Results tagged ‘ Hisanori Takahashi ’
Minor Matters – May 17, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Reports)
At The Plate – After battling back from an early 4-0 hole the Iowa Cubs found themselves leading heading into the late innings, that’s when things fell apart in 9-8 loss to Tucson. Hits were all over the place in this one as the Cubs pounded out eighteen hits, and scored eight runs, they left 11 men on base as well. Logan Watkins was 1-for-4 with a walk, his third home run of the season, an RBI, and a run scored. Brett Jackson had a breakout game going 4-for-5 with a double, and a run, he’s now hitting .265 on the season. Josh Vitters had a solid game as well going 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Darnell McDonald, Brent Lillibridge, and J.C. Boscan each had two hits in the loss.
On The Mound – Guillermo Moscoso got the start for the Cubs, and pitched in and out of trouble having one costly inning. Moscoso went five innings giving up four runs, two earned, on nine hits while striking out eight. Esmailin Caridad was sub par to say the least, he worked two-thirds of an inning giving up three runs on four hits to take the loss. Casey Coleman was roughed up a bit as well, he worked 2.1 innings giving up two runs on four hits while walking one. Hisanori Takahashi worked a scoreless ninth inning to give the Cubs a shot to no avail.
At The Plate – The Smokies jumped on top of the Lookouts with four runs in the second and couldn’t add on the rest of the way, even still they were able to hang on for a 4-3 win. Matt Szczur continues to find ways get on base for the Smokies as their lead-off man, he was 2-for-5 in this one, and he is now hitting .294 on the season. Ronald Torreyes provided the production for the Smokies, he was 1-for-5 with two RBI’s in the win. Christian Villanueva had a huge game, he was 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored.
On The Mound – Kyle Hendricks has been so very good this year, and he was again in this one, he worked seven innings giving up three runs on six hits while walking one and striking out three to earn his third win of the season. Tony Zych did a solid job out of the pen going one scoreless inning while striking out one. Zach Rosscup was good as usual working a scoreless ninth inning for his first save of the season, he walked one and struck out the side.
At The Plate – Daytona owned game one, and it was nice to see them put together a team game and get a win given their recent struggles. As you will read, this day was owned by Jorge Soler and Dustin Geiger, maybe May 17 shall be known as Soler Geiger day moving forward. Soler was a monster in game one, he was 4-for-4 with his sixth home run of the season, and three runs scored. He scored three times because Dustin Geiger was hitting behind him, and he didn’t want Soler to have all the glory. Geiger was outstanding, he was also 4-for-4 with three doubles, a triple (slugging madness!), and four RBI’s. That was it, those two guys won the game for the D-Cubs.
On The Mound - Yeiper Castillo was all Daytona needed on the mound. He spun a gem, going the distance (7 innings for DH’s), he worked seven innings giving up one run on four hits while walking one and striking out two. He improved his record to 1-0 on the season, and lowered his ERA to 2.33, very impressive.
At The Plate – Daytona owned game one, and battled for a character win in game two to sweep the double-header. Javier Baez was 2-for-5 with a walk, a triple, and three runs scored, he also had three errors, bring his 2013 total to seventeen. Jorge Soler was a beast in game two as well, he went 3-for-6 with a double, and a run scored, he was 7-for-10 in the double-header and is now hitting .297 on the season. Back to the other hero of the day Dustin Geiger, he was 3-for-4 in game two with a double, two walks, an RBI, and two runs scored. He was 7-for-8 in the double-header with four doubles, and a triple, he is hitting .331 on the season. Taiwan Easterling was 2-for-6 with a triple, a double, and two RBI’s in the win.
On The Mound – Tough to have a second game of a double header go twelve innings, if not for the bullpen in game two the D-Cubs would have been in trouble, they came through big time. Eduardo Figueroa got the start and was roughed up, he worked three innings giving up four runs on four hits while walking two and striking out one. The bullpen took over and worked a combined nine scoreless innings giving up four hits while walking two and striking out six. Austin Reed worked two of those innings, walking one and striking out two. Sheldon McDonlad was outstanding working four innings giving up two hits while walking one and striking out one. Frank Del Valle worked the final three innings to earn his first win of the season, he gave up two hits while striking out three.
