Results tagged ‘ Javier Baez ’

Mesa Solar Sox Recap – October 14 Through October 16

Sunday October 14, 2012

No Game.

Monday October 15, 2012

FULL BOX SCORE

A six run fifth was too much for Mesa as they lost to Peoria 9-2.  Matt Szczur led off and was really good on Monday going 3-for-4 with a double bringing his average up to .368.  He also scored a run, drove one in, and stole his fourth base of the AFL.  Javier Baez got another start at shortstop and went 0-for-4 with an RBI.  There were no pitchers from the Cubs system who pitched on Monday.

Tuesday October 16, 2012

FULL BOX SCORE

Mesa dropped another to Peoria on Tuesday losing 4-2.  The Cubs system was well represented on Tuesday as five different players made appearances.  After a great game on Monday Matt Szczur led off once again this time going 0-for-4.  Rubi Silva got the start as the DH and just like Szczur was 0-for-4.  Javier Baez started as well, this time at third base.  He was 2-for-4 with an RBI and is now hitting .280 with nine RBIs this fall.  Kevin Rhoderick pitched a scoreless inning in relief, allowing only one hit and striking out two.  Nick Struck also got an inning of work, pitching a scoreless ninth for Mesa.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

Mesa Solar Sox Recaps – October 11 Through October 13

Thursday October 11, 2012
FULL BOX SCORE

The Solar Sox fell behind early 5-1, but scored in five of the last six inning to win their first game of the season 6-5.  Dae-Eun Rhee got the start for the Solar Sox, and got knocked around a bit.  Rhee went two innings in his AFL debut, giving up two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out two.  Tony Zych was the only other Cubs pitcher to get into the game, and he earned the win by pitching a scoreless inning and striking out one.  Matt Szczur led off again for the Solar Sox, he finished the day 1-for-4 with an RBI, a run, and another walk, something he seems to be doing a lot of right now.  Javier Baez bounced back from a rough game the day before as he went 2-for-5 with a double, and an RBI.

Friday October 12, 2012
FULL BOX SCORE

For the second game in a row the Mesa Solar Sox fell behind early before roaring back from a come from behind victory.  Kevin Rhoderick made his second appearance of the AFL season, and was the only Cubs pitcher to get into this one.  Rhoderick was decent, he lasted one inning giving up one run on one hit while striking out two.  Matt Szczur made his presence felt at the top of the order again in this one, he finished the night 2-for-5 with an RBI, and two stolen bases.  Javier Baez got the day off, but Rubi Silva did get a start in right field and was 1-for-5 and had two stolen bases of his own.

Saturday October 13, 2012
FULL BOX SCORE

Mesa reversed roles today by jumping out early and giving up the lead, however they were able to battle back to earn their third straight victory.  Nick Struck made his second appearance of the AFL season working one inning giving up one run on one hit while striking out two.  Tony Zych also got into this one, he tossed a scoreless inning giving up only one hit and has yet to give up a run this season.  Rubi Silva got his second straight start in RF and replaced Szczur at the top of the lineup.  Silva delivered going 2-for-5 with two runs scored, he is now hitting .313 for the Solar Sox.  Javier Baez got back in the lineup today, and the day off must have done him some good as he launched his second home run of the season, a three run shot.  Baez finished 1-for-4 with a home run, and three RBI’s in the win.

Thanks for reading,
- George

Solar Sox Crushed; Cubs Quieted

FULL BOX SCORE

As good as Tuesday night was, Wednesday was equally as bad.  The Solar Sox were crushed by the Salt River Rafters 11-3, and it was really all over by the fourth inning when the Rafters built a 7-1 lead.  Javier Baez had a rough night, to say the least, he finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts at the plate and also committed two errors.  Matt Szczur led off once again for the Solar Sox and went 1-for-4 while registering his first stolen base of Fall League play.  Rubi Silva got his first start of the season in left field and went 1-for-5 at the plate.  The only Cubs pitcher not to make an appearance opening night was Nick Struck, he was able to get into this one.  Struck might have been a little too amped up for his AFL debut as he walked three over his 1.1 innings of work.  Struck struck out one, and did not allow a run despite his command issues.  The Solar Sox will look for their first win of the AFL season this afternoon at 1:35 PM CST against Surprise, it’s not a surprise, that’s just the team name.

