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

 

8/23: Around the Cubs Minor League System

A look at August 23 minor league recap.

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Down 8-2 the AZL Cubs came storming back to not only tie the game in the ninth, but score five in the 10th to win it.  Dillon Maples started, but struggled with his control walking four and giving up four runs in just 1.2 innings.  After Loiger Padron gave up four runs over 2.1 innings the rest of the pen did a pretty good job only allowing one more run to score.  Chad Martin ended up getting the win as he struck out four in just one inning.  Justin Marra had a good night at the plate going 3-for-5 with three doubles and two RBIs.  David Bote and Trevor Gretzky each had two hits and two RBIs a piece in the win.  Shawon Dunston had two hits and an RBI and Yasiel Balaguert drove in two runs of his own.  Ben Carhart ended the night 1-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored and Anthony Giansanti scored two and knocked on in as well.  This was a great comeback win for the Cubs.

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Boise has been scoring a lot of runs lately and Thursday was no different beating Vancouver 11-5.  Boise once again pounded out 17 hits to go along with their 11 runs.  Albert Almora was back in the lineup and he went 4-for-5, including two doubles, three runs scored, and two RBIs.  Wilson Contreras and Darien Martin each had three hits with Martin knocking in three runs and Contreras scoring three and driving in one as well.  Dan Vogelbach and Stephen Bruno each had two hits, both collecting doubles.  Rock Shoulders and Izaac Garsez both had a hit and RBI in the Hawks victory.  Hayden Simpson started and got the win as he allowed three runs on six hits in five innings, while striking out seven.  Brian Smith pitched two nice innings in relief not giving up a run and striking out two.  Tyler Bremer finished this one off for the Hawks striking out two over the last 1.1 innings.  Boise’s magic number is now at two.

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Behind Michael Jensen Peoria beat Beloit 6-1.  Jensen was stellar pitching six innings allowing only one run on two hits, while striking out four.  He is now 11-5 with a 3.47 ERA.  Justin Berg and Larry Suarez combined to pitch the final three innings, not giving up a run and striking out three.  Leadoff hitter Zeke DeVoss had a really nice game going 3-for-4 with a home run.  Pin-Chieh Chen continued to impress as he had two hits, two runs scored, and two RBIs.  Jorge Soler and Chadd Krist each had a double and Soler had an RBI.  Timothy Saunders is human as he didn’t have a hit in this, but he did drive in a run and Jacob Rogers contributed to the win with a hit and a run scored.

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Robert Whitenack gave up three in the first and that was all Clearwater would need beating Daytona 3-0.  On a positive note Kyler Burke pitched three scoreless innings in relief striking out three.  Matt Iannazzo, Scott Weismann, and Jeff Lorick combined to throw the final two innings of the game.  Offensively there really is nothing to report as Daytona only had three hits.  John Andreoli, Ronald Torreyes, and Rebel Ridling were the only Cubs to have hits in the shutout loss.

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After scoring five runs over the first two innings Tennessee had to hold on in this one beating Chattanooga 5-4.  Austin Kirk started, but got a no decision as he wasn’t able to finish five innings giving up four runs in 4.2 innings.  He gave up four hits, walked five, and struck out six.  Trey McNutt pitched a perfect innings and recorded his eighth win of the season.  Brian Schlitter struck out three in two innings and Frank Batista earned his 24th save of the season as he pitched a scoreless ninth.  At the plate Justin Bour was 2-for-4 including his 35th double and an RBIs bringing his season total to 109.  Jae-Hoon Ha and Junior Lake each had a double and drove in two runs of their own.  Rubi Silva and Michael Brenly each had a hit and a run scored in the Smokies victory.

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A two run second was enough for Oklahoma City as they hung on to beat Iowa 2-1.  Ryan Rowland-Smith started and took the loss giving up two runs in five innings.  Marcus Hatley, Jeff Beliveau, and Esmailin Caridad combined to pitch the final four innings allowing only one hit and striking out five.  Offensively speaking the Cubs had only six hits and one run, but there were a couple of good performances.  Dave Sappelt was 2-for-4 including a double and an RBI.  James Adduci also had a double in the this one and he stole his sixth base of the season.  Tony Campana, Alfredo Amezaga, and Matt Tolbert all had a hit a piece with Amezaga scoring the Cubs only run in the 2-1 loss.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

8/18: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Saturday’s trip through the minors.  The AZL Cubs and Daytona were both postponed on Saturday, August 18.

