Results tagged ‘ Brian Esposito ’
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
8/20: Around the Cubs Minor League System
Monday, August 20 Cubs minor league report. After a couple days of being rained out Daytona had a scheduled off day on Monday.
The AZL Cubs dropped Monday night’s game to the Padres 5-1. The good new first, Paul Blackburn started and pitched well. He pitched four innings allowing no runs on two hits and four strike outs. The bad news now, Rafael Dolis gave up three runs, two earned in 1.1 innings in taking the loss. Arturo Maltos-Garcia couldn’t keep the game close allowing two runs in just .2 innings and Daniel Adrian pitched the final two innings on Monday. The Cubs didn’t do much offensively, but there were a few bright spots. Carlos Penalver and Yasiel Balaguert were each 2-for-4 and Penalver scored a run. Danie Lockhart and Justin Marra each had a hit with Marra driving in the only Cubs run in the game. David Bote and Trevor Gretzky each had a hit in the loss. The Cubs will look to get back on track tomorrow.
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Boise got off to a great start on Monday, but gave up six runs in the last three innings to lose 8-7. Ian Dickson started and pitched five innings, giving up two unearned runs on three hits, while striking out four. Hunter Ackerman had a tough night, giving up four runs on three hits in 2.2 innings. Tyler Bremer was the losing pitcher in this one as he gave up two runs. Dan Vogelbach had a nice night at the plate going 3-for-4 with a home run. Marco Hernandez hit a home run hit his fifth home run of the season and drove in two RBIs. Trey Martin also drove in two runs and Xavier Batista had an RBI as well. Stephen Bruno continued his hot stretch at the plate going 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Albert Almora ended the night with one hit and Wilson Contreras had a hit and an RBI. It was not a good loss for the Hawks, but tomorrow is a new day.
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Wisconsin ambushed Joseph Zeller and the Chiefs beating Peoria 8-1. Zeller struggled giving up seven runs, five earned on 10 hits in six innings. Willengton Cruz and Luis Liria pitched the final two innings combining to give up one unearned run. On the offensive side Timothy Saunders continued to rake going 2-for-4 and he is now hitting .371 since going to Peoria. Zeke DeVoss was also had two hits, one being a double. Bijan Rademacher was 1-for-3 driving in the lone Chiefs run of the night. Jacob Rogers and Pin-Chieh Chen each had a hit in the loss on Monday.
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With the game tied at one, Tennessee put up four in the eighth and defeated Chattanooga 5-1. Nicholas Struck got the start and did a real nice job pitching six strong innings. He gave up one run on six hits, walking two, and striking out three. After Trey McNutt pitched a scoreless seventh, Brian Schlitter cam in and got the win, pitching the final two innings of this one. Junior Lake had a nice night offensively going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Michael Brenly also had a double and he drove in two runs of his own. Jae-Hoon Ha and Rubi Silva each had two hits and Ha scored a run. Logan Watkins and Justin Bour each had a hit and scored a run in the win.
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After a nice stretch for Iowa they lost to Memphis on Monday 11-3. Ty’Relle Harris got the start, but didn’t last long giving up three runs, two earned in just four innings. Jay Jackson gave up a run in his two innings of work before giving the ball to Michael Hatley who really struggled. Hatley didn’t record an out, but gave up six runs on three hits and four walks. Esmailin Caridad and Brian Esposito finished off the game for Iowa combining to pitch the last three innings. Offensively the Cubs had a few nice performances. Greg Rohan and James Adduci each had two hits and each had an RBI in the loss. Alfredo Amezaga and Blake Lalli also had two hits a piece and each also scored a run. Tony Campana and Dave Sappelt both had a hit and Matt Tolbert had an RBI in the loss.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
8/18: Around the Cubs Minor League System
Saturday’s trip through the minors. The AZL Cubs and Daytona were both postponed on Saturday, August 18.
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.
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
8/12: Around the Cubs Minor League System
The Cubs minor’s report for Sunday, August 12.