At The Plate - The Cougars fought hard in this one against the best team in the league only to fall short in twelve innings. Bijan Rademacher continues to hit, he was 3-for-5 with a double, and two runs scored, he is now hitting .350 on the season. Jeimer Candelario was 2-for-5 with a double, and a run scored, he also made his twelfth error of the season. Gioskar Amaya was 2-for-5 with two singles in the loss.
On The Mound – Dillon Maples had a solid outing, and again, finished the day healthy, which is the most important thing right now. Maples worked five innings giving up two runs on two hits while walking one and striking out five. Lendy Castillo took over and was solid as well, he worked five innings giving up on run on five hits while walking three and striking out four. Nathan Dorris struggled with his command, which is rare, he suffered the loss as a result. Dorris worked 1.1 innings giving up one run on two hits while walking two and striking out two.
Minor Matters – May 14, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)
At The Plate – The Cubs had nothing going for them in this one as they could only manage to score once on seven hits while being routed by the Aces 11-1. Brian Bogusevic continues to hit even if the rest of his team doesn’t, he was 2-for-4 with a double, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .373 on the season. Brad Nelson has been on fire as of late, he was 2-for-4 with a double, and an RBI, he has his average all the way up to .286 on the season. Ian Stewart got a rare start and had a good day, he was 1-for-3 with a walk, and a double, much better approach.
On The Mound – Yuck. Barret Loux got the start and was torn apart, he went 3.1 innings giving up seven runs on nine hits while walking three and striking out two, his record dropped to 2-2 with the loss. Yoanner Negrin came on in relief and really didn’t help his cause as he made two errors. Negrin worked 2.2 innings giving up three runs, two earned, on seven hits while walking one and striking out three. Hisanori Takahashi came on and stopped the bleeding as he worked a scoreless inning. Casey Coleman was roughed up a bit as he worked an inning giving up one run on three hits while striking out one.
At The Plate – Another thrilling win for the Smokies after it looked like to could be a crushing loss. The Smokies gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game but recaptured the lead in the tenth and hung on to win 3-2. Matt Szczur is rolling right now, and has been solid all year, he was 3-for-5 with three singles, he is now hitting .302 on the season. Arismendy Alcantara was 1-for-5 with two RBI’s, that one hit was a two out drag bunt base hit that scored the winning run in the tenth. Christian Villanueva was 2-for-3 with his second home run of the season, a walk, an RBI, and a run scored, he’s hitting .250 on the season and .303 over his last ten games.
On The Mound – Unfortunately Alberto Cabrera did not factor in the decision as he deserved a win tonight, he was electric. Cabrera went seven innings giving up one run on five hits while walking one and striking out seven. Marcus Hatley worked a scoreless inning out of the pen giving up one hit while striking out one. The usually reliable Zach Rosscup hit a speed bump in this one as he blew the save giving up on run on two hits while walking one in the ninth, but ended up getting the win. Frank Batista was solid in the tenth inning to earn his fourth save of the season he worked a scoreless inning while striking out one.
At The Plate – Once again the D-Cubs couldn’t do anything offensively and suffered another loss to a team that they probably should beat. The D-Cubs could only manage four hits all night, and were 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position, they scored twice. Javier Baez, John Andreoli, Dustin Geiger, and Chad Noble had the hits in this one, all singles except for a Geiger double. Jorge Soler, and Chad Noble recorded the RBI’s in the loss.
On The Mound - Ben Wells rebounded from his last outing with a solid performance going 5.1 innings giving up two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out four. Jeffrey Lorick came on in relief and allowed an inherited runner to score working two-thirds of an inning giving up one hit. Eduardo Figueroa took the loss in this one as he worked one inning giving up two runs on two hits while walking two. Austin Reed did a great job out of the pen going two scoreless innings giving up two hits while walking one.
At The Plate – The Cougars grabbed an early lead in this one, but it was all Chiefs from there on out as they easily dispatched Kane County 8-4. Gioskar Amaya was 1-for-2 with two walks, and a run scored, he seems to be in the middle of everything lately. Rock Shoulders, who has struggled a bit as of late, that’s going to happen when you hit .400 for a month, he was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI’s, and a run scored. Willson Contreras was 2-for-2 with his fifth home run of the season, stolen base, an RBI, and a run scored. The Cougars didn’t really help their own cause in the field as they made three errors in the loss.