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It was a nice night all around for Boise as they beat Tri-City 8-2.  Boise’s pitchers only gave up two hits and one earned in the win.  Jose Arias got the start and was brilliant pitching five strong innings not giving up a run and allowing only one hit.  He also struck out five and walked one in getting the win.  Hayden Simpson had been struggling, but pitched better tonight giving up two runs, one earned on one hit in four innings.  He also struck out five on the night and got the save.  Not only did the pitchers do their job, but the offense did as well.  Stephen Bruno was great once again ending the night 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.  He is now hitting .332 with Boise this year.  Rock Shoulders had only one hit, but it was a big one, a grand slam in the third inning.  Marco Hernandez was 2-for-4 with a run and Gioskar Amaya had one hit, two walks, and scored three runs.  Dan Vogelbach only had one hit in this one, but did have an RBI.  Albert Almora was 0-for-5 in this one, hitting into some tough luck.  Boise continues to roll and this team is getting more fun by the day.

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Peoria got back on track Saturday beating Wisconsin 9-2.  The offense pounded out 14 hits to go along with those nine runs to back Michael Jensen.  Jensen pitched well going five innings allowing two runs, one earned one three hits, while striking out seven.  Pete Levitt pitched well in relief pitching three shutout innings before giving the ball to Sheldon McDonald who recorded the last three outs of the game.  Jorge Soler was outstanding in this one going 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, and two RBIs.  Timothy Saunders and Jacob Rogers also had good games as each went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.  Yaniel Cabezas had a nice game of his own going 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI.  Zeke DeVoss didn’t have a hit, but he walked four times, scored a run, drove one in, and stole his 35th base of the season.  It was good to see the Chiefs come back after a rough stretch.

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Tennessee won 2-1 in a rain shortened game.  Austin Kirk pitched a five inning complete game giving up one run on three hits.  In his first start with Tennessee he got his first win.  The offense did just enough for the win in this one led by Junior Lake.  Lake was 2-for-3 at the dish with two doubles and a run scored.  Michael Burgess and Justin Bour each had a hit and drove in a run a piece.  Matt Szczur also contributed to the victory with a double and a run scored.  A win is a win anyway you can get it, even if it only lasts five innings.

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Iowa made it two in a row beating Memphis 3-2 on Saturday.  Ryan Rowland-Smith got the start and the win giving up one run on five hits in five innings.  Blake Parker continued his rehab assignment pitching 1.2 innings and allowing one run.  After a scoreless 1.1 innings Marcus Hatley turned things over to Jairo Asencio who notched his third save of the year.  After a big day yesterday, Dave Sappelt did it again as went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.  Alfredo Amezaga, Jeff Frazier, and Brian Esposito all had two hits a piece.  Tony Campana also had a hit and scored a run in the Cubs win.

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

8/8: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Sorry this is getting up later than normal, but here is Wednesday’s minor league recap.

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The AZL Cubs pick up where they left off beating the Dodgers 5-2.  Paul Blackburn started and pitched two innings giving up two unearned runs on four hits, while striking out two.  Chad Martin got his first win of the season pitching two scoreless innings.  Dillon Maples then went to the mound and struck out three in his two innings of scoreless baseball.  Corbin Hoffner then pitched two scoreless followed by Ryan Hartman notching his second save of the season.  Offensively Davie Bote had a really nice game going 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs.  Treveor Gretzky was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.  Shawon Dunston also added two hit, including a triple and he drove in a run.  Albert Almora had a hit and an RBI, his seventh of the season.

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Another night and another win for Boise beating Everett 8-6.  Dan Vogelbach hit another home run, this one a two-run shot.  Rock Shoulders also hit a home run, his was a grand slam.  Jeimer Candelario had a hit and an RBI of his own.  Wilson Contreras was the only Hawks player to have a multi-hit game ending the night 2-for-4.  Gioskar Amaya only had one hit, but did score three runs.  Jose Arias pitched good enough to get the win, but did allow three runs on four hits while striking out six.  Hayden Simpson pitched three innings allowing three runs, but struck out four and Eduardo Orozco preserved the lead notching his third save pitching a scoreless ninth.