The AZL Cubs took a 6-1 lead early, but lost a heartbreaker 10-8, giving up five in the seventh. Albert Almora continued to impress going 2-for-3 with a double, one RBIs, and two runs scored. Carlos Penalver and Alberto Mineo each had two hits with Penalver hitting a double and driving a run in. Garrett Schlect and Trevor Gretzky each had a hit with Schlect knocking one in. Jacob Rogers and Yasiel Balaguert also drove in a run. Ryan McNeil started, giving up one run on two hits, while striking out two in two innings. Jin-Young Kim struck out two and gave up two unearned runs. After Arturo Maltos-Garcia gave up a run in his one inning the game really took a turn. Corbin Hoffner took the loss, but didn’t get any help giving up six unearned runs on seven hits in 1.2 innings. Jasvir Rakkar recorded the last four outs not allowing a baserunner and striking one out. The Cubs need to be better defensively as they gave up eight unearned runs on Sunday.
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Salem Keizer scored five in the seventh and held on to beat Boise 10-9. Justin Amlung started for the Hawks pitching the first two innings allowing one run on three hits and striking out one. Michael Heesch gave up two runs in his two innings of work. James Pugliese was not very good on Sunday giving up seven runs, five earned on eight hits in just 2.2 innings. Matt Iannazzo gave the Hawks a chance getting the final seven outs not allowing a run and striking out two. Boise had a few nice nights at the plate on Sunday. Xavier Batista was 2-for-4 with a two home runs and five RBIs. Wilson Contreras also got into the fun going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. Marco Hernandez also had two hits and Stephen Bruno went 3-for-5. We have come to expect great things from Dan Vogelbach, but tonight was not his night as he went 0-for-5. Boise will look to get back on track in their next one.
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After beating Beloit yesterday Peoria dropped one today losing 6-5. Zeke DeVoss was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a run scored, and a stolen base, his 34th of the season. Wes Darvill had his second nice game in a row going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Pin-Chieh Chen and Dustin Geiger each had a hit and drove in a run a piece. Our nightly Jorge Soler watch was back in effect as he went 1-for-3 with a walk. After his outstanding outing earlier in the week Starling Peralta was back on the mound on Sunday. He pitched six innings allowing six runs, three earned on five hits and five walks. Pete Levitt pitched the final two innings, striking out two and not allowing a run. Soler and the Chiefs will be back in action against the Snappers tomorrow.
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Daytona was cancelled once again on Sunday.
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The Tennessee Smokies pitching staff was the story in this one beating Huntsville 4-0. In his first start Yoannis Negrin pitched great throwing five innings giving up no runs on one hit and striking out four. Zach Rosscup and Casey Weathers combined to pitch the next 2.2 innings and Frank Batista recorded his 21st save striking out two in 1.1 innings. A big congrats to Justin Bour as he drove in two runs on one hit bring his RBI total to 100. Junior Lake went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Logan Watkins had a nice night going 1-for-2 with three walks, three runs scored, and two stolen bases. Matt Szczur and Jae-Hoon Ha each had a hit of their own. We’ll see if the Smokies can keep it going.
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In a continuation from Saturday Iowa hung on to beat Las Vegas 10-8 in game one. Greg Rohan was 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Dave Sappelt added three hits of his own, including two doubles and a triple. He also scored two runs and drove two in. Blake Lalli has been getting some more playing time and has been doing quite well as he added two hits of his own, including a home run and two RBIs. Jeff Frazier and Brian Esposito each had two hits with Frazier knocking in three. The Cubs had to use a lot of pitchers in this one as Casey Coleman had to leave early and the game was called when winning pitcher Esmailin Caridad was on the mound when the game was called Saturday. Blake Parker, Marcus Hatley and Jay Jackson combined to pitch the next 3.2 innings before giving the ball to Jairo Asencio. Asencio closed out game one recording his second save.
Iowa dropped game two to Las Vegas losing 3-2 in a seven inning game. Frankie De La Cruz started and took the loss giving up all three runs on five hits in five innings. He also struck out seven and walked four. In his return to Iowa Scott Maine pitched the final inning of this one. Alfredo Amezaga was 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI. Blake Lalli and Diory Hernandez each had two hits of their own in game two. Greg Rohan added a hit and knocked in a run, his 13th since being in Iowa. It’s good to see Iowa get the split in this one.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
7/27: Around the Cubs Minor League System
A quick look at the Cubs minor leaguers on Friday, July 27.