On The Mound - Ian Dickson got the start and didn’t last very long but wasn’t bad at all, he went four innings giving up two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out four. Justin Amlung took over and ended up taking the loss, his first of the season. Amlung worked three innings giving up four runs, three earned, on five hits while walking one and striking out two. Steve Perakslis tossed two innings giving up two runs on two hits while walking one.
Minor Matters – May 12, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)
At The Plate – Tough one to swallow for the Cubs in this one as they blew a 6-1 lead that they had in the third, and an 8-6 lead in the ninth by giving up three runs in the bottom half to lose 9-8. Brett Jackson seems to be finding a groove ever since coming off the DL, he was 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, and two runs scored. Josh Vitters was 1-for-3 with two walks, and a run scored. Dave Sappelt was 1-for-5 with a triple, three RBI’s, and a run scored in the loss. Brad Nelson was 2-for-4 with his sixth home run of the season, two RBI’s, and two runs scored. Ian Stewart made a rare appearance in this one and it was a productive one, he was 1-for-1 with a triple, and two RBI’s in a pinch-hitting role.
On The Mound – Chris Rusin didn’t have his best stuff in this one, going five innings giving up five runs on nine hits while striking out one. Casey Coleman was outstanding out of the pen going two scoreless innings while striking out one. Hisanori Takahashi worked just one-third of an inning giving up one run on one hit while walking one and striking out one. Rafael Dolis worked one inning and it wasn’t good, he gave up two runs on one hit while walking one and striking out one. Blake Parker also struggled in a third of an inning, giving up one run on one hit, he was hung with his first loss of the season.
At The Plate – The Smokies had plenty of opportunities in this one, but were only 4-17 with runners in scoring position. Even so, the Smokies scored five times, and that was plenty in this one, winning 5-0. Matt Szczur has been on a roll of late, and today as well, he was 3-for-5 with a double, and two RBI’s, he’s now hitting .287 on the season. Arismendy Alcantara was 2-for-4 with a double, he also made his eleventh error on the season in the victory. Christian Villanueva was 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Tim Torres was 1-for-4 with a double, and two runs scored.
On The Mound - Kyle Hendricks was outstanding once again in this one, going 6.2 scoreless innings giving up four hits while walking one and striking out four to earn his second win of the season. A.J. Morris pitched out of trouble in his inning of work, he worked a scoreless inning giving up two hits while walking one and striking out two. Zach Rosscup worked 1.1 scoreless innings while walking one and striking out three to close this one out.
At The Plate – Kane County seems to find ways to lose games in the worst ways, tonight was one of them as the Cougars led 6-3 in the sixth inning only to fall 7-6. Bijan Rademacher was 0-for-2 with three walks, a run scored, and a caught stealing. Jeimer Candelario was 2-for-4 with his first home run of the season, a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored. Rock Shoulders was 1-for-5 with a grand slam, his eighth home run of the season, four RBI’s, and a run scored. Carlos Escobar, and Oliver Zapata each had two hits in the loss.
On The Mound – Dillon Maples was promoted from extended spring training to Kane County today as got the start. First things first that is very important as Maples is one of the better pitching prospects in the system, and it’s good to see him back healthy. Maples went five innings giving up three runs on six hits while striking out two. Lendy Castillo took over and ended up taking the loss going 4.1 innings giving up four runs on two hits while walking four and striking out four.
Minor Matters – May 8, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)
At The Plate – A roller coaster game for the Cubs in this one as they held a 4-0 lead only to lose it, then an 8-4 lead only to see the Sky Sox get within two, luckily Iowa hung on for the victory. Alberto Gonzalez had a huge day at the plate going 4-for-5 with a walk, a double, and an RBI. Brian Bogusevic was 2-for-5 with a walk, his second home run of the season, one RBI, and two runs scored. Brad Nelson was 3-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored. Darnell McDonald was 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI’s, a stolen base, and a run scored. J.C. Boscan is having a great season so far, he was 3-for-4 with a walk and a run scored, he’s now hitting .344 on the year. Iowa probably could have scored more than eight runs as they pounded out sixteen hits but were 4-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
On The Mound – A mixed bag for the Iowa pitching on this night, but they did just enough. Barret Loux got the start and didn’t have it as he went four innings giving up four runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out four. Esmailin Caridad was really good out of the pen and earned the win, he went two scoreless innings while walking one and striking out one. Hisanori Takahashi was roughed up, he went 1.2 innings giving up two runs on three hits while striking out three. Blake Parker was solid again as he earned his fourth save, he went 1.1 scoreless innings while walking one and striking out one.
