Riding the Bus; Cubs Minor League Reports (4/21/2014)

MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2014

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The Cougars built an early 3-1 lead only to watch it slip away at the hands of some suspect defense in the late innings.  The Cougars committed three errors, and gave up three unearned runs in the loss, wasting another solid start from 19-year-old Jen-Ho Tseng.

At the Plate:

• Carlos Penalver had a tremendous game today, he went 2-for-3 with a walk, and two runs scored in the loss.
• Ben Carhart had another solid effort, he went 2-for-4 with a run scored, he’s now hitting .259 on the season.
• Yasiel Balaguert continues to be a threat at the plate, he went 1-for-4 with two RBI’s, he now has fourteen RBI’s on the season.

On the Mound:

• Jen-Ho Tseng continued his strong 2014, he worked five innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on seven hits, while walking one, and striking out three.  He lowered his ERA to 2.93 on the season.
• Tyler Bremer was fantastic out of the pen, he worked two scoreless innings, giving up two hits, while walking one, and striking out three.
• Josh Davis took the hard luck loss in this one, he worked two innings, giving up two runs, both unearned, on two hits, while walking one, and striking out one.

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The Smokies struck early and often in this one as they scored ten runs in the first six innings to cruise to a 10-5 victory over the Barons.  The Smokies did get some help from the Barons, even if they didn’t need it, as Birmingham committed three errors and allowed three unearned runs.

At the Plate:

• John Andreoli got things started from the lead-off spot in this one, he went 2-for-6 with a triple, an RBI, a stolen base, and two runs scored.
• Rubi Silva was productive today, he went 2-for-5 with his first home run of the season, three RBI’s, and a run scored.
• Kris Bryant was 1-for-5 with a walk, and an RBI, he’s now hitting .286 on the season.
• Jae-Hoon Ha went crazy today, he was 3-for-5 with a double, his first home run of the season, an RBI, and three runs scored.

On the Mound:

• Dae-Eun Rhee got the start tonight, and picked up his first win of the season despite some control issues.  Rhee worked five innings, giving up two runs on four hits, while walking five (see?), and striking out four.
• Austin Kirk did some solid work out of the pen, he was able to get through three innings, giving up two runs on four hits, he didn’t walk or strikeout anyone.
• Tony Zych cleaned things up in this one, he worked one inning, giving up one unearned run on two hits.

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Kyle Hendricks, and the rest of the Iowa pitching controlled this one from start to finish as the I-Cubs took care of Round Rock, 5-1.  Offensively, it was the top of the Iowa order doing the heavy lifting as the one-two-three hitters combined to go 6-for-13 with two RBI’s.

At the Plate:

• Matt Szczur did the job at the top of the order tonight, he was 3-for-4 with a triple, a stolen base, an RBI, and a run scored.
• Arismendy Alcantara provided some power, he was 2-for-4 with his first home run of the season, an RBI, and two runs scored.
• Javier Baez returned to the lineup yesterday, and was effective tonight, he went 1-for-3 with a run scored in the win.

On the Mound:

• Kyle Hendricks was brilliant tonight as he picked up the win to move his record to 3-1 on the season.  Hendricks worked six scoreless innings, giving up two hits, while walking two, and striking out six.
• Yoanner Negrin was solid per usual out of the pen, he worked a scoreless inning, while striking out one.
• Brian Schlitter worked two innings to pick up his third save of the season, he gave up one run on two hits, while walking two in his two innings of work.

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The Daytona Cubs pulled this one out late after both teams scored early and often tonight.  After four innings it was all tied at five, and no one could find the scoreboard again until the D-Cubs pushed across the winning run in the eleventh.

At the Plate:

• Pin-Chieh Chen has had a great start to 2014, he was 2-for-5 with an RBI, he is now hitting .294 on the season.
• Chadd Krist put together a solid game, he was 3-for-5 with a double, and a run scored.
• Rock Shoulders provided some production, he was 1-for-2 with two walks, an RBI, and a run scored.
• Jeimer Candelario found some success tonight, he was 2-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, two RBI’s, and a run scored.