The AZL Cubs dropped a low scoring game to the AZL Athletics 3-1. Lendy Castillo got the start as he continues to work his way back allowing one run on two hits in four innings. He struck out six and took a no decision in this one. Tyler Bremer gave up two runs and took the loss. Carlos Martinez-Pumarino and Jin-Young Kim combined to pitch 3.2 scoreless innings, but the Cubs offense couldn’t come back. The Cubs got their run in the first when Albert Almora hit a two-run double and then scored on a Jorge Soler RBI single. Soler would add another hit on the night and stole a base. Carlos Penalver was the only other Cubs player to record a hit on Friday. This is not what we have come to expect from the Cubs, but they will get back on track soon.
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Boise exploded to beat Tri-City 8-3. The Hawks had five players with multi-hit games. Daniel Vogelbach was one of those going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Gioskar Amaya and Marco Hernandez each had two hits, wtih Amaya driving in two. Trey Martin and Xavier Batista also added two hits a piece. Wilson Contreras connected on his second home run of the season, a three run shot in the second inning. Willengton Cruz got his second win of the season out of the bullpen. He pitched two strong innings striking out four. James Pugliese started and gave up three runs in four innings of work. Michael Heesch and Su-Min Jung each pitched well in relief. After a tough 1-0 loss last night, it was nice to see Boise come back strong tonight.
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Javier Baez gave Peoria a lead with a two-run shot in the eighth and the Chiefs held beating Cedar Rapids 3-2. Baez’s 11th homer of the season turned out to be one of his biggest of his young career. He finished the game 2-for-3 and is now hit a robust .341. Wes Darvill also had two hits, including a double, a run scored, and an RBI. Austin Reed recorded the win in relief, his fourth of the season. Zach Cates got the start, pitching 5.1 innings allowing two runs on three hits, while striking out seven. Sheldon McDonald pitched two scoress inning in relief dropping his ERA to 1.91 on the season. It has been exciting following Baez this year and he continues to impress.
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Robert Whitenack and the staff were outstanding for the Daytona Cubs beating Bradenton 2-0. Robert Whitenack got his first win since coming back from Tommy-John surgery. He pitched five innings allowing no runs on two hits, while striking out four. Eduardo Figuerora struck out four in three scoreless innings in relief. AJ Morris closed the game out recording his second save of the season. The offense lost Matt Szczur who was promoted to Tennessee was able to get enough to win. Rebel Ridling hit his second home run of the season and had two hits. Timothy Saunders also had two hits including a double and a run scored. A big congrats to Robert and here’s to many more in the near future.
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Jacksonville was able to score two runs in three different innings defeating Tennessee 6-4. Junior Lake continued his hot stretch in this one going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Greg Rohan had two hits and connected on his fourth home run with the Smokies. Juan Apodaca also had two hits and an RBI. In his first game with Tennessee Matt Szczur went 0-for-4 with two strike outs. Ty’relle Harris started and took the loss going 2.2 innings allowing four runs on six hits. Zach Rosscup gave up two runs in 3.2 innings, but struck out an impressive six batters. Casey Harman and Kevin Rhoderick also pitched in the loss.
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Iowa wins, Iowa wins, Iowa wins. It has been a rough go as of late so to beat Okalahoma City 5-0 is great to see. Chris Volstad had his best start pitching eight scorelss innings. He only surrendered four hits, walking three, and striking out five. Alberto Cabrerea finished the game off throwing a scoreless ninth striking out two. Alfredo Amezaga led off going 3-for-5 and scored a run. Adrian Cardenas and Brian Esposito each had two hits with Cardenas hitting a double and scoring a run. Dave Sappelt had a triple and drove in two on Friday. Josh Vitters and Brett Jackson each recorded one hit and scored a run, Jackson also drove one in. Hope this is signs to come for Chris Volstad and the Cubs.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
7/23: Around the Minor League System
Our nightly trip through the minors on July 23, 2012. Tennessee had the night off and Daytona was postponed.
AZL Cubs got back on track beating AZL Brewers 7-3. First rund draft pick Albert Almora stole the show hitting his first professional home run. A two-run bomb to left. Ben Carhart had another nice night at the dish going 4-for-5 with a run scored. Shawon Dunston Jr. and Trevor Gretzky, who replaced Almora each had two hits. Dunston scored two runs and Gretzky drove one in. Neftali Rosario added a hit and an RBI and Dan Vogelbach hit his 12th double of the season. After the game Vogelbach tweeted that he was headed to Boise, so best of luck to him. Arturo Maltos-Garcia gave up two runs, but got the win in relief. Steve Perakslis recorded his first save, striking out three in 2.2 innings. Jorge Soler was hitless on Monday, going 0-for-5. It was nice to see the Cubs get back on track Monday.