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Peoria gave up four in the eighth and one in the ninth to put the game into extra innings.  It took until the 14th when the Chiefs put up two, Burlington came right back and scored three and won the game 9-8.  Timothy Saunders went 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs, and two stolen bases.  Paul Hoilman also had two hits, including a home run and two RBIs.  Dustin Geiger added two hits and three RBIs and Zeke DeVoss went 3-for-7 with two runs scored and a stolen base.  Yao-Lin Wang got the start and pitched outstanding going six strong innings.  he allowed only one run on three hits and struck out 10 without walking a batter.  Luis Liria and Austin Reed both struggled combining to allow five runs in three innings.  Sheldon McDonald pitched three nice innings, but Pete Levitt took the loss allowing all three runs in the 14th.  It really should have never gotten to extra innings, but then to take a lead there and still lose is a tough pill to swallow.

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Daytona was postponed due to rain.

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Huntsville scored three in the first and three more in the third and never looked back beating Tennessee 7-2.  Junior Lake was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, he is now hitting .288.  Matt Szczur went 1-for-5 with a triple and an RBI.  In really good new Jae-Hoon Ha was back on the field for the first time since his scary collision with an unpadded wall that led to a concussion.  He ended the night 1-for-4.  Dallas Beeler started and took the loss giving up six runs, five earned in the just three innings pitched.  Casey Harman pitched three nice innings allowing only one run on three hits and striking out two.  Casey Weathers, Tony Zych, and Frank Batista combined to pitch the last three scoreless innings.  It was really nice to see Ha back on the field, hope he can stay there the rest of the way.

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The game was tied at one going to the extra innings, but Reno scored four in the 10th and beat Iowa 5-1.  Ryan Rowland-Smith got the start and pitched beautifully allowing one run on only two hits in six innings of work.  Blake Parker continues hit rehab pitching one scoreless inning.  Jay Jackson pitched two good innings, but struggled in the 10th allowing four runs in taking the loss.  Greg Rohan did not have a hit, but drove in the lone Cubs run.  Dave Sappelt was 1-for-4 with a double and Matt Tolbert was the only Cubs player with a multi-hit game going 2-for-2 with a double of his own.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

8/3: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Minor league recap for August 3, 2012.

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The AZL Cubs continued their tear beating the AZL D-Backs for their fifth straight victory.  It wasn’t as easy as it should have been however as the D-Backs scored five times in the ninth, but the Cubs hang on to win 7-5.  Dillon Maples made his second start on his road to recovery and turned in some solid work going 1.2 innings only allowing one hit while walking two and striking out one.  Paul Blackburn, one of two 2012 supplemental draft picks continued his strong season.  Blackburn worked 3.1 innings allowing only one hit while walking one and striking out two to earn his second victory of the season and lower his ERA to 1.86.  2012 draft picks Corbin Hoffner and Jasvir Rakkar also worked scoreless innings.  It was another night of fireworks from the AZL Cubs offense.  Albert Almora, who is on fire right now, went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and a run scored.  Shawon Dunston, and Ben Carhart each had two hits on the night with Carhart recording his 8th double of the season.  Jacob Rogers had a big night at the plate as well going 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and three runs scored.

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The Boise Hawks raced out to a 4-0 lead, and held a 5-2 lead by the 5th inning but couldn’t hang on as Spokane plated three runs in the 8th on their way to a 6-5 win.  Jose Arias didn’t get very deep into this one for the Hawks as he tossed 2.2 innings giving up two runs on four hits while walking three and striking out three.  Arias left with the lead, but Hayden Simpson couldn’t hang onto it.  Simpson worked 4.1 innings giving up three runs on six hits while striking out six.  Eduardo Orozco only gave up only one run in his inning of work, but that was the deciding run as Orozco was hung with his first loss of the season.  Gioskar Amaya had another solid night at the plate, what else is new?  Amaya was 2-for-4 with his ninth triple of the season, an RBI, a walk, and a run scored, he is now hitting .315.  Daniel Vogelbach continued to be a doubles machine as he was 1-for-3 at the plate with his 5th double while with Boise.  Rock Shoulders had a productive night as well going 1-for-4 with his 6th home run of the season, a two run shot.