On the Mound:

• Jake Arrieta made what is thought to be his final rehab start, and was effective.  Arrieta worked 5.2 innings, giving up five runs, three earned, on five hits, while walking two, and striking out seven.
• Andrew McKirahan only faced one hitter, but it was a big out as he got out of the sixth inning for Arrieta to keep the game tied.
• Jose Rosario picked up the win out of the pen, and he deserved it.  Rosario worked four scoreless innings, giving up three hits, while striking out four.
• Arodys Vizcaino worked the last of the eleventh to pick up his fist save of the season.

Minor Matters – April 29, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)

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At The Plate – Wild game in Iowa today that saw a total of twenty-four hits and nineteen runs between the two teams, unfortunately Iowa came up one run short.  Logan Watkins was 2-for-4 with a walk, and RBI, and a run scored.  Ryan Sweeney just doesn’t stop hitting, he was 2-for-4 with a walk, and two runs scored, he’s hitting .377 on the season.  Brad Nelson is a huge man, he had a huge day going 4-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI’s, and two runs scored.  Brett Jackson seems to be settling in at the plate, he went 1-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two RBI’s and a run scored.

On The Mound – Rough go of it for the Iowa pitchers in this one.  Nick Struck got the start and worked three innings giving up five runs on four hits while walking four, and striking out one.  Esmailin Caridad didn’t fare much better out of the pen going three innings giving up four runs on four hits while walking three and striking out five.  Cory Wade worked two innings giving up one run on three hits while walking one and striking out one.  Blake Parker was the only Iowa pitcher to escape unscathed in this one as he worked as scoreless inning while walking one and striking out two.

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At The Plate – Not a lot of offense in this one, but just enough for Daytona as they squeaked by the Cardinals 2-1.  Daytona just couldn’t get the big hit in this one to open the game up, they were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.  Dustin Geiger had a solid game and a huge hit, he was 1-for-2 with a home run, a walk, and a run scored.  Javier Baez continues to hit, and make errors, he was 1-for-3 with his eleventh error of the season, it will happen, and he will improve.  Chad Noble and Ben Carhart each had a double in the win.

On The Mound – Yeiper Castillo was disgusting good in this one, unfortunately he didn’t factor in the decision.  Castillo went four scoreless innings giving up two hits while walking one and striking out eight.  Luis Liria was solid out of the pen going two scoreless innings giving up one hit and striking out one.  Hunter Cervenka blew the save, not really his fault, but also got the win.  Cervenka went two innings giving up one run, unearned, on one hit while walking one and striking out four.

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At The Plate – Game one was as good as it gets when it comes to pitching as the game was scoreless into the last of the seventh.  That’s when Jae-Hoon Ha came off the bench and walked off with a three run shot to give the Smokies a 3-0 victory.  That was really the only offense for the Smokies in game one as they managed seven hits, with only one extra base hit, the Ha home run.  Rubi Silva was 1-for-3 with a stolen base, and a run scored in the win.

On The Mound – Kyle Hendricks was brilliant in this one but did not factor into the decision.  Hendricks went six scoreless inning giving up one hit while walking one and striking out eight.  Marcus Hatley came on in relief and earned the win after working one scoreless inning, striking out two in the frame.

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At The Plate – Game two had the same final score, unfortunately the opposite result as the Smokies could only manage two hits all game in the defeat.  Matt Szczur and Ronald Torreyes were each 1-for-3, and that was it.

On The Mound – Eric Jokisch had a rough go of it early, but then settled in to have a decent outing, but took his first loss of the season.  Jokisch went five innings giving up three runs on six hits while walking one and striking out one.  Frank Batista and Tony Zych kept things close as they both worked a scoreless inning out of the pen, unfortunately the Smokies couldn’t get anything done offensively.

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At The Plate – What a crushing loss for the Cougars in game one, I guess the good news is that there is another game right away so they can forget this one.  The Cougars led 6-2 heading to the last of the 7th (7th inning is the last inning in DH games) and they gave up five runs to lose 7-6.  The Cougars only managed six hits but they were awfully productive in scoring six runs.  Daniel Vogelbach blasted his third home run of the season, he ended game one going 1-for-4 with said home run, two RBI’s and a run scored.  Rock Shoulders joined the fun as well as he launched his fifth home run of the season, he finished game one 1-for-3 with two RBI’s and a run scored.  Willson Contreras was 2-for-3 with a stolen base, and two runs scored.

