs on two hits, while striking out two.  Rafael Dolis pitched another scoreless innings in relief.  The fourth inning is really where the defense cost the Cubs as Corbin Hoffner gave up three runs, only one earned in two innings.  Alvido Jimenez took the loss allowing one run on two hits in two inning of work.  Yasiel Balaguert had another nice night at the plate going 2-for-4 including a triple and an RBI.  Carlos Penalver and David Bote also had two hits, Bote had a triple and scored a run.  Alberto Mineo was 1-for-4 and drove in a run of his own.  Daniel Lockhart, Shawon Dunston, and Trevor Gretzky all had one hit in the loss.

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Boise put seven early, but had to hold on to beat Tri-City 7-6.  The Hawks put up thirteen hits and had several players have a multi hit game.  Dan Vogelbach was 3-for-5 including a triple and an RBI.  Stephen Bruno had only one hit, but made it count hitting a three-run homer in the fourth.  Albert Almora continued his hot stretch going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.  Izaac Garsez and Lance Rymel each had a two hits and they both drove in one.  Jeimer Candelario only had one hit, but drove in another run.  Rock Shoulders and Marco Hernandez each had a hit in the victory as well.  Justin Amlung started, but did not factor in the decision as he only lasted two innings allowing one run on three hits.  Michael Heesch pitched the next two innings and got the win for Boise.  James Pugliese and Su-Min Jung each struggled over the next three innings, but got the game to Eduardo Orozco with the lead.  Orozco closed out the game recording his fifth save as he pitched two scoreless innings striking out three.  Although they allowed Tri-City to mount a comeback it was good to see Boise hold on.

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Peoria lost to Burlington on Friday 5-4.  Starling Peralta got the start and pitched pretty good giving up three runs, two earned on five hits in six innings.  He also struck out eight in the no decision.  Austin Reed took the loss in relief giving up two runs in his one inning of work.  Bryce Schafer struck out three in two scoreless innings.  Chadd Krist got back on track going 2-for-3 with a home run and a double.  Wes Darvill and Dustin Geiger each contributed offensively with a solo home run a piece.  Timothy Saunders added a triple and Sergio Burruel also had a hit.  Jorge Soler was back in the lineup, but really struggled going 0-for-4 with three strike outs.  It has been a tough stretch for Peoria as of late.

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Going into the eighth Daytona was tied at two, but gave up three runs in the inning and lost 5-2.  Kyle Hendricks started and went four innings allowing two runs on three hits in a no decision.  Kyler Burke continued his struggles since going to Daytona as he gave up three runs in five innings taking his seventh loss at Daytona.  Christian Villanueva had a nice night going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  John Andreoli and Nelson Perez each added two hits as well, both having a double.  Javier Baez had another hit and stole two bases, his first two since moving up.  Rafael Lopez added a hit in the losing effort on Friday.

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Tennessee scored two in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough as they lost 5-4 to Birmingham on Friday.  Starting pitcher Dae-Eun Rhee took the loss giving up four runs on nine hits in just 4.2 innings.  Trey McNutt gave up a run, but struck out two in his 1.1 inning of work.  Casey Weathers and Brian Schlitter combined to pitch the last two innings of scoreless baseball.  Rubi Silva was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.  Jae-Hoon Ha, Justin Bour, and Chad Noble all drove in a run without getting a base hit on Friday.  Junior Lake was 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored.  Logan Watkins had a double and scored a run on the night as well.

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Tied going to the eighth, Iowa put up four in the eighth and three in the ninth to beat Tucson 8-1.  Dave Sappelt had a big night going 3-for-5 with a home run and a double.  He also drove in four on the night.  Alfredo Amezaga also had three hits and scored two runs.  Diory Hernandez had a double and drove in two.  Greg Rohan and Jeff Frazier each had a hit and had an RBI a piece.  Nate Samson contributed to the victory with two hits of his own.  In his first start with the Cubs Horacio Ramirez went six strong giving up only one run on six hits.  Scott Maine got the win striking out three in his two innings and Jairo Asencio pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the game.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

8/16: Around the Cubs Minor League System

A quick recap of the Cubs minor league system on August 16.

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The AZL Cubs only gave up three hits on Thursday beating the Reds 9-1.  Anthony Prieto started and pitched three quality innings allowing no runs on one hit while striking out three.  Carlos Martinez-Pumarino got his fifth win of the year pitching five nice innings in relief.  He gave up one run on two hits while striking out seven in five innings.  Jin-Young Kim threw a scoreless ninth striking out one.  The pitching wasn’t the only highlight of the night as the Cubs scored nine on 11 hits.  Shawon Dunston was really good going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.  Yasiel Balaguert had a nice offensive night as he had two hits, a homer and a double.  Trevor Gretzky continued his great run going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Garrett Schlecht, Carlos Penalver, and Alberto Mineo all drove in one run.  It was good to see the offense get going again on Thursday night.