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The Chiefs jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead against Quad Cities but couldn’t hang as they fell 4-2.  Yao-Lin Wang continued his transition to the starting rotation as he went 5.1 innings giving up two runs on four hits while walking three and striking out six.  Wang left with the game tied at two, and unfortunately Jeffry Antigua could keep the River Bandits off the board.  Antigua went 1.2 innings giving up two runs on three hits while striking out two earning his first loss of the season.  Javier Baez continued his assault on Single-A pitching in the loss as he was 2-for-4 with his 12th home run of the season, he also stole his 20th base.  Baez is now hitting .336 on the season, and there are whispers that he is close to earning a promotion.  Zeke DeVoss had a solid night at the top of the Chiefs order going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

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The D-Cubs fell behind early, and couldn’t dig out of that hole as they dropped this one to Dunedin 6-2.  Kyler Burke started for the D-Cubs, and was responsible for that hole I was talking about.  Burke gave up three runs in the first and then settled down after that.  He went five innings giving up three runs on four hits while walking two and striking out four.  Hunter Cervenka had a rare awful outing as he struggled with his command in two innings of work, walking four and giving up three runs, two earned.  Rubi Silva continued his strong 2012 season at the plate going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, he is now hitting .302 on the campaign.   Christian Villanueva followed up his stellar Cubs debut by going 1-for-4 with a double and a spectacular catch in the field that I’m hoping to get video of shortly.

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Smokies postponed, again.

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Things seem to go from bad to worse for Iowa each night.  Tonight was no different as the I-Cubs battled Colorado Springs all game before surrendering three runs in the top of the ninth to lose 4-1.  Ryan Rowland-Smith got the start tonight and was outstanding as he went six strong innings giving up one run on two hits while walking three and striking out six.  Jaye Chapman, who was acquired from the Braves a couple of days ago took the loss as he was knocked around in the ninth.  Chapman worked one inning giving up three runs on three hits while walking one, he fell to 0-1 on the season.  The I-Cubs were dreadful with runners in scoring position, and they had plenty of chances too, when it was all said and done they were 0-for-10 in the loss.  Josh Vitters had a big night once again for Iowa, he went 3-for-4 with his 32nd double of the season.  Vitters is now hitting .304 on the season as he continues to try to force the Cubs hand and give them no choice but to award him the promotion he deserves.  Dylan Heuer has some great photo’s from the game, head on over to his website to check them out!

Thanks for reading,
– George

7/29: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Sunday, July 29th Cubs minor league report.  Tennessee was off on Sunday.

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The AZL Cubs lost to the AZL Reds 7-3.  Dillon Maples made his much anticipated debut on Sunday, giving up one run in one pitched.  He stuggled with his command walking two and throwing a wild pitch, but struck out one and got out of a tough jam with a double play.  Paul Blackburn pitched 2.1 innings, giving up two hits, no runs, and striking out two.  Chad Martin took the loss, giving up three runs in his one inning of work.  Our nightly watch of Albert Almora and Jorge Soler was on again.  Almora went 1-for-4 and Soler was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.  Trevor Gretzky and Carlos Penalver each had two hits with Penalver driving one in.  Daniel Lockhart also had an RBI.

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Boise got one in the third, which proved to be enough beating Tri-City 1-0.  Ian Dickson started and pitched weel allowing no runs on three hits in five innings pitched.  He also walked two and struck four.  Hunter Ackerman was outstanding in relief picking up his first save.  He struck out six in just four innings and allowed only one hit.  Gioskar Amaya hit his fifth home run of the year and ended the day 2-for-3.  Rock Shoulder also had two hits, including a double and after a slow start his average is now up to .271.  Jeimer Candelario added a hit and Marco Hernadnez had a double in the game as well.  Lets hope the pitching continues down this path as that is two 1-0 wins in a row.

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Peoria scored nine in the first three innings and held on to beat Beloit 10-6.  The offense led the way in this one.  Dustin Geiger was 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs.  Pin-Chieh Chen was 3-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs.  Unbelievably, Javier Baez only had one hit, but he did drive in two and score one.  Wes Darvill also had two hits and drove a run in and Chadd Krist also had an RBI.  Larry Suarez got the win in relief for Peoria striking out three in 1.2 innings pitched and Bryce Shafer closed out the game pitching a scoreless ninth.  Lets see if Peoria can keep playing well going forward.