On The Mound –  Felix Pena did everything possible to earn the win as he went six inning giving up two runs on five hits while striking out three.  Then things went south, and quickly.  Ian Dickson was the first out of the pen, he was only able to get through two-thirds of an inning giving up four runs on two hits while walking two and striking out one.  Matt Iannazzo added fuel to the fire in relief of Dickson, as he didn’t retire a hitter and gave up one run on two hits while walking two to get the loss.

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At The Plate – Game one’s disaster just zapped any energy that the Cougars might have had, and they still could have won this one.  For the second time today the Cougars blew a late inning lead, this one wasn’t as bad as the first game though.  The Cougars could only manage two hits in game two, I know, not very exciting.  Daniel Vogelbach was 1-for-3 with another home run, an RBI, and a run scored.  Oliver Zapata had the only other hit, a single, he also walked.

On The Mound – Michael Heesch pitched well early, then struggled late.  Heesch worked five innings giving up four runs on six hits while walking one and striking out seven.  Steve Perakslis worked a scoreless inning out of the pen, but it was too little too late.

Thanks for reading,
– George

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

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At The Plate – Iowa fought back in this one scoring twice in the ninth inning to tie the game at four, only to lose it in the bottom of the tenth.    Ryan Sweeney continues to pound the ball as he went 2-for-5 with his fifth home run, two RBI’s, and a run scored, he’s hitting .404 this season.  Brian Bogusevic is just as hot as he went 3-for-4 in the loss, he’s hitting .394 on the season.  Brad Nelson extended the game in the ninth inning with a pinch hit two run homer, his fourth of the season to tie it at four.

On The Mound – Chris Rusin was really good just didn’t get any help from his offense is this one.  Rusin went six innings giving up two runs on four hits while walking two and striking out one.  Hisanori Takahashi couldn’t keep things tied during his outing, he went one inning giving up one run on one hit while striking out one.  Blake Parker was decent out of the pen going two innings giving up one run on one hit while walking one and striking out three.  Zach Putnam took the loss in this one, he worked a third of an inning giving up one run on three hits.

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At The Plate – The Smokies just continue to roll on as they walked away with another win Friday Night.  Jae-Hoon Ha filled up the score book going 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and three runs scored.  Rubi Silva had a big night as well going 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run, three RBI’s, and a run scored.  Rafael Lopez knocked in the other run for the Smokies and that’s all they would need, Lopez finished the night 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.

On The Mound – Alberto Cabrera was outstanding for the Smokies going six innings giving up one run on three hits while walking three and striking out six to earn the win.  Kevin Rhoderick was touched up a little bit again, he went two-thirds of an inning giving up one run on two hits while walking one.  A.J. Morris also allowed Clearwater to get closer in his one inning of work, he gave up one run on one hit while walking one and striking out one.  Trey McNutt got the train back on the tracks in this one to earn his second save of the year.  McNutt went 1.1 scoreless innings giving up one hit and striking out one.

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At The Plate – Daytona jumped all over the Flying Tigers early and often en route to a 7-3 victory Friday Night.  Javier Baez is rounding into form right now, he went 2-for-4 in this one with a double, two RBI’s and a run scored, he’s now hitting .253 on the year and .341 in his last ten games.  Dustin Geiger was also productive going 2-for-4 with three RBI’s, he’s an RBI machine, he now has twenty-one on the season.  Chad Noble was 2-for-4 with two runs scored while Taiwan Easterling was 2-for-4 with a run scored, and a stolen base.

On The Mound – Ben Wells battled command issues but was able to work effectively enough to earn the win.  Wells went 5.2 innings giving up three runs, two earned, on one hit while walking five and striking out one.  Eduardo Figueroa found some trouble out of the pen going two-thirds of an inning giving up two hits while walking one and striking out one, and would have given up a couple runs if not for the work of Hunter Cervenka.  Cervenka bailed out Figueroa while working 2.2 scoreless innings to earn his second save of the season, he didn’t give up any hits while walking three and striking out four.

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At The Plate – Kane County might not have another loss all year that stings as much as this one, and they really only have themselves to blame.  The cougars lead 5-1 in the ninth inning but gave up four in the ninth and lost in the tenth, they made five errors in the process.  Rock Shoulders continues to hit, he was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored, he’s hitting .403 on the season.  The bulk of the damage was done by the bottom of the Cougars order.  Eight hitter Oliver Zapata was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored.  Nine hitter Yaniel Cabezas was 3-for-4 with an RBI, and a run scored.