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Boise put up five runs through the first four innings of this one and that was more than enough as they beat Tri-City 7-2.  We will start with our Albert Almora watch.  Almora went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored.  Carlos Escobar had two hits, including a double and three RBIs.  Jeimer Candelario was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Dan Vogelbach and Wilson Contreras each drove in a run with Contreras going 3-for-5 with a double.  Giosakar Amaya added a triple and walked three times.  The other story of the night was Pierce Johnson who was just great striking out five of the six outs he recorded.  Felix Pena got the win as he went the next five innings allowing two run on five hits.  Nathan Dorris picked up his third save of the year striking out three batters in two innings.  Boise had a very nice night all around.

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Peoria only gave up three hits, but couldn’t plate a run as they lost to Burlington 4-0.  Willengton Cruz got the start for Chiefs and took the loss giving up two runs in two innings of work.  Luis Liria and Sheldon McDonald each gave up an unearned run as they combined to pitch the next five innings.  Larry Suarez struck out four and pitched the final to innings for Peoria.  Dustin Geiger and Timothy Saunders each had a really nice game at the plate recording two hits a piece.  Oliver Zapata, Zeke DeVoss, and Pin-Chieh Chen all had a hit to round out the offense for the Chiefs.  Once again the defense was an issue as Peoria committed three errors, and allowed two unearned runs to score.

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It started out as a good night, but turned into a tough one as they gave up four runs in the eighth and two in the ninth to lose 7-6.  Javier Baez had his best night since moving to Daytona going 3-for-4 with a home run and a double.  He ended the night with three RBIs and two runs scored as well.  Rebel Ridling was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.  Taylor Davis also had a double and drove in two for the Cubs.  Christian Villanueva had been quiet for a while, but he added a hit and an RBI of his own.  Robert Whitenack pitched the first four innings allowing one run on four hits.  Matt Spencer threw two really nice innings in relief and was in line to get the win, but the Cubs bullpen couldn’t hold the lead.  First Scott Weismann recorded just two outs and gave up four runs and then after the Cubs took the lead again Jeff Lorick gave up two more runs and took the loss.  On a positive it was nice to see Baez have a nice night, hope that is the beginning of a tear.

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Tennessee only go four hits in this one, but made them count beating Birmingham 4-3.  What else is there to say about Justin Bour.  He hit his 16th home run of the season, a three run shot in the third bringing his RBI total to 105.  Jae-Hoon Ha was 1-for-3 with an RBI and Elliot Soto drove in a run.  Michael Burgess and Dustin Harrington each had a hit as well, with Burgess having a double.  Eric Jokisch started, but only lasted 4.2 innings allowing two runs on six hits.  Tony Zych came in in relief and got the win pitching a scoreless two innings.  After Kevin Rhoderick allowed an unearned run Frank Batista closed the door pitching the final 1.2 innings in recording his 22nd save.

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Iowa lost to Tucson 7-6.  Seth McClung‘s first start with Iowa didn’t go as planned allowing seven runs, four earned on seven hits in 3.1 innings.  Ryan Searle threw 2.2 scoreless innings and Jay Jackson pitched two scoreless.  After getting down by six early Iowa’s offense got to work, but it just wasn’t enough.  Alfredo Amezaga was 4-for-5 witha double, a run scored, and an RBI.  Tony Campana had two hits and stole a base.  Blake Lalli also had two hits driving in one run and Greg Rohan was 1-for-4 with an RBI.  Diory Hernandez and Matt Tolbert each had two hits and Jeff Frazier drove in a run.  After two wins in a row it’s back to the “L” column for Iowa.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

8/14: Around the Cubs Minor League System

It was not a very busy day for the minor leagues on Tuesday as the AZL Cubs and Peoria were both off and Daytona was cancelled once again.

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Boise got a great outing from Tayler Scott and the rest of the staff as they defeated Salem-Keizer 5-0.  Scott was great once again pitching five scoreless innings giving up four hits and striking out one.  He got the win and is now 5-1 on the season with a 1.88 ERA.  Tyler Bremer and Eduardo Orozco completed the shutout combing to not allow a run over the final four innings.  Jeimer Candelario was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and Xavier Batista hit his fourth home run of the season.  Daniel Vogelbach got back on track knocking in his 22nd run since going to Boise.  Trey Martin and Gioskar Amaya each had two hits, with Martin driving one run in.  After a couple of losses it was nice to see Boise get back in the win column.