At The Plate – Another wild one in Tennessee as the Smokies trailed 6-0 after one inning, then 9-6 heading to the bottom of the ninth. The Smokies tied it in the ninth with three runs, then they trailed 11-9 heading to the bottom of the tenth, they tied it again with two in the tenth. Unfortunately they couldn’t come back to tie it a fourth time and lost 12-11 in fourteen innings. The Smokies pounded out fifteen hits in this one, drew seven walks, and made four costly errors. Arismendy Alcantara was 2-for-5 with two walks, a double, one RBI, and two runs scored. Ty Wright was 1-for-3 with two walks, a double, and three RBI’s. Rubi Silva was 2-for-7 with his fifth home run of the season, three RBI’s and a run scored. Rafael Lopez was 3-for-5 with two walks, a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. Tim Torres was 2-for-7 with his first home run of the season, two RBI’s, and two runs scored.
On The Mound – I wouldn’t say that the Smokies pitchers were bad, they just didn’t get a lot of help from their defense. Dallas Beeler got the start and struggled a bit with his command. Beeler went 4.2 innings giving up seven runs, four earned, on four hits while walking three and striking out four. Brian Schlitter was first out of the pen and worked 1.1 innings giving up one run, unearned, on two hits. Kyuji Fujikawa was excellent in what was probably his last rehab outing, he went two scoreless innings giving up a single base hit. Frank Batista was touched up, which is rare, he worked two innings giving up three runs on four hits while walking two and striking out one. Zach Rosscup was brilliant late in this one, he tossed three scoreless innings giving up two hits while striking out three. Marcus Hatley took the loss in this one, he worked one inning giving up one run on two hits while walking one and striking out one.
At The Plate - Daytona put up plenty of fight in this one, they just can’t figure out a way to beat St. Lucie. The D-Cubs trailed 5-3 in the eight and managed to tie things up with two in the eighth only to lose 6-5 in the ten innings. Tim Saunders was 2-for-5 with a triple, and two runs scored. Jorge Soler has responded from his benching in a big way, he was 3-for-4 with two doubles, his fifth home run of the season, a walk, two RBI’s, and two runs scored. Dustin Geiger was 1-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and two RBI’s in the loss.
On The Mound - Austin Kirk has struggled his last couple times out, he worked five innings giving up nine hits while walking one and striking out four. Eduardo Figueroa worked two scoreless innings out of the pen while striking out three. Luis Liria took the loss as he went 2.2 innings giving up one run on one hit while walking one and striking out three.
At The Plate – The Cougars couldn’t get anything going at the plate in this one, and they were undone by one bad inning as Burlington scored four times in the fourth en route to a 4-0 victory. Dan Vogelbach was 1-for-4 with a double, he’s now hitting .297 on the season. Bijan Rademacher has been red-hot and it continued in this one as he was 2-for-2 with a walk, he’s now hitting .371 on the season and .412 in his last ten games.
On The Mound – Pierce Johnson only had one bad inning but it was enough for his second loss of the season. Johnson worked four innings giving up four runs on five hits while walking three and striking out five. Justin Amlung was really good out of the pen going two scoreless innings while walking one and striking out two. Matt Iannazzo was solid as well going two scoreless innings giving up one hit while walking one.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Minor Matters – May 5, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Reports)
At The Plate - The Cubs came awfully close to sweeping this double after two comebacks but in the end had to settle for a split. Logan Watkins was 1-for-4 with a triple, a walk, an RBI, and a run scored. Josh Vitters had a solid first game and a big second game going 3-for-5, he might be making the case to move ahead of Stewart on the organizational depth chart. Brian Bogusevic just hits, he was 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI, that raises his average to .418 on the season.