On The Mound – Pierce Johnson continues to dominate as of late, he went 5.2 innings giving up one run, unearned, on five hits while walking two and striking out seven.  Jeffry Antigua was great out of the pen going 2.1 scoreless innings giving up two hits while striking out three.  Then things went bad, Nathan Dorris was roughed up in one-third of an inning, he gave up four runs, two earned (sending a theme?), on three hits while walking one.  Eddie Orozco was officially charge with the blown save and the loss, he worked 1.1 innings giving up one run on three hits while walking two.

Thanks for reading,
– George

Minor Matters – April 25, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Reports)

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At The Plate – A huge first inning from Iowa was all they needed as they scored six times en route to a 9-3 victory over Omaha.  Brent Lillibridge had an outstanding game going 4-for-5 with a walk, and two RBI’s.  Ryan Sweeney was also 4-for-5, he was a lot more productive though.  Sweeney had a walk, a home run, a triple, four RBI’s, and two runs scored in the win.  Darnell McDonald was 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored.  Edwin Maysonet was 2-for-4 with a walk, a triple, and an RBI.

On The Mound – Barret Loux got the start and struggled with command, and was wild in the strike zone but managed to pitch around trouble.  He was able to go 4.2 innings giving up three runs on eight hits while walking four and striking out three.  Esmailin Caridad did a fine job out of the bullpen and earned the win going 2.1 scoreless innings while walking two and striking out three.  Cory Wade and Rafael Dolis struggled but managed to each have a scoreless appearance.  Dolis worked 1.1 innings to earn his first save of the season while walking two and striking out two.

***

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At The Plate – The Smokies are playing good baseball, and if not for a few blown saves recently could be on a real impressive winning streak.  It was the Ronald Torreyes show for the Smokies, he was 3-for-3 with a walk, a double, a triple, and a run scored from the lead-off spot.  Only three other Smokies registered hits in this one, but it was enough.  Rafael Lopez and Jae-Hoon Ha recorded the RBI’s with Ha going 1-for-4, and Lopez going 1-for-3 with a double.

On The Mound – Dallas Beeler is dealing right now, and last night was no exception.  Beeler went seven scoreless innings giving up seven hits while walking one and striking out two.  Zach Rosscup found some trouble out of the pen but was able to hold the lead, he gave up one run on one hit while walking one in one inning of work.  Brian Schlitter worked a stress free ninth inning for his first save of the season, he has yet to give up an earned run this year.

***

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At The Plate – Daytona jumped out early in this one and never looked back as they pounded out twelve hits and scored five runs to beat the Flying Tigers…Flying Tigers!  5-3.  Every player in the Daytona starting lineup had at least one hit.  Javier Baez is slowly but surely turning around his slow start, he was 2-for-4 with his fourth home run of the season with an RBI, and a run scored.  Timothy Saunders was 1-for-4 with a big triple, and two RBI’s in the win.  Chad Noble was 2-for-3 with his first home run of the season, a walk, an RBI, and a run scored.  Anthony Giansanti stayed hot since his return going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

On The Mound – Zach Cates got the start and the win as he pitched a solid game.  Cates worked five scoreless innings giving up four hits while walking one and striking out four.  Yeiper Castillo did a solid job out of the pen tossing a scoreless inning.  Austin Reed continues to get beat up, he gave up three runs on three hits while walking three in one inning of work.  David Cales was outstanding to earn his first save of the year, he went two scoreless innings while walking two and striking out four.

***

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At The Plate – A late rally wasn’t enough for the Cougars as they fell to the Tin Caps 6-4 after trailing 6-1 in the third inning.  The Cougars approach was fantastic in this one, they just couldn’t get the big hit when they needed it.  They had eight hits, walked five times, and only struck out four times, unfortunately they came up just short.  Rock Shoulders continues to hit, he was 1-for-3 with a walk, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .406 on the season.  Marco Hernandez was also 1-for-3 with a walk in the loss.  Bijan Rademacher was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .314 on the season.

On The Mound – Lendy Castillo ran into trouble in one inning and that was enough for him to suffer his first loss of the season.  Castillo worked six innings giving up six runs, five earned, on eight hits while walking none and striking out three.  Both Justin Amlung and Steve Perakslis worked scoreless innings out of the pen to keep the Cougars in this one.