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A six run fifth helped Daytona win this shootout 12-7.  The Cubs had a lot of nice games at the plate on Sunday.  Ronald Torreyes went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.  Rafael Lopez had two hits, including his second home run of the season.  Elieser Bonne was 3-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI.  Leadoff man John Andreoli had two hits, stole three bases (40), and scored three runs.  Matt Loosen wasn’t at his on Sunday, but it was good enough for him to improve his record to 10-3.  He gave up five runs, four earned on six hits in five innings pitched.  AJ Morris recorded his third save pitching a scoreless last 1.2 innings.  Good to see Daytona hitting the ball and Matt Loosen get to the 10-win mark.

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Leading by one in the bottom of the ninth, Iowa gave up one there and then gave up three in the bottom of the 10th to lose 6-3.  James Adduci continues to hit the ball going 3-for-5 on Sunday.  Welington Castillo was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer on, his sixth of the season.  Adrian Cardenas and Josh Vitters each had a hit.  Brett Jackson didn’t have any hits, but he did walk and steal a base, his 24th of the season.  Rodrigo Lopez actually pitched well going five innings and allowing only two runs, one earned on five hits, while striking out five.  After Ryan Rowland-Smith and Esmailin Caridad pitched the next three scoreless innings the rest of the bullpen blew it.  Michael Bowden gave up the run in the ninth and Jay Jackson took the loss giving up a three run homer in the tenth.  It’s just not going well for Iowa, finding different ways to lose almost every night.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

7/24: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Tuesday July 24 minor league recap.

Peoria was off.

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The AZL Cubs were at it again on Tuesday beating the AZL Indians 9-2.  Jorge Soler did it again, hitting his second home run in four games.  This one off the scoreboard in left.  Soler would add another hit  ending the night 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs.  Ben Carhart continued his hot hitting going 2-for-4 with a double and a home run.  He also drove in three and scored a run.  Speaking of hot, Shawon Dunston Jr. had two more hits, a double and a triple plus he scored three runs from the lead off spot.  Albert Alomora did not have a hit, but did drive two runs in and scored two.  2012 Comp. pick Paul Blackburn recorded his first win of the season, pitching two scoreless innings in relief.  Another good win for the Cubs in the AZL.

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Boise got another great pitching peformance out of their staff on Tuesday beating the Yakima Bears 2-1.  Ian Dickson was tremendous thowing six no-hit innings before being removed in the seventh.  Dickson struck out four en route to his second win of the season.  Hunter Ackerman gave up a run, but struck out three in 2.1 innings and Michael Hamann closed it out recording his first save of the season.  Jeimer Candelario had a nice night at the dish going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  In his first game as a Hawk, Dan Vogelbach was 2-for-4 with a double.  Gioskar Amaya, Stephen Bruno, and Trey Martin each added a hit and Bruno scored a run.  It is nice to see the Hawks pitching have a nice couple days here.

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Daytona held on to beat Brevard County 4-3 on Tuesday night.  Matt Loosen started and got the win pitching six innings while allowing two runs on only three hits.  He also walked three and struck out eight, lowering his ERA to 2.81.  Ryan Searle struck out two in the seventh and AJ Morris pitched the last two recording his first save of the season.  Rubi Silva went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs.  Ronald Torreyes, Matt Szczur, Rebel Ridling, and Micah Gibbs all had a hit.  Daytona will play two on Wednesday.

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Tennessee was back in action Tuesday pounding Jacksonville 9-2.  The Smokies showed some power hitting three home runs on the evening.  Junior Lake was 2-for-5 with a double, a homer, and two RBIs.  Greg Rohan added two hits of his own including a home run and Michael Brenly connected on his fifth homer of the year.  Nelson Perez had his best day since going to Double-A as he went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.  Michael Burgess also added two hits and scored two runs.  Eric Jokisch got the start and the win for the Smokies giving up one run on four hits in five innings pitched while striking out eight.  Brian Schlitter, Kevin Rhoderick, and Casey Weathers combined to pitch the last four innings allowing one run and striking out five.  This is the way to come back after a day off.