On The Mound – Brooks Raley was really good for Iowa going five innings giving up two runs on six hits while striking out four. Casey Coleman worked a scoreless inning out of the pen giving up one hit while striking out one. Yoanner Negrin was also solid, he went 1.1 scoreless innings giving up one hit while walking one and striking out three. Hisanori Takahashi went 1.2 innings giving up one run on one hit while striking out one. Cory Wade suffered the loss in this one as he went one inning giving up one run on two hits while walking one and striking out two.
At The Plate - The Cubs were locked in a battle into the fourth inning, that’s when they broke it open with three runs en route to a 5-2 win. Josh Vitters, who just returned to the team a couple of days ago was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI’s and two runs scored. Brian Bogusevic continues to hit, he was 2-for-2 with two double, a walk, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .414 on the season. J.C. Boscan was 1-for-2 with two RBI’s, and a run scored in the win.
On The Mound - Guillermo Moscoso got the start in game one and was solid, but couldn’t make it to the fifth inning to get a win. Moscoso went four innings giving up two runs on four hits while walking three and striking out three. Esmailin Caridad, Kyuji Fujikawa, and Blake Parker all worked scoreless innings out of the pen. Fujikawa made his first game appearance since being put on the DL with a forearm issue. Blake Parker earned his third save of the year.
At The Plate - For the second straight game the Smokies had no answer for Braves pitching as they were shut out again in a 6-0 loss. The Smokies aren’t just having trouble scoring, they aren’t getting any hits either. The Smokies only had five hits in this one, all singles. Matt Szczur was 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base, his ninth of the season.
On The Mound - Kyle Hendricks didn’t get any help from his defense, as he worked five innings giving up five runs, two earned, on nine hits while striking out five. Marcus Hatley, and Zach Rosscup each worked scoreless innings out of the bullpen, both guys have been outstanding all year long. Trey McNutt worked an inning giving up one runs on three hits.
At The Plate – Pitching at it’s finest in this one as the D-Cubs and Mets remained scoreless into the bottom of the ninth, that’s when the Mets pushed across a run for a 1-0 win. The D-Cubs could only manage three hits all day in this one, they did draw four walks but were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. John Andreoli, Dustin Geiger, and Ben Carhart were the only D-Cubs to record a hit, all singles.
On The Mound – Yeiper Castillo was brilliant once again, but unfortunately didn’t factor into the decision. Castillo went six scoreless innings giving up two hits while walking one and striking out seven. Hunter Cervenka was just as good out of the pen as he worked two scoreless innings. Luis Liria took the loss in this one, he was very Marmol like, he worked two-thirds of an inning giving up one run on one hit while walking three.
At The Plate - The Cougars are on a roll, today’s win marks the sixth straight victory for Kane County and brought their record back above .500 on the season. Gioskar Amaya was 2-for-4 with a double, and a run scored in the win. Dan Vogelbach was 1-for-2 with two walks, a double and an RBI. Oliver Zapata was 2-for-3 with an RBI, he’s now hitting .280 on the season. Seven different players had at least one hit for the Cougars, and they were 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
On The Mound – Michael Heesch was outstanding going 7.1 scoreless innings giving up four hits while striking out five to earn his second win of the season. Nathan Dorris has been great all year, and was again today, he worked 1.2 scoreless innings giving up one hit to earn his second save of the season.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Minor Matters – May 1, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Reports)
At The Plate – The Cubs couldn’t scratch out a run in this one as they could only manage four hits in a 1-0 loss. Logan Watkins did nearly all the work today for Iowa as he was 3-for-3 with a walk, Ryan Sweeney was the only other Iowa player with a hit. The Cubs were 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position but that one hit did not result in a run.
On The Mound – Chris Rusin was outstanding in this one, but saw his record fall to 1-3 with the loss. Rusin went seven innings giving up one run on six hits while striking out five. Hisanori Takahashi, and Zach Putnam each tossed a scoreless inning out of the bullpen to keep things close.
At The Plate – Yeah, only five innings as this one was shortened by rain. In those five innings the Smokies did nothing, well almost nothing, they did get singles, yep that’s it. The Smokies didn’t even have a chance to hit with anyone in scoring position in this one. Rubi Silva and Rafael Lopez were each 1-for-2 in the loss.
On The Mound – Much more important things taking place on the mound in this one as Matt Garza made his first rehab start. That’s the other part of minor league baseball, sometimes it’s not for development, it’s for getting healthy, and Garza took his first step towards that today. Garza went 2.2 innings giving up one run on one hit while walking two, but more importantly made it out of today seemingly healthy, so that’s good news. Kevin Rhoderick tossed 1.1 scoreless innings while walking two and striking out one. Matt Loosen couldn’t keep things close “late” as he worked two-thirds of an inning giving up two runs on two hits while walking one.
At The Plate – Really solid game all around from the D-Cubs in this one as they found just enough offense to knock off the Cardinals. Jorge Soler was 1-for-3 with a double, and a stolen base, nice to see Soler starting to get a few hits here and there after slumping, his average is back up to .275 on the season. Ben Carhart is on fire of late, that continued tonight as he went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI’s, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .312 on the season. Anthony Giansanti was 2-for-3 with an RBI in the win.
On The Mound – Ben Wells was outstanding today, and really has been good all year. Wells went seven innings giving up one run on three hits while walking one and striking out three. Eduardo Figueroa took it from there as he worked two scoreless innings giving up two hits while walking one and striking out three to earn his first save of the season.
At The Plate – Looked like the Cougars were going to cruise to a victory, but as we have learned so far this season, nothing is easy for the Cougars and they needed ten innings to get the win. Pin-Chieh Chen was 2-for-5 with a double, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Gioskar Amaya was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored. Daniel Vogelbach played the hero tonight as he was 1-for-5 with two RBI’s, that one was a huge one, a walk-off single in the tenth inning.
On The Mound – Pierce Johnson has been disgusting (in a good way) as of late, and tonight was no different. Johnson went 6.2 innings giving up one run on four hits while walking one and striking out four. Eddie Orozco did a solid job out of the pen tossing a scoreless inning while giving up one hit while walking two and striking out two. Jeffry Antigua had a rough go of it as he blew the save, but also got the win, he went 2.1 innings giving up three runs on five hits while striking out four.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Minor Matters – April 28, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Reports)
At The Plate – Offensive explosion from the Cubs in this one as they pounded out thirteen hits, four of those being home runs, and scored ten runs in defeating Omaha 10-6. Logan Watkins was 2-for-6 with a triple, a stolen base, and a run scored. Brett Jackson was 1-for-3 but blasted his first home run of the season, he also walked, had three RBI’s and a run scored. Brent Lillibridge continues to be king of AAA, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored. Brian Bogusevic was just as good as he went 3-for-4 with a walk, a home run, three RBI’s, and a run scored. Ryan Sweeney hit his sixth home run of the season, he ended the day 1-for-4 with a walk, two RBI’s and a run scored.
On The Mound – Some good, some okay from the Cubs on this day, but they didn’t need much with that kind of offense backing them. Brooks Raley got the start and his third win of the season going six innings giving up four runs on six hits while walking three and striking out one. Hisanori Takahashi, and Zach Putnam each worked a scoreless inning in relief. Rafael Dolis worked one inning giving up two runs on two hits while striking out one.
At The Plate – Plenty of offense to go around in this one for Daytona as they scored seven times on eleven hits to down the Cardinals 7-4. Timothy Saunders was 2-for-5 with an RBI, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. Javier Baez is locked in right now, he went 2-for-4 with a home runs, two RBI’s and a run scored, he’s now hitting .263 on the season. Dustin Geiger had a rather patient day at the plate going 1-for-1 with three walks. Ben Carhart has been on fire of late, he went 3-for-4 with three RBI’s in the victory.
On The Mound – P.J. Francescon had a solid outing on Sunday and earned his second win of the season. Francescon worked six innings giving up two runs on four hits while walking two and striking out five. Austin Reed finally had a scoreless outing, he working one inning giving up on hit while walking one and striking out two. Frank Del Valle was finally touched up a bit, he worked two innings giving up two runs on three hits while walking one and striking out three, his ERA now sits at 2.53 on the season.
NOTES: The weather continues to suck, both Kane County and Tennessee were postponed due to inclement weather. On the bright side that means there are SIX games scheduled today, hopefully they all get in.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Minor Matters – April 26, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)
At The Plate – Iowa fought back in this one scoring twice in the ninth inning to tie the game at four, only to lose it in the bottom of the tenth. Ryan Sweeney continues to pound the ball as he went 2-for-5 with his fifth home run, two RBI’s, and a run scored, he’s hitting .404 this season. Brian Bogusevic is just as hot as he went 3-for-4 in the loss, he’s hitting .394 on the season. Brad Nelson extended the game in the ninth inning with a pinch hit two run homer, his fourth of the season to tie it at four.
On The Mound – Chris Rusin was really good just didn’t get any help from his offense is this one. Rusin went six innings giving up two runs on four hits while walking two and striking out one. Hisanori Takahashi couldn’t keep things tied during his outing, he went one inning giving up one run on one hit while striking out one. Blake Parker was decent out of the pen going two innings giving up one run on one hit while walking one and striking out three. Zach Putnam took the loss in this one, he worked a third of an inning giving up one run on three hits.
At The Plate – The Smokies just continue to roll on as they walked away with another win Friday Night. Jae-Hoon Ha filled up the score book going 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and three runs scored. Rubi Silva had a big night as well going 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run, three RBI’s, and a run scored. Rafael Lopez knocked in the other run for the Smokies and that’s all they would need, Lopez finished the night 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.
On The Mound – Alberto Cabrera was outstanding for the Smokies going six innings giving up one run on three hits while walking three and striking out six to earn the win. Kevin Rhoderick was touched up a little bit again, he went two-thirds of an inning giving up one run on two hits while walking one. A.J. Morris also allowed Clearwater to get closer in his one inning of work, he gave up one run on one hit while walking one and striking out one. Trey McNutt got the train back on the tracks in this one to earn his second save of the year. McNutt went 1.1 scoreless innings giving up one hit and striking out one.
At The Plate – Daytona jumped all over the Flying Tigers early and often en route to a 7-3 victory Friday Night. Javier Baez is rounding into form right now, he went 2-for-4 in this one with a double, two RBI’s and a run scored, he’s now hitting .253 on the year and .341 in his last ten games. Dustin Geiger was also productive going 2-for-4 with three RBI’s, he’s an RBI machine, he now has twenty-one on the season. Chad Noble was 2-for-4 with two runs scored while Taiwan Easterling was 2-for-4 with a run scored, and a stolen base.
On The Mound – Ben Wells battled command issues but was able to work effectively enough to earn the win. Wells went 5.2 innings giving up three runs, two earned, on one hit while walking five and striking out one. Eduardo Figueroa found some trouble out of the pen going two-thirds of an inning giving up two hits while walking one and striking out one, and would have given up a couple runs if not for the work of Hunter Cervenka. Cervenka bailed out Figueroa while working 2.2 scoreless innings to earn his second save of the season, he didn’t give up any hits while walking three and striking out four.
At The Plate – Kane County might not have another loss all year that stings as much as this one, and they really only have themselves to blame. The cougars lead 5-1 in the ninth inning but gave up four in the ninth and lost in the tenth, they made five errors in the process. Rock Shoulders continues to hit, he was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored, he’s hitting .403 on the season. The bulk of the damage was done by the bottom of the Cougars order. Eight hitter Oliver Zapata was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored. Nine hitter Yaniel Cabezas was 3-for-4 with an RBI, and a run scored.
On The Mound – Pierce Johnson continues to dominate as of late, he went 5.2 innings giving up one run, unearned, on five hits while walking two and striking out seven. Jeffry Antigua was great out of the pen going 2.1 scoreless innings giving up two hits while striking out three. Then things went bad, Nathan Dorris was roughed up in one-third of an inning, he gave up four runs, two earned (sending a theme?), on three hits while walking one. Eddie Orozco was officially charge with the blown save and the loss, he worked 1.1 innings giving up one run on three hits while walking two.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Minor Matters – April 21, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)
At The Plate – Not much happening for the Cubs offense in this one as they lost a 1-0 heart breaker to the Redbirds. The Cubs could only manage six hits, all singles in the loss. Brent Lillibridge was 1-for-4, as was Ryan Sweeney, and Donnie Murphy. Darnell McDonald, Brian Bogusevic, and J.C. Boscan were each 1-for-3 in the loss.
On The Mound – The Cubs pitching did all they could and then some in this one, but still couldn’t get a victory. Drew Carpenter got the start and was solid despite having some command issues. Carpenter worked 5.2 scoreless innings giving up two hits while walking five and striking out six. Hisanori Takahashi worked 1.1 scoreless innings with a strikeout. Yoanner Negrin finally gave up a run, unfortunately that’s all it took to lose this one. Negrin went 1.2 innings, he gave up one run on two hits while walking one and striking out two, his ERA “sky-rocketed” to 0.79 on the season.
At The Plate – The Smokies looked to be well on their way to another win after a four run second inning, then they weren’t. Matt Szczur had another solid day going 1-for-4 with two walks, two RBI’s, and a run scored. Rubi Silva was 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a run scored, a caught stealing, and an outfield assist, busy day. Anthony Giansanti finally has returned to action and had a solid day going 2-for-2 with a walk, a double, and a run scored.
On The Mound – A mixed bag from the Smokies pitchers, and a very costly error by Ronald Torreyes didn’t help. Alberto Cabrera got the start and was average going 5.1 innings giving up four runs on five hits while walking four and striking out one. Marcus Hatley was solid out of the pen going 1.2 scoreless innings while giving up one hit and striking out one. Kevin Rhoderick continues to struggle, he worked an inning giving up two runs on four hits whiles striking out one. Trey McNutt was outstanding, going two scoreless innings while striking out one. Tony Zych was the hard luck loser, he worked an inning and gave up three runs, all unearned, on one hit while walking one.
At The Plate – Not a lot to cheer about in this one as the D-Cubs did their best Major League Cubs impersonation in this one. Daytona could only manage two hits in this one, singles by Timothy Saunders and Jorge Soler. They did manage to earn three walks, but were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.
On The Mound – Not much better here for the D-Cubs. Ryan Searle got the start and got roughed up again. Searle went four innings giving up five runs on six hits while walking two and striking out four. Austin Reed wasn’t much better out of the pen going two innings giving up four runs, two unearned, on six hits while striking out two. David Cales worked two scoreless innings giving up one hit and striking out three, the lone bright spot of the day.
At The Plate - Crazy ballgame yesterday as the Cougars built a 4-0 lead going into the 6th inning, then things got weird. The Chiefs scored six times in the top of the 6th to take a 6-4 lead, then the Cougars scored three times in the bottom half to go back in front and that’s how it ended. Pin-Chieh Chen got a chance to lead-off in this one and delivered going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI’s, and a run scored. Rock Shoulders, or the guy who rarely makes an out, was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored, he’s hitting .424 on the season, yikes. Chadd Krist was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and a run scored. Trey Martin finally busted out with the bat, and made a tremendous catch in CF as well, he was 3-for-4 with a stolen base, an RBI, a double, and two runs scored. Fun fact, Daniel Vogelbach had a stolen base today, the guy is rather athletic for his size.
On The Mound – Kane County only used two pitchers in this one, rather rare given the fact that six runs were given up, but I guess that’s what happens when it’s all in one inning. Felix Pena got the start at went 5.2 innings giving up five runs on five hits while walking two and striking out two. Ian Dickson got the win coming out of the pen going 3.1 innings giving up on run on four hits while striking out three.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Cubs Roster Move Extravaganza (Barney, Ransom, Gregg, Loe, Lillibridge, Takahashi, Dolis, oh my)
The Cubs look much different heading into this Rangers series than they did during the off day yesterday, as they announced a flurry of moves. I mentioned on Sunday that the Cubs signed Kevin Gregg and claimed Kameron Loe from the Mariners, well both pitchers have been added to the major league roster. Also being 
added to the major league roster is Darwin Barney who is coming off the DL tonight. That wasn’t the only addition, the Cubs also claimed infielder Cody Ransom, with all the players being added to the active roster, a few had to go, and that’s what happened. The Cubs DFA’d Brent Lillibridge, and Hisanori Takahashi, and optioned Rafael Dolis back to Iowa. The Cubs will have ten days to trade, waive or release Lillibridge and Takahashi. My guess is that Lillibridge will end up in Iowa as long as he isn’t claimed by another team, and Takahashi will no longer be a member of the Cubs. Busy day for the Cubs and the game hasn’t even started yet, such is life with an under-performing club. Barney, Gregg, and Loe are on the roster for tonight’s game, Ransom will most likely be ready to go tomorrow.
Thanks for reading,
- George