Thanks for reading,
– George

Minor Matters – April 22, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)

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At The Plate – Iowa had several solid performances in this one and it led to a solid victory over a good Redbirds team.  Logan Watkins went 1-for-3 with two walks, a double, a stolen base, and a run scored.  Ian Stewart finally showed some life as he went 1-for-3 with a double, two RBI’s, and a run scored.  Brian Bogusevic was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .389 on the season.  Brad Nelson was 2-for-4 with a home rune, two RBI’s, and a run scored in the victory.

On The Mound – Brooks Raley had another solid outing, and was rewarded with his second win of the season.  Raley went 5.1 innings giving up two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out three.  Zach Putnam, Rafael Dolis, and Blake Parker combined to shut the Redbirds down over the final 3.2 innings to preserve the win.  Putnam went 1.2 scoreless innings giving up two hits while walking one and striking out three.  Dolis and Parker also worked scoreless innings with Parker walking a tightrope to earn his second save, he didn’t give up a hit while walking two and striking out two in the ninth.

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At The Plate – The Smokies wasted no time in getting back into the win column as they destroyed the Biscuits…Biscuits!  Arismendy Alcantara was in the middle of everything once again for the Smokies, he was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI’s, two stolen bases, and two runs scored.  Eight of the nine hitters had at least one hit for the Smokies, Alcantara was the only one to have a multi-hit game.  Jae-Hoon Ha was 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, and two runs scored.  Jonathan Mota was 1-for-4 with two RBI’s in the victory.

On The Mound – Eric Jokisch continued his tremendous start to the season tonight, he went 6.1 innings giving up three runs, one earned, on eight hits while walking two and striking out three to move his record to 3-0.  Brian Schlitter, who has been just as good, if not better, did the rest out of the pen.  He went 2.2 scoreless innings giving up two hits and striking out one, he has yet to give up an earned run this season.

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At The Plate – After yesterday’s poor offensive effort the D-Cubs got back at it tonight as they pounded out ten hits and seven runs.  Javier Baez, who is really turning it on of late, was 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored.  Dustin Geiger also had a big night going 3-for-5 with three RBI’s, he now has 18 already on the season.  Jorge Soler was finally shut down, he was 0-for-5, but did have an RBI, and scored a run.

On The Mound – Austin Kirk had some trouble navigating through five innings, but he was able to do so and improve his record to 3-0 on the season.  He gave up four runs on four hits while walking two and striking out eight over those five innings of work.  The bullpen was stout for the D-Cubs, and it was just two guys doing the work.  Zach Cates worked 1.1 scoreless, and hit-less innings while walking one, and Hunter Cervenka worked 2.2 scoreless, and hit-less innings while walking one and striking out two.

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At The Plate – Tough one to take for the Cougars as they built an early 5-1 lead only to watch it slip away an end up in a 9-6 loss.  Pin-Chieh Chen was 2-for-4 with a walk, a caught stealing, and a run scored.  Gioskar Amaya was 2-for-5 with a run scored, but also made an error.  Daniel Vogelbach had a productive night at the plate going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI’s, and a run scored.  Marco Hernandez was 2-for-4 with two doubles, and two RBI’s in the loss.  Rock Shoulders was finally held without a hit, but did walk three times, and scored a run.

On The Mound – Michael Heesch was solid in his start today, unfortunately the bullpen and the Cougars defense kept him from getting the win.  Heesch went six innings giving up two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out five.  Brian Smith took the loss out of the pen, while he didn’t pitch well, he didn’t get much help either.  Smith went two-thirds of an innings giving up five runs, only one earned, on three hits while walking two and striking out one.  Matt Iannazzo was beat up as well, he went 2.1 innings giving up two runs on five hits while walking three.

Thanks for reading,
– George

Minor Matters – April 18, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)

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At The Plate – The Smokies trailed 3-0 early but fought their way all the way back to win this one 5-3.  Arismendy Alcantara continues to be a threat in the Smokies lineup, he was 3-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base (his 5th in the last two games), and a run scored.  Jae-Hoon Ha was 1-for-4 with a two walks, and two runs scored.  Justin Bour had the biggest hit of the day, and he was the most productive, he was 1-for-3 with three walks, and three RBI’s.