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In a scoreless game until the sixth, Tennessee’s offense came to life beating Birmingham 8-2.  Jae-Hoon Ha hit his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the sixth to get the scoring started.  Junior Lake went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.  Logan Watkins had two hits and an RBI as did Rubi Silva who played his first game since being promoted from Daytona.  Matt Szczur had another hit, this one a double and Elliot Soto knocked in a run of his own.  The Smokies used five pitchers to get this win.  Dallas Beeler started, but only lasted three innings.  Austin Kirk threw one scoreless inning and Casey Harman gave up two runs in 2.2 innings.  Trey McNutt got the win and Kevin Rhoderick closed things out tossing the ninth.

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Iowa exploded for 12 runs on Tuesday defeating Tucson 12-7.  This game was all about the offense as every starting position player had at least one hit, including the first six who had two a piece.  Greg Rohan had two more hits and two more RBIs, he is now hitting .346 with 17 RBIs while in Iowa.  Blake Lalli, James Adduci, and Dave Sappelt all had two hits and drove in one run.  Tony Campana led things off and went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base.  Juan Apodaca had an RBI and Nate Samson went 3-for-5 with an RBI of his own.  Marcus Hatley got the win in relief pitching two scoreless innings.  Scott Maine and Jairo Asencio combined to toss the last three scoreless innings.  Ty’Relle Harris started and struggled giving up seven runs on nine hits in four innings.  Iowa hasn’t had one like this in a while, it was nice to see the offense come around.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

8/13: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Here is a look at the Cubs minor league affiliates on Monday, August 13.  Daytona and Tennessee each had the night off.

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The AZL Cubs just exploded pounding out 25 hits and scoring 17 runs beating Reds 17-7.  I don’t even know where to start with this one, except make sure to look at the full box score because I won’t be able to mention all the awesome things that happened in this one.  Albert Almora led the way going 5-for-6 with a triple, three runs scored, and three RBIs.  Garrett Schlect had two doubles and drove in three and Daniel Lockhart hit his first home run and drove in three as well.  Carlos Penalver was 4-for-6 with three runs scored and Yasiel Balaguert was the only Cub to not have a multi-hit game, but he did knock in three of his own.  Trevor Gretzky, Shawon Dunston, and Justin Marra all had three hits a piece, with Dunston adding two RBIs and Marra driving in one.  David Bote also had two hits.  There I think I got through all of the offensive numbers.  Paul Blackburn started, but did not have his best outing allowing four runs, three earned in two innings.  On a positive Dillon Maples was spectacular pitching three scoreless innings allowing only two hits while striking out five.  Chad Martin and Ryan Hartman also pitched in this landslide victory.

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A nine run eighth was way too much for Boise to overcome losing 11-4 on Monday night.  Jose Arias pitched six innings allowing two runs on six hits, while striking out four.  He left in line for the win and after Willengton Cruz pitched a scoreless seventh things were looking good.  Good turned to really bad when Hayden Simpson came on in relief.  He had a terrible outing giving up eight run, six earned on six hits all the while only recording one out.  He obviously took the loss as there was no way the Hawks were going to come back from that.  Offensively speaking there were some good things to come out of the Monday nights loss.  Jeimer Candelario was 3-for-4, raising his average to .294.  Marco Hernandez had two hits of his own, including a triple and an RBI.  Stephen Bruno and Wilson Contreras had a hit and an RBI a piece while Gioskar Amaya added two hits from the leadoff spot.

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Peoria tied the game at two in the top of eighth, but gave one up in the bottom half and lost 3-2 to Beloit.  Yao-Lin Wang started and pitched pretty good going six innings allowing two runs on three hits, walking one and striking out four.  Austin Reed took the loss allowing one unearned run in his two innings of work.  Jorge Soler went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.  Oliver Zapata added a double and an RBI on the evening.  Zeke DeVoss, Chadd Krist, and Bijan Rademacher all had one hit a piece in the Chiefs loss on Monday.

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Iowa’s pitchers struggled big time in this one as the Cubs lost 14-7.  Ryan Rowland-Smith started and took the loss giving up five runs in four inning.  Jaye Chapman, Seth McClung and Brian Esposito all pitched and gave up multiple runs each.  Jay Jackson was the only Cubs pitcher to come out unscathed recording two outs.  Offensively speaking Tony Campana had a nice night going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two stolen bases.  Greg Rohan and Dave Sappelt each had a hit and two RBIs in the loss to Las Vegas on Monday night.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark