Results tagged ‘ Blake Parker ’
Minor Matters – April 8, 2013
At The Plate – Things have not gone well for the Iowa Cubs, that is reflected in their now 0-5 record. Logan Watkins led off today as was great going 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, an RBI, and two runs scored, he’s now hitting .368 on the season. Brett Jackson had a solid game going 2-for-4 with a double, and two RBI’s. Newcomer Donnie Murphy went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in the loss.
On The Mound – Really rough go of it for the I-Cubs pitchers. Barret Loux got the start and was beat up giving up six runs on three hits while walking three walks and striking out two in only one inning of work. Jaye Chapman worked 2.2 innings giving up two runs on two hits while walking three without a strike out. Cory Wade got roughed up giving up five runs on eight hits while striking out one in three innings of work. Blake Parker worked 1.1 scoreless innings while walking one and striking out two.
At The Plate – Matt Szczur continued his solid work out of the lead-off spot going 2-for-3 with a run scored, and a stolen base. Arismendy Alcantara who was hitting in the two hole was 2-for-4, but also made two errors. The rest of the Smokies lineup could only manage one hit in the 2-1 loss.
On The Mound – Really solid effort from the Smokies pitchers in this one. Dae-Eun Rhee got the start and was decent, he struggled a bit with his command in 4.1 innings of work giving up one run on two hits while walking three and striking out one. Brian Schlitter was the tough luck loser in this one, he worked 1.2 innings giving up one run, unearned, on two hits while walking one. Zach Rosscup and Trey McNutt each worked a scoreless inning to keep things close.
At The Plate – Finally a win for the Cougars, they did plenty offensively but had to work overtime after a blown save, more on that in a bit. Gioskar Amaya broke out today after a slow start to the season, he was 3-for-5 with a triple, a stolen base, and a run scored. Chadd Krist was 3-for-5 with two doubles, ans two runs scored. Bijan Rademacher did most of the damage today going 3-for-5 with three RBI’s. Rock Shoulders stayed red hot at the plate going 2-for-5 with a run scored, he’s now hitting .455 on the season.
On The Mound – Lendy Castillo who is transitioning to a starting role was fantastic in his 2013 debut. Castillo went five strong innings giving up one run on three hits while walking two and striking out four, unfortunately he had a win snatched from him. Brian Smith was solid out of the pen going two scoreless innings giving up one hit while walking one and striking out one. Justin Amlung blew the save but also got the win, he worked three innings giving up four runs on four hits while walking one and striking out three.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Minor Matters – April 5, 2013
At The Plate – Logan Watkins had an excellent day at the top of the order, he was 3-for-3 with a triple, two runs scored, and two walks. Four different Cubs had two hits in the loss, Brian Bogusevic, Brad Nelson, Luis Flores, and Edwin Maysonet. Brad Nelson supplied the power today, both of his hits left the yard, he added a walk, and had three RBI’s.
On The Mound – Nothing good at all from the Iowa Cubs pitching today. Drew Carpenter got the start and was lit up, giving up five runs on six hits while walking three and striking out one in four innings of work. Jaye Chapman worked one inning giving up two runs on three hits while walking none and striking out one. Cory Wade worked 1.2 innings, he gave up one run on four hits while walking one and striking out one. Blake Parker gave up two runs on two hits while walking one and striking out three in 1.1 innings.
At The Plate – The Smokies did some major work at the plate in this one as eight of the nine starters had at least one hit. Jae-Hoon Ha was 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Christian Villanueva was awfully productive going 3-for-5 with a double and four RBI’s. Justin Bour was 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored. The Smokies had six doubles in the victory.
On The Mound – Alberto Cabrera was outstanding tonight, he went six strong innings giving up two runs on four hits, he didn’t walk anyone and struck out nine. Zach Rosscup was inspired by Cabrera and tried to one up him, Rosscup went two innings and only gave up one hit and struck out five. Trey McNutt tossed a scoreless frame to close things out.
At The Plate – The D-Cubs mashed the ball all over the place tonight, something this team most definitely can do. Zeke DeVoss had a big night at the top of the order going 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, a walk, two RBI’s, a stolen base and a run scored. Javier Baez was 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, two RBI’s and a run scored. John Andreoli, and Ben Carhart each had three hits, and Jorge Soler was 1-for-5 in the victory.
On The Mound – Quite the combo on the mound for the D-Cubs tonight. Starling Peralta got the start and went 4.1 scoreless innings, he gave up only one hit while walking three and striking out five. Ryan Searle followed that up with 4.2 scoreless innings, he gave up two hits, walked no one, and struck out six. The final line for D-Cubs pitching, nine innings, three hits, no runs, three walks, and eleven strikeouts.
At The Plate – The Cougars pounded out ten hits, unfortunately they were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Rock Shoulders was 1-for-4 with a double, and an RBI. Chadd Krist was 2-for-3 with a walk, and Wes Darvill was 3-for-4 with a double. The Cougars made three errors on the night, and all were costly.
On The Mound – I mentioned the costly errors, here’s the proof. Tayler Scott got the start and was really good going six innings giving up one run, unearned on four hits while striking out six. Jeffry Antigua was solid out of the pen in three innings of work, he gave up three runs, all unearned, on three hits while walking two and striking out two.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Rusin Shuts Down Dodgers in Win
Chris Rusin was outstanding Thursday afternoon, which is nothing new this Spring as he has been nothing short of brilliant. The lefty is slated to start the 2013 season in the Iowa rotation, and if he has continued success like this don’t be surprised if he is back at Wrigley sooner than later, either starting or coming out of the pen.
Brent Lillibridge made a triumphant return to the lineup going 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Welington Castillo got the start behind the plate and was 1-for-2 with a triple, two RBI’s and a run scored. Luis Valbuena (1), Brian Bogusevic (2), Dave Sappelt (1), and Darnell McDonald (1) had the rest of the runs knocked in.
As I mentioned, Chris Rusin was awesome. Rusin tossed five nearly perfect innings, giving up no runs on one hit while walking one, and striking out one. Raley improved to 2-0 on the Spring with a 0.69 ERA, he has worked thirteen innings this spring and has given up one run. Drew Carpenter, Jaye Chapman, and Blake Parker all had scoreless appearances in the victory.
Split squad action tomorrow as half the team will face the White Sox on the road, and the other half will face off against Team Japan. Travis Wood will make the start against Team Japan, and Scott Feldman will work against the White Sox.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Walk This Way; Cubs Hand Game to D-Backs Behind Eight Walks
On the surface it looks as though the Cubs staff struggled as a whole today, but that really wasn’t the case. Jeff Samardzija got the start and turned in the longest outing of any Cubs pitcher so far, tossing three innings giving up one run on one hit, while walking three and striking out one. It could have been much worse but Shark wiggled off the hook in the second after loading the bases with no outs. 
Obviously he didn’t have his best command as illustrated by the three walks, but he battled, and he wasn’t the only one that struggled with command today. Michael Bowden walked two in his inning of work, and Rafael Dolis imploded, walking three in a third of an inning while giving up four runs, three earned, on just one hit. Cory Wade, Blake Parker, James Russell, Casey Coleman, and Shawn Camp all had scoreless appearances.
The Cubs were able to plate two runs in the first inning off of Trevor Cahill, but that is all they would get in this one. Anthony Rizzo continued his strong spring going 2-for-3 with a double, and an RBI, he’s now hitting .364 (4-for-11) in the Cactus League. Luis Valbuena continues to make a strong case to be the starting third baseman going 1-for-2 with a run scored, he’s hitting a robust .571 (4-for-7) this Spring. Jorge Soler had a solid day at the plate going 1-for-2 with a triple, it’s impressive to see a guy that big run that well.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Cubs Let Big Early Lead Slip Away in Loss to Dodgers
The Cubs used the long ball early and often against Chad Billingsley and the Dodgers staff to build a 6-2 lead through three innings. Nate Schierholtz hit a solo shot in the 
first, and then Welington Castillo went back to back with Darnell McDonald in the third inning. McDonald padded the RBI numbers with a three run homer, a no doubter. Unfortunately that was about it for the Cubs offense as they couldn’t scratch across another run the rest of the afternoon. Carlos Villanueva made his Cubs debut and it could have been better as he struggled with his command. Villanueva couldn’t make in through the first inning as he walked two guys, and gave up two runs in two-thirds of an inning. Blake Parker and Barret Loux had solid outings, each turning in a scoreless effort. Robert Whitenack struggled today, giving up three runs, while not allowing a hit, yes he struggled with command as well, walking two in two-thirds of an inning. The news of the day came from Dontrelle Willis, not because he made his debut, but because he only threw seven pitches before leaving with what is being described as shoulder stiffness, he took the loss.
Game Highlights:
Darnell McDonald’s Three-Run Bomb
Dontrelle Willis leaves with an Injury
Welington Castillo’s Solo Shot
Nate Schierholtz Goes Deep
Thanks for reading,
- George
From Bad to Worse as Cubs Get Thrashed Again
Dale Sveum said it best after the game, “That’s just men playing against boys right now.” For the second straight night the Cubs gave up six home runs to the Nationals, at least they didn’t use as many pitchers tonight as they did last night. Volstad was the one serving up long balls tonight, but at least he was able to give the Cubs some innings. 
Volstad’s night came to an end after five innings, he gave up five runs on nine hits while walking four and striking out two. Volstad gave up three home runs, Michael Bowden gave up one, and Blake Parker gave up two more. Bryce Harper had two home runs tonight, and Adam LaRoche hit another home run in this one, LaRoche has been amazing against the Cubs, and will continue to be awesome until someone decides to pitch him inside off the plate. I mentioned it yesterday, opponents are way too comfortable in the box against Cubs pitchers, until they go inside with a purpose balls will continue to leave the park. Speaking of comfortable at the plate, the Cubs are anything but as they were carved up by now 18 game winner Gio Gonzalez. The Cubs could only manage four hits in the 9-1 defeat, one of which was an Anthony Rizzo solo home run in the ninth inning. Dale Sveum was ejected tonight after he took exception to home plate umpire Larry Vanover “eyeballing” the Cubs bench after a couple of close calls. The Cubs will try to avoid the four game sweep tomorrow night.
Game Highlights:
Anthony Rizzo’s 11th Home Run
Great Play by Vitters
Sveum Ejected
Thanks for reading,
- George
Cubs DFA Hinshaw, Promote Blake Parker
So that’s what gets you released, giving up five runs in spectacular fashion. The Cubs have designated Alex Hinshaw for assignment, and promoted Blake Parker who has just completed his rehab assignment in Iowa. Parker was a bright spot early in the season and should help a depleted Cubs pen.
Thanks for reading,
- George
8/26: Around the Cubs Minor League System
Sunday’s minor league recap. Daytona did not play as they had a scheduled day off.
The AZL Cubs won a big one on Sunday beating the Athletics 5-2. Duane Underwood started and pitched the first 2.1 innings giving up two hits and allowing no runs. Juan Paniagua got the win striking out three over the next 1.2 innings. After Carl Lang gave up one run in his inning Anthony Prieto pitched the next two, followed by Carlos Martinez-Pumarino who finished this one off giving up a run, but striking out three in two innings. Ben Carhart had another nice night at the plated going 3-for-5 with an RBI. Trevor Gretzky got his average over .300 as he went 3-for-4 with a run scored in this one. Carlos Penalver and Jeff Baez each had two hits a piece with Baez knocking in one run. Shawon Dunston had a double and an RBI in the Cubs win. With the win the Cubs are now only one game in back of the Athletics for the division lead.
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After winning the division on Saturday, Boise came back Sunday and lost 5-1 to Vancouver. Felix Pena got the start and took the loss allowing four runs on five hits over 4.1 innings. He also walked three and struck out five. Su-Min Jung and Tyler Bremer combined to pitch the final 3.2 innings on Sunday. The Hawks had a few highlights at the plate, however. Jeimer Candelario ended the night 2-for-3 and Darien Martin also had two hits. Stephen Bruno had yet another hit in this one and also drove in the Cubs lone run. Gioskar Amaya and Marco Hernandez each a hit in the Boise loss.
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Peoria was all over Wisconsin from the get go, eventually winning 10-3. Jeffry Antigua was outstanding on Sunday pitching seven strong innings allowing no runs on three hits, while striking out seven. Pete Levitt pitched the final two frames allowing three unearned runs in the ninth inning. Dustin Geiger led the way offensively going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Jorge Soler go into the fun as well going 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.. Jacob Rogers also had two hits, including his first home run with Peoria. The top of the order did their job as well, as Zeke DeVoss and Pin-Chieh Chen each had two hits. DeVoss added a run and an RBI and Chen scored four runs and drove one in as well. Oliver Zapata and Sergio Burruel each had hits with Zapata adding an RBI in the Chiefs victory.
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Tennessee scored one in the bottom of the eighth to win the game 4-3. Eric Jokisch was pretty good in this one giving up three runs on eight hits in seven innings. He also walked one and struck out four, his ERA now sits at 2.97. Trey McNutt continued to pitch well out of the bullpen pitching the final two innings and getting the win. Jae-Hoon Ha was outstanding at the plate going 3-for-4 with a double, triple, RBI, and a runs scored. Elliot Soto was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Rubi Silva had a hit and an RBI of his own. Matt Szczur also contributed with hit and a run scored in the Smokies victory.
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Iowa scored one in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough losing 4-3 to Oklahoma City. Chris Rusin got the start and pitched good, but took the loss. He pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on four hits, while walking one and striking out seven. Blake Parker tossed the final two innings allowing one run and striking out two. James Adduci, Blake Lalli, and Matt Tolbert all were 2-for-4 with Adduci knocking in a run and Lalli scoring two. Brian Esposito had a double and an RBI and Adrian Cardenas pinch hit with an RBI single in the Cubs loss.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
8/22: Around the Cubs Minor League System
The Cubs minor leagues were in full effect on Wednesday with the AZL Cubs and Daytona each playing 7-inning double headers.
The AZL Cubs scored three in the first inning of the first game and that was all Ryan McNeil and company would need beating the Diamondbacks 3-0. McNeil was outstanding pitching four scoreless innings giving up five hits and striking out two. Rafael Dolis continued his rebab pitching the next 1.1 innings and getting the win. Jasvir Rakkar earned his first save of the year, striking out four of the five outs he recorded. Anthony Giansanti also continued his rehab assignment going 1-for-2 with a double and two RBIs. Justin Marra also had a hit and an RBI in the victory. Shawon Dunston continued his impressive stretch at the plate going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Ben Carhart and Yasiel Balauert also had a hit in the game.
Game two was scoreless until Anthony Giansanti stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Giansanti delivered hitting a walk off homer as the Cubs swept the double-header against the Diamondbacks. The Cubs used three pitchers in this one as Corbin Hoffner got the start striking out two and allowing three hits in three innings. Some more good news was the return of Ben Wells who began his rebab assignment in style striking out the side in his one inning. Alvido Jimenez ended the scoreless day pitcing the final three innings and getting his second win of the season. Carlos Penalver, David Bote, and Yasiel Balaguert all had a hit in game two of the double-header. The Cubs remain three games behind the A’s for first place, but are leading the wild card by three games over the Giants.
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Boise just keeps rolling as they beat up Vancouver 11-6. The offense was the story in this one as they pounded out 17 hits to go along with those 11 runs. Stephen Bruno is just raking right now as he went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two RBIs. He is now hitting .344 on the season and .439 in his last 10. Izaac Garsez and Wilson Contreras each had really nice games both having three hits and driving in two runs a piece. Garsez also scored three runs and stole his first base of the season. Carlos Escobar and Darien Martin both had two hits with Escobar knocking in two. Marco Hernandez also had two RBIs and Gioskar Amaya had one of his own. Justin Amlung got the start, but only lasted two innings as he gave up three runs on six hits. Michael Heesch then pitched two scoreless innings and got his second win of the season. James Pugliese struck out six over the next three innings, but did give up three runs before getting the ball to Nathan Dorris. Dorris closed this one out striking out two over the final two innings of the game. Boise remains six games up on the Yakima Bears with their magic number down to four.
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Beloit got off to a great start, but Peoria came roaring back scoring four in the sixth and one in the eighth to tie it up before scoring three in the 13th and beating Beloit 9-6. Timothy Saunders continues to impress at the plate going 4-for-6 with a stolen base, three runs scored and two RBIs. He is now hitting .391 with Peoria in 11 games. Jorge Soler was back at it going 2-for-6 with a stolen base, three runs scored and an RBI. Jacob Rogers and Bijan Rademacher each had a hit and an RBI and Pin-Chieh Chen had two hits. Starling Peralta started, but struggled with his command walking five in five innings. He also gave up five hits and allowed four runs, three earned, and struck out four. After Bryce Shafer gave up an unearned run the rest of the Chiefs staff threw up zeros. First Pete Levitt struck out four in 2.2 innings, then Sheldon McDonald struck out four in his two innings. Luis Liria came on to shut the door in the 13th and recorded his fifth save of the season.
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Game one of Daytona’s double-header was decided early as Clearwater scored two in the first and Daytona scored one in the second. Nothing would change as the Cubs lost game one 2-1. PJ Francescon started and took the loss striking out four and giving up two runs in three innings. Eduardo Figueroa, Matt Spencer, and AJ Morris all did their job not allowing another hit and shutting Clearwater down over the next three innings. The offense just couldn’t get it going, which is to be expected as they haven’t played in several days. Taylor Davis was 2-for-2 and drove in the only Cubs run in this one. Christian Villanueva hit a double and scored the Cubs lone run in the loss. John Andreoli and Elieser Bonne also had hits and Javier Baez was 0-for-3.
Game two didn’t go much better for Daytona as Clearwater jumped out early scoring three in the first and never looked back beating the Cubs 4-2. Frank Del Valle was on the hook for all four runs, only three of which were earned in four innings of work. Ryan Searle and Hunter Cervenka each pitched a scoreless inning a piece. Offensively there were a couple bright spots, one of which was Ronald Torreyes who was 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Vladimir Frias had two hits of his own and Nelson Perez added a hit and an RBI. The offense is obviously having a hard time getting in any kind of rhythm as games have been few and far between.
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Tennessee was embarrassed on Wednesday losing to Chattanooga 11-1. Dae-Eun Rhee started and took the loss giving up three runs on nine hits in 5.2 innings. Things didn’t get any better as Casey Weathers gave up three runs after recording just one out. After Zach Rosscup struck out the side in the seventh, Casey Harman gave up five runs, only one of which was earned in the eighth inning. Dustin Harrington struck out two in the ninth, that’s right Dustin Harrington, the same guy who plays third base. He was 2-for-2 at the plate as well, hitting a double and scoring a run. Matt Szczur was the only other Smokie to have a hit as he had a triple and drove in the lone Cubs run.
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Iowa was winning 3-1 into the eighth, but gave up five over the next two innings and lost 6-3. Horacio Ramirez was great on Wednesday giving up one run on seven hits in seven innings pitched. Blake Parker struggled and took the loss giving up three runs in the eighth and Jairo Asencio allowed two unearned runs in the ninth. Dave Sappelt had a nice day at the plate going 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs. Brian Esposito had a hit and an RBI and Blake Lalli had a hit and scored a run in the loss. Adrian Cardenas finally got to play baseball again and was 1-for-4 with a run scored. It is tough to see Parker give this one up, as his rehab has been going quite well thus far, but I am sure he will come back strong in his next outing.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
8/21: Around the Cubs Minor League System
Tuesday’s minor league report. As you may have guessed Daytona was postponed yet again.
The AZL Cubs lost to the Mariners 4-1 in one of their two games on Tuesday. Duane Underwood got the start and pitched pretty good going three innings and allowing no runs on no hits, while walking one and striking out three. Anthony Prieto pitched the next 2.1 innnings and took the loss giving up four runs. At the plate Justin Marra had himself a nice day going 2-for-2 with a double and a triple. He also scored the Cubs lone run when he was driven in by Trevor Gretzky who also had two hits. Shawon Dunston also had a hit in the loss.
The AZL Cubs scored four times in the seventh to beat the Mariners 7-6. The offense did a nice job in not giving up in this one. Shawon Dunston was 2-for-3 with a two runs scored and an RBI. Anthony Giansanti who is working his way back from injury also had two hits and drove in three. Justin Marra, Ben Carhart, and Garrett Schlecht all had a hit and an RBI in the game. Carlos Penalver and Jeffrey Baez each had a hit in the win. Carl Lang got the start only pitching one inning and allowing no runs. Carlos Martinez-Pumarino continued to struggle as he gave up five runs, four earned on six hits in only three innings. After Steve Perakslis gave up one run in two innings Chad Martin pitched a scoreless seventh and earned his third win of the season.
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After a rough loss on Monday night Boise came out swinging beating Yakima 7-4. Pierce Johnson started, but struggled a bit giving up three runs in two innings. Felix Pena came in relief and pitched five wonderful innings allowing only one unearned run and striking out three. Eduardo Orozco pitched the final two innings notching his sixth save of the season. Offensively Gioskar Amaya had himself a nice night going 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Albert Almora had a hit and an RBI and Marco Hernandez also drove one in. Stephen Bruno and Xavier Batista each had a hit and combined to score three runs. It was good to get back in the win column after last nights debacle.
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Peoria came back strong on Tuesday beating Wisconsin 4-2. Jeff Antigua was good enough to win this one, but got a no decision. He last 5.2 innings allowing two runs, one earned on five hits, while striking out five. Austin Reed threw 2.1 scoreless innings in getting the win. Larry Suarez pitched the ninth and recorded his fourth save. After a couple rough games for Jorge Soler he got back on track going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Sergio Burruel also had a nice night at the plate adding three hits and driving in one run as well. Pin-Chieh Chen contributed with a hit and an RBI. Timothy Saunders, Dustin Geiger, and Wes Darvill all had a hit a piece with Darvill also scoring a run and stealing a base. It was good to see the Chiefs and Soler get back on track in this one.
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Tennessee lost a pitcher’s duel 3-1 in 11 innings. Eric Jokisch started for the Smokies giving up no runs in five innings of work. He left in line for the win and Trey McNutt and Tony Zych got it to the ninth inning scoreless, but Frank Batista gave up a run in the ninth. Kevin Rhoderick took the loss as Casey Harman couldn’t get the final out of the 11th before the two runs scored. Jae-Hoon Ha and Matt Cerda were the only Tennessee players to have multi hit games. Justin Bour had a hit and drove in the only Smokies run. Rubi Silva and Matt Szczur each had a hit in the loss.
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Iowa scored two in the seventh to beat Memphis 2-0 on Tuesday. Seth McClung started for the Cubs and was brilliant pitching seven strong innings allowing no runs on six hits, while walking one and striking out six. Scott Maine pitched a scoreless eighth and turned the ball over to Blake Parker who struck out two in recording his sixth save of the season. The Cubs didn’t do much offensively, but a two-run homer by Jeff Frazier proved to be more than enough. Blake Lalli also had a hit and scored on the Frazier home run. Diory Hernandez and Matt Tolbert each had doubles in the Cubs victory.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