On The Mound – The Smokies nearly exhausted all their options on the mound as they used six pitchers in the victory.  Kyle Hendricks got the start, he only made it through two innings giving up three runs on five hits while walking one.  The next five Smokies pitchers went nine scoreless innings combined, giving up just two hits, they did walk six guys, and struck out four.  Trey McNutt got the win out of the pen going two scoreless innings giving up one hit and walking one.

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At The Plate – Another high scoring wild game for the Daytona Cubs, unfortunately the D-Cubs came out on the short end last night.  Zeke DeVoss had another solid game from the lead-off spot going 2-for-4 with a walk, and an RBI.  Javier Baez is starting to get locked in at the plate going 2-for-4 with an RBI, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .226 on the season (six hits in the last three games).  Jorge Soler made his return to the D-Cubs lineup after serving his five game suspension, he went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.  Stephen Bruno continues his hot start going 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored, he’s hitting .407 on the season.

On The Mound –  P.J. Francescon got beat up again but didn’t get the loss, he worked three innings giving up seven runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out two.  Eduardo Figueroa took the loss in this one, as he worked three innings giving up two runs on three hits while walking four and striking out two.  Austin Reed was beat up as well, he worked 1.2 innings giving up four runs on four hits while walking four as well, and striking out two.  Sheldon McDonald worked 1.1 scoreless innings, he walked two and struck out one.

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At The Plate – Kane County trailed 5-0 early but came right back to take a 8-5 lead by the 4th inning but stumbled late in losing 9-8 to the River Bandits.  Five different players had at least two hits for the Cougars.  Gioskar Amaya was 2-for-5 with two doubles, and two runs scored from the lead-off spot.  Marco Hernandez was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, with a caught stealing.  Willson Contreras was 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI’s, a walk, and a run scored.  Daniel Vogelbach was 2-for-5 with an RBI, and a run scored in the loss.

On The Mound – Lendy Castillo was roughed up in this one, as he worked four innings with five runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out six.  Justin Amlung didn’t fare much better out of the bullpen going 3.2 innings giving up three runs on three hits while walking two and striking out one.  Steve Perakslis took the loss going 2.1 innings giving up one run on two hits while walking one and striking out one.

Thanks for reading,
– George

Minor Matters – April 15, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)

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At The Plate – The Cubs built an early lead but once again had trouble holding it as they dropped to 3-9 on the season.  Darwin Barney had a huge game in his last rehab appearance, he was 4-for-5 with a double, and two runs scored.  Ryan Sweeney continues to mash the ball, he went 2-for-4 with a home run (3), three RBI’s and a run scored.  Brett Jackson was 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored.

On The Mound –  The Cubs were beat up from start to finish in this one.  Drew Carpenter got the start, he went 4.1 innings giving up five runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out one.  Emailin Caridad went 1.2 innings out of the pen giving up one run on three hits while striking out three.  Both Jensen Lewis and Jaye Chapman continued their horrendous 2013 as Lewis gave up two runs, and Chapman gave up three.

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At The Plate – Jae-Hoon Ha continued his red-hot start going 2-for-3 with two walks, a double, an RBI, and a run scored.  Rubi Silva has been the hottest hitter in the Smokies lineup, he was 3-for-4 with a home run (2), four RBI’s, a double, and two runs scored, he’s now hitting .394 on the season.  Jonathan Mota was 2-for-4 in the loss.

On The Mound – Dallas Beeler put together a quality start and was in line for the win before the bullpen lost it.  Beeler went six innings giving up three runs on four hits while walking three and striking out four.  Tony Zych went 1.1 innings out of the pen giving up two runs on two hits while walking one.  Trey McNutt had a rough go of it as he not only blew the save but got the loss, he went 1.1 innings giving up three runs on three hits while walking two.

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At The Plate – The D-Cubs continued to pound the ball in a 8-1 victory over Clearwater to move one game above .500 on the season.  Zeke DeVoss was very productive from the lead-off spot going 2-for-4 with a walk, a triple, and three RBI’s.  John Andreoli was 2-for-5 with two runs scored, he’s now hitting .341 on the season.  Ben Carhart went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored.  Stephen Bruno (2-for-4) and David Bote (2-for-3) each had two hits in the win as Daytona pounded out thirteen total.