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Boise won 3-0 behind the arm of Tayler Scott. Scott earned his second win of the season, pitching six scoreless innings. He surrendered only three hits, walked a batter and struck out four, his ERA now stands at 1.95. Hayden Simpson pitched two scoreless innings and Matt Iannazzo pitched a scoreless ninth to record his first save. The offense had a few bright spots. Stephen Bruno was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Gioskar Amaya had a nice night at the plate going 3-for-4 with a run scored, and a run batted in. Marco Hernandez and Trey Martin each scored a run for Boise as well. The Hawks haven’t enough nights like this, but maybe things will be turning around for them.
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It was a great pitchers dual until Peoria gave up two runs in the eighth, eventually losing to South Bend 2-0. Yao-Lin Wang started and struck out five in only 3.2 innings of work. Jeffry Antigua pitched well again, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings while striking out three. He dropped his ERA to 0.87. Luis Liria took the loss, his fourth on the year. Offensively there wasn’t too much happening as the Chiefs only were able to muster up two hits. Chadd Krist and Yaniel Cabezas each had a double on Monday night. Krist is now hitting .424 since his promotion from the Boise. A nice pitched game, but a tough loss nonetheless.
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Daytona’s game on Monday was postponed.
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The Iowa staff pitched pretty good on Monday, but it wasn’t good enough dropping the game to Albuquerque 3-1. Brooks Raley got the start and took the loss. He pitched five innings surrendering three runs, two earned on eight hits. He also had an impressive eight strikeouts to go along with zero walks. Esmailin Caridad and Michael Bowden combined to pitch the last three scoreless innings with Caridad striking out two. At the dish Brian Esposito was the only Cub to have a multi-hit game going 2-for-3 and was the only Cub to drive in a run. Adrian Cardenas and Josh Vitters each added a hit with Vitters hitting his 30th double of the season. Iowa’s record now stands at 41-62.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
7/20: Around the Cubs Minor League System
Our nightly trip through the minor leagues.
Boise dropped another losing 7-2 to Eugene. Rock Shoulders was outstanding at the plate on Friday going 4-for-4 with a double, home run and two RBIs. Besides Shoulders the Hawks only had two other hits, one coming off the bat of Gioskar Amaya and another off the bat of Jeimer Candelario. Felix Pena started and pitched four innings surrendering two runs, he did not factor in the decision. After Michael Hamann pitched two scorelss innings, Rafael Diplan came in and struggled. He gave up three runs, one earned in one inning and took his second loss of the season. Another rough night for Boise as there record now stands at 12-23.
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After tying the game in the eighth Peoria scored four in the eleventh to beat West Michigan 9-6. There were some nice highlights from Chiefs. Pin-Chieh Chen was 3-for-6 with a double, a run scored, and two RBIs. Taiwan Easterling and Dustin Geiger each had two hits and hit a home run on Friday night. Bijan Rademacher and Yaniel Cabezas also had two hits a piece and Cabezas had two RBIs. Javier Baez extended his hitting streak going 1-for-6. Jeffry Antigua struck out three in 1.2 innings and recorded his first win of the season. His ERA now sits at 1.13. Michael Jensen got the start and pitched pretty good going six innings allowing two runs, one earned, while striking out five. Pete Levitt closed out the game striking out two in his one inning of work.
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Robert Whitenack really struggled not recording an out and giving up six runs. The six run first proved to be too much losing 12-8 to Jupiter. Now to some of the highlights. Rubi Silva was 4-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Elieser Bonne had three hits and also drove in three. Ronald Torreyes and Rebel Ridling each had two hits, with Torreyes driving in one along with Matt Szczur. Timothy Saunders got his first hit in seven ABs since being promoted to Daytona. Frank Del Valle pitched four scoreless innings in relief and Brian Schlitter also pitched a scoreless frame bring his ERA down to 1.73. Daytona has given up way too many runs to be successful lately and Friday was no different.
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Tennessee fell to Chattanooga 4-1 in eight innings. Dae-Eun Rhee started and took the loss allowing three runs, two earned on two hits in six innings. Trey McNutt gave up one in 1.1 innings of relief. Justin Bour had two hits and drove in Logan Watkins, the lone Cubs run. Junior Lake, Jae-Hoon Ha, and Michael Brenly all had a hit on Friday. The Smokies have been really struggling as of late and that continued on Friday.
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Iowa and Alburquerque were tied going into the ninth, but Michael Bowden gave up a three run walk off homer to the Isotopes. The offense got going early for Iowa scoring six runs in the first three innings. Brett Jackson led the game off with his 13th home run of the season. He ended the day with two hits and two RBIs. Adrian Cardenas continued his hot hitting going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored. Josh Vitters also had two hits, one of which was his 29th double. He also scored a run and drove in his 53 run of the year. Brian Esposito had a nice night going 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Blake Lalli also drove in two and had two hits. Chris Rusin got the start, but didn’t pitched too well, allowing six runs on eight hits in five innings of work. Yet another bad loss for Iowa on Friday.
Thanks for Reading,
Mark
7/5: Around the Cubs Minor League System
July 5 Cubs minor league recap.
AZL Cubs played a very entertaining game on Thursday winning 12-11 in ten innings. After giving up ten runs in the first three innings and being down by five the Cubs came storming back to tie the game and eventually win. There were a lot of good things that happened on the offensive side of things. Leading off Timothy Saunders was 5-for-6 with a home run, double, three RBI’s and four runs scored. Rafael Lopez was 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and one batted in. Izaac Garsez also had three hits including a double, a run scored, and one batted in. Garrett Schlecht and Daniel Lockhart each had two hits and Lockhart had two RBI’s and two runs scored. Justin Berg got the start and wasn’t very good pitching only one inning and giving up six runs, three earned on four hits. Nathan Dorris pitched three scoreless innings and Steve Perakslis recorded the win pitching two innings. It was a wild game and it is nice to see the the Cubs come out on top.
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Boise scored two in the ninth to win 7-6. Down by one going to the bottom of the ninth The Hawks were trailing 6-5. After a Dong-Yub Kim and Xavier Batista walk Darien Martin bunted them to second and third. Gioskar Amaya delivered a single to tie the game. After a fielders choice up stepped Stephen Bruno who came through with a single to win the game. Amaya also had three hits and scored two runs and drove in one. Bijan Rademacher was 2-for-3 including his first home run of his professional career. Marco Hernandez and Kim each had two hits and Hernandez had two RBI’s. Bryce Shafer got the win in relief, despite giving up an unearned run in the top of the ninth. Starter Jose Arias pitched quite well, giving up one run on seven hits in 5.2 innings pitched. He was in line to get the win, but Michael Hamann struggled in relief. All in all it was a nice win for Boise on Friday.
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Peoria scored two runs in the second and the pitching staff was able to make it stand winning 2-1. Zach Cates got the start, but did not factor in the decision as he was only able to pitch 4.2 innings. Zachary Rosscup came in relief and pitched three great innings striking out five and only allowing a hit. Luis Lira came in to close the game and recorded his fourth save of the season. Dustin Geiger started off where he left off hitting a solo home run in the second. After the homer, Javier Baez stepped to the plate and delivered a single. He then stole his 12 base of the season and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Wes Darvill drove him in on a ground out. Zeke DeVoss and Pin-Chieh Chen each had a hit and DeVoss stole his 21st base of the year.
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Kyler Burke pitched ok on Thursday, but took the loss nonetheless. He gave up three runs, two earned on seven hits in five innings of work. Offensively John Andreoli had a really nice day. He was 3-for-4 and stole his 29th base of the season. Matt Cerda also reached base three times with a double and two walks. He also drove in two runs and scored one. Arismendy Alcantara led off and was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Brian Schlitter pitched an effective two innings in relief not allowing a run and giving up two hits while striking out one. His ERA is now down to 1.33.
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The Tennessee Smokies game was postponed on Friday. It will be made up as a doubleheader tomorrow. Each game will be seven innings.
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Iowa was shutout on Thursday 3-0. Brooks Raley got the start and took the loss pitching 6.2 innings and allowing three runs, one earned on five hits. Offensively there isn’t much to talk about. Diory Hernandez was the only Cubs player to have a multi-hit game going 2-for-3. Alfredo Amezaga, Dave Sappelt, and Josh Vitters, and Brian Esposito all had one hit a piece on Friday. Alberto Cabrera and Ryan Rowland-Smith each pitched well in relief. Nothing too exciting about this one.
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Thanks for Reading,
Mark