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Another day another bad loss for Iowa, losing 15-9 on Tuesday.  Offensively Iowa couldn’t have done much more on Tuesday scoring nine runs on twelve hits.  Welington Castillo was 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI.  Brett Jackson hit his 14th home run of the season and drove in two.  Josh Vitters had one hit and also drove in two as did Alfredo Amezaga.  Dave Sappelt and Diory Hernandez each had two hits as well.  The pitching was terrible yet again on Tuesday.  Rogrio Lopez got the start and promtly gave up eight runs in 3.2 innings pitched.  Ryan Rowland-Smith took the loss as he gave up three more runs in just 1.2 innings.  Iowa continues to struggle.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

7/19: Around the Cubs Minor League System

All teams back in action on Thursday July 19.

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Jorge Soler made his much anticipated debut on Thursday night, but the AZL Cubs fell to the AZL Mariners 4-3 in 12 innings.  It was not quite the debut we were looking for from Soler as he went 0-3, grounding out twice and lining into a double play.  The Cubs got RBIs from David Bote, Daniel Lockhart, and Justin Marra.  Marra also had two hits on the evening.  Paul Blackburn got the start on Thursday and pitched three innings allowing one runs on three hits.  Carlos Martinez-Pumarino struck out five in four innings out of the pen and Daniel Adrian struck out four in three scoreless innings.  Chad Martin took the loss giving up the winning run in the 12th inning.  Not the type of game we become accustomed to from the Cubs in Arizona.

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The pitching for Boise did their job on Thursday, but the Hawks still lost to Eugene 2-1.  Ian Dickson got the start and took the tough loss.  He gave up two runs, one earned in five innings.  He also struck out five, his record now stands at 1-3.  Hunter Ackerman was outstanding in relief striking out four and allowing only one hit in three innings pitched.  All of the Hawks offense came off the bat of Stephen Bruno who had the only two hits for Boise.  He also drove in Gioskar Amaya who reached on a walk.  This is a tough one to swallow as the pitching did so well, unfortunately the hitting did not.

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Peoria dropped another to West Michigan losing 4-2.  Yao-Lin Wang started and took the loss allowing three runs in the second inning, one earned in just 1.2 innings pitched.  Josheph Zeller pitched well in relief allowing one unearned run on seven hits in 5.1 innings.  He struck out three and lowered his ERA to 1.69.  Javier Baez did it again going 2-for-4 hitting his ninth home run of the season and stealing his 17th base.  Chadd Krist only was able to muster up one hit tonight as his average dropped to .462.  Dustin Geiger added a hit and scored the only other Chiefs run of the day.  Peoria will look to get back on track tomorrow.

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It is tough to win when you allow four runs in one inning and then a single run four innings in a row.  Daytona didn’t disprove this losing 8-3 to Jupiter.  Austin Kirk took the loss allowing five runs in five innings pitched.  His ERA stands at an impressive 2.88.  Hunter Cervenka, Scott Weismann, and AJ Morris all gave up a run in their inning of work out of the bullpen.  The good news came from one of the Cubs top prospects Matt Szczur.  He was 3-for-4 with a triple, run scored, RBI and his 33rd stolen base of the year.  Ronald Torreyes was 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored.  Elliot Soto added two hits driving in one run and Rubi Silva also had an RBI.  Not a good loss all the way around for the Cubs.

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After giving up three in the first Tennessee tried to mount a comeback, but it ultimately came up short losing 4-3 to Chattanooga.  Eric Jokisch took the loss allowing three runs on six hits in five innings.  Kevin Rhoderick hopefully got back on track Thursday striking out all four of the outs he recorded.  Marcus Hatley pitched a scoreless inning giving up three hits, but striking out one.  Juan Apodaca hit a double and drove in two runs.  Jae-Hoon Ha was 2-for-3 with a run scored and Logan Watkins drove stole his 19th base of the season and drove in his 36th run of the season.  It was a good comeback attempt, but turned out to be another disappointing loss.

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Casey Coleman got scratched from his start so Ryan Rowland-Smith took his place and struggled giving up five runs, three earned in just four innings pitched.  All of those runs came in the second and Iowa could never rebound losing 9-1.  Offensively Brett Jackson was 2-for-4 with the Cubs lone RBI.  Dave Sappelt and Blake Lalli each had two hits and both had a double.  Adrian Cardenas and Welington Castillo had doubles as well.  Other than that not much excitement coming from Iowa on Thursday night.