On The Mound – Ben Wells was outstanding as he found his command in this one.  Wells went six scoreless innings to earn his first win, he gave up five hits while walking one and striking out four.  Yeiper Castillo went two scoreless innings out of the pen, he gave up one hit while striking out two.  Sheldon McDonald worked the ninth inning, he gave up one run on three hits while striking out one.

NOTES:  Kane County was snowed/rained out….again, shocking.

Thanks for reading,
– George

Minor Matters – April 14, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)

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At The Plate – Two wins in a row for Iowa, that says a lot considering they only have three total this year.  Brian Bogusevic was 2-for-4 from the lead-off spot with a caught stealing and a run scored.  Darwin Barney showed great patience in his second rehab start, he was 0-for-1 with three walks, a stolen base, and a run scored.  Luis Flores was 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI, and a run scored.  Brad Nelson had the big hit in this one, a two run single that gave the Cubs some breathing room, he was 1-for-4 with two RBI’s on the day.

On The Mound – After some rocky starts to start the season, Chris Rusin bounced back with a stellar performance.  Rusin went seven innings giving up one run on four hits while walking none and striking out four to earn the win.  Zach Putnam worked two scoreless innings to earn his first save of the year, he walked one and struck out three.

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At The Plate – The Smokies busted this one open in the seventh inning scoring four times to take a 7-1 lead on their way to a 7-3 win.  Ronald Torreyes had his second straight solid game going 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored.  Jae-Hoon Ha was outstanding going 3-for-3 with a walk, a double, an RBI, and a run scored.  Rubi Silva (2-for-4) and Jonathan Mota (2-for-4) each had two hits in the victory, and Matt Szczur recorded his 5th stolen base of the season.

On The Mound –  Couldn’t get much better than Dae-Eun Rhee as he went six scoreless innings giving up one hit while striking out three to earn his first win of the season.  Zach Rosscup and Kevin Rhoderick each had a rough go out of it in the seventh and eighth inning with Rosscup giving up one run and Rhoderick giving up two.  Brian Schlitter worked a scoreless ninth inning to secure the victory.

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At The Plate – The D-Cubs were able to get back to .500 with a solid victory of the Tampa Yankees.  Javier Baez seems to be coming around at the plate, he was 1-for-4 with a double, he has hits in his last three games.  Stephen Bruno was 2-for-4 with a run scored, he is now hitting .385 on the season.  Dustin Geiger was 2-for-4 with a run scored, after his slow start he is now hitting .286 on the season.  Micah Gibbs was 2-for-4 with a double, and an RBI in the victory.

On The Mound – Zach Cates was outstanding in this one going six innings giving up one run on four hits while walking thee and striking out four.  Austin Reed was just as good out of the bullpen going two innings giving up no runs on three hits while striking out two.  Frank Del Valle continues his awesome start to the season as he worked a scoreless ninth for his second save.  He didn’t give up any hits or walks, and struck out the side.

Thanks for reading,
– George

Minor Matters – April 12, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)

 

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At The Plate – The I-Cubs were looking pretty good through four innings, then the bottom fell out, and that’s putting it nicely.  Logan Watkins continues to embody everything that Theo Epstein wants, as he was 0-for-2 from the lead-off spot but had three walks.  Ryan Sweeney was 1-for-4 with his second home run of the season, two RBI’s, and a run scored.  Brian Bogusevic, and J.C. Boscan each had two hits in the loss.  Edwin Maysonet only had one hit on the night, but he was productive as he had three RBI’s.

On The Mound – Nick Struck did just fine tonight, I know the final score doesn’t indicate that but he was solid.  Struck went four innings giving up two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out three.  That was the end of the good news for the Iowa pitching.  Esmailin Caridad was hung with the loss, he worked one inning giving up five runs, four earned, on three hits while walking three and striking out one.  Jaye Chapman was even worse as he gave up five runs on six hits while walking one and striking out one in just two-thirds of an inning.  Cory Wade had an odd stat line, he went three innings giving up two runs on NO hits while walking three and striking out five.  The I-Cubs are now 1-8 on the season.

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At The Plate – The Smokies could only manage four hits and two runs but that was just enough for the victory.  Matt Szczur continued his strong start to the season from the lead-off spot going 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, two stolen bases, and a run scored.  Jae-Hoon Ha was 1-for-3 with the only other RBI for the Smokies.  Rubi Silva, and Jonathan Mota tallied the only other hits for the Smokies in the win.