Thanks for reading,
Mark

7/16: Around the Cubs Minor League System

A trip through the Cubs minor league system.

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Wow AZL just continue to score this time beating the AZL Athletics 11-8.  The Cubs had some new heroes on Monday.  Shawon Dunston Jr. had two hits, hit a his first home run and knocked in four.  Daniel Lockhart, Timothy Saunders, and Jacob Rogers all had two hits and Rogers added to RBIs.  Ben Carhart also had two RBIs and Dan Vogelbach drove in his 27th run of the season.  Lendy Castillo continued his rehab assignment pitching three innings allowing no runs on only two hits.  He also struck out four.  The rest of the pitchers on Monday struggled, but David Henrie was able to pick up his fourth win of the season.

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Tied at five in the bottom of the ninth, up stepped Jeimer Candelario.  He promptly ended the game hitting a walk-off home run giving Boise the win 6-5.  Bijan Rademacher and Stephen Bruno each had three hits in the win, with Rademacher scoring three runs.  Marco Hernandez added two hits including a triple and drove in one.  Rock Shoulders and Carlos Escobar each contributed with an RBI each and Xavier Batista had two RBIs.  Eduardo Orozco pitched well again pitching two scoreless innings and getting the win.  He has not allowed a run in eight innings pitched this season in Boise.  Starting pitcher Jose Arias pitched five innings allowing three runs, two earned on four hits and striking out four.

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Peoria scored seven times in from the fifth inning on and beat Bowling Green 8-3.  Paul Hoilman was outstanding at the plate going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and three RBIs.  Pin-Chieh Chen also collected three hits.  He also scored three and drove in one.  Chadd Krist continued his impressive streak adding two hits and driving one in.  Javier Baez had yet another hit and had two RBIs.  Starling Peralta earned his third win of the season pitching five scoreless innings.  He struck out five, walked three, gave up five hits.  His ERA now stands at 2.81.  It was a good win for Peoria on Monday and will look to build on that.

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Four early runs proved to be all Charlotte would need beating Daytona 5-3.  Kyler Burke struggled early, but settled down allowing four runs on nine hits in six innings.  He took the loss on Monday and his record at Daytona stands at 1-3.  Offensively, Matt Szczur and Rebel Ridling each had two hits.  They both scored a run and they each had a double.  Szczur stole two bases bring his total to 32 and Ridling added an RBI.  Elieser Bonne had a double and an RBI and Matthew Cerda drove in a run as well.

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Tennessee was able to score eight runs, but it was not enough losing to Jackson 10-8.  The 2-3-4 hitters for the Smokies did an unbelievable job as each of those hitters had three hits.  Jae-Hoon Ha was 3-for-5 with triple, home run, two runs scored, and two RBIs.  Logan Watkins and Justin Bour each had three hits, with Bour driving one in.  Greg Rohan and Nate Samson had two hits a piece, with Rohan adding an RBI.  Junior Lake and Michael Brenly only had one hit, but each drove in two and Brenly hit his fourth home run of the season.  The pitching was not so good on Monday.  Starter Ty’relle Harris only was able to last 2.2 innings as he gave up six runs.  Zach Rosscup and Trey McNutt each surrendered two runs in their two innings of work.  McNutt took the loss, his eighth of the season.  It’s always tough to lose, but when you score eight and lose it is really tough.

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Iowa had one of the those games again where they aren’t good in any aspect.  They were outhit 16-4, made two errors, and lost 6-1 where it really counts.  I guess I will start with the offense on this one.  Brett Jackson hit his league leading 11th triple and scored the Cubs lone run when he was driven in by Adrian Cardenas.  Josh Vitters had another hit, as did Blake Lalli and James Adduci.  Rodrigo Lopez took the loss in this one allowing 12 hits and four runs in just five innings.  After Ryan Rowland-Smith gave up two more, Alberto Cabrera and Michael Bowden didn’t allow another run in the last 1.1 innings.  Not a good one for Iowa on Monday.

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Thanks for Reading,
Mark