On The Mound – Outstanding work all night for the Smokies pitchers.  Eric Jokisch got the start and also the victory as he went six strong innings giving up one run on four hits while walking one and striking out three.  Tony Zych, Zach Rosscup, and Trey McNutt all tossed scoreless innings to shut the door on the Lookouts.  Trey McNutt earned his first save of the season and has yet to give up a run in 2013.

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At The Plate – The D-Cubs didn’t need much in this one, but they were able to score five times on just six hits.  Taiwan Easterling had another solid game going 2-for-5 with a double, three RBI’s and a run scored.  Javier Baez was 1-for-4 with a walk, and an RBI, much better approach from Baez in this one.  Stephen Bruno was 1-for-4 with a double, and a run scored.

On The Mound – Austin Kirk was outstanding despite fighting his command early.  Kirk went five scoreless innings giving up two hits while walking four and striking out two, he improves to 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA.  Yao-Lin Wang was just as good out of the pen going four scoreless innings giving up one hit while walking one and striking out five to earn the rare four inning save.

NOTES:  Kane County was scheduled to play a double header in Wisconsin today but for the second straight day they were snowed out.  They are planning on playing a double header tomorrow and Saturday to make up for the last two days.  Ronald Torreyes is back!  He was a week late in arriving to camp and stayed about a week late to make up for it.  He has now been assigned to AA Tennessee.

Thanks for reading,
– George

Minor Matters – April 7, 2013

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At The Plate – Not a whole lot going on for the Iowa Cubs in their fourth straight loss to start the season.  They could only manage three runs on four hits as they were swept by the Isotopes.  Ryan Sweeney had his second straight solid game going 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, and RBI, and a run scored.  Brett Jackson was 1-for-4 with a runs scored, the I-Cubs were o-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

On The Mound – 2012 minor league pitcher of the year Nick Struck got the start, and also the loss in this one.  Struck went five innings giving up four runs on eight hits while walking none and striking out one.  Casey Coleman worked two innings giving up two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out two.  Jensen Lewis also gave up a run in an inning of work on two hits.

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At The Plate – The Smokies staged a late comeback that came up one run short.  Matt Szczur was 1-for-4 from the lead-off spot with a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .368 on the season.  Justin Bour was 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and a run scored.  Jae-Hoon Ha was 1-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, an RBI, and a run scored, he is now hitting .389 on the season.

On The Mound – Kyle Hendricks got the start, and had a rough go of it.  Hendrick went five innings giving up five runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out five, he took the loss.  Tony Zych (1.2 innings) and A.J. Morris (1.1 innings) each had scoreless appearances out of the bullpen.

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At The Plate – The D-Cubs are finding a grove right now, they are winning convincingly, and now have won three straight.  It was the Jorge Soler show again as he went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two RBI’s, and two runs scored, he is now hitting .438 on the season.  Stephen Bruno continued his hot start to the season going 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored, he’s hitting .385 on the season.  John Andreoli tops them all however as he went 2-for-3 with two walks, a triple, an RBI, and two runs scored, he’s hitting a robust .467 on the season.

On The Mound – P.J. Francescon was outstanding this afternoon, he went five scoreless innings, he gave up only one hit while walking one and striking out six.  Yeiper Castillo (2.0 innings), Luis Liria (1.0 inning), and Austin Reed (1.0 inning) all had scoreless appearances to close this one out.

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At The Plate – Pitchers duel in this one, only thirteen combined hits in thirteen innings as Kane County dropped their fourth straight.  Oliver Zapata had another solid game going 2-for-5 with a walk and a caught stealing, he’s now hitting .357 on the season.  Rock Shoulders continues his torrid start going 2-for-3, he’s now hitting .471 on the season.  Willson Contreras was 1-for-3 with a walk, and an RBI in the loss.

On The Mound – Michael Heesch was outstanding this afternoon, he went 6.1 innings giving up one run on one hit while walking two and striking out five.  Felix Pena was just as solid out of the pen going 5.2 scoreless innings giving up three hits while walking one and striking out five.  Eduardo Orozco got the loss as he gave up two runs in his inning of work on two hits while walking one.

Thanks for reading,
– George