Thanks for reading,
- George

Arizona Fall League Starts Tonight!

I wrote up a piece about the AFL earlier, you can read it here, but it’s finally ready to start tonight!  I’m excited because we get to see some guys that we haven’t seen in a while, okay, only a month or so.  But, these players made this season so fun, here is a snippet from my last post about who will be participating for the Cubs.

“Cubs players will be grouped with players from the Orioles, Astros, Tigers, and Dodgers to form the Mesa Solar Sox.  Click here for the full roster, the Cubs will be sending Javier Baez, Matt Szczur, Rubi Silva, Dae-Eun Rhee, Nick Struck, Tony ZychKevin Rhoderick, and Zach Rosscup.” 

I think I’m most excited to see Baez and Szczur, for obvious reasons.  Baez is on the cusp of greatness it seems and Szczur is looking to prove himself, again.  Sure Szczur was bumped to Tennessee this year, but his season left something lacking, and if he can have a solid AFL performance that could help his chances to stay with the organization.  If not, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him packaged in a deal somewhere in the offseason for pitching, that might happen regardless.  Baez on the other hand was the star of the MWL for the Peoria Chiefs, his numbers were eye popping.  Because of that he was promoted to Daytona and struggled, of course it’s hard to get into a groove when you play once a week because of rain.  Towards the end of the season Baez started to round into form, it will be fun to see how he stacks up in the AFL which is full of high level talent.  We will recap every game as we can actually get box scores for them, so I’m pretty excited about that, going through minor league withdrawals already, yes, I have a problem.

First pitch is 7:35 PM CST tonight, as the Mesa Solar Sox take on the Salt River Rafters.  If I get a lineup ahead of time I will let you know if any Cubs are starting.

Thanks for reading,
- George

Updated: Cubs Top 20 Prospects

MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo has done an updated top 100 prospects lists as well as each organizations top 20.  Mayo will probably come out with a list prior to the 2013 season, but here is where Cubs prospects stand as of now according to Mayo.  To check out the entire top 100 list and to read a little more on these Cubs prospects.

1. Javier Baez – SS (#24)
When the Cubs picked Almora they new his bat was going to play and that is exactly what happened.  The Cubs top pick from 2011 was outstanding in his time with Peoria this year hitting .333/.383/.596 with 12 home runs, 33 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.  He struggled a bit when moving to Daytona, but overall it was very successful season for the young shortstop.
2. Albert Almora – OF (#52)
The Cubs top pick in this years draft didn’t sign right away, but when he did he didn’t disappoint.  He started with the AZL Cubs and moved to Boise shortly after.  Combined he played in 33 games hitting .321/.331/.464 with two home runs and 19 RBIs.  He also hit 12 doubles.
3. Brett Jackson – OF (#74)
It has been an interesting year for Brett Jackson who has dropped a bit in the prospect watch.  The good news first he has made it to the show and when he makes contact does some damage as he left Iowa with 22 doubles, 12 triples, and 15 home runs, to go along with 27 stolen bases.  He also plays great defense, the bad news is he has really struggled making contact striking out over 200 times between his two stops.
4. Arodys Vizcaino - RHP (#76)
Vizcaino was considered one the Braves best young pitchers and was deemed untouchable last year.  Things changed a bit this year as he missed the entire season after elbow surgery in March.  The Cubs are very pleased to have acquired Vizcaino, but it remains to be seen how he will recover from surgery.  Lets hope it is as a starter, but at the least he is a power arm out of the pen which the Cubs need badly as well.
5. Jorge Soler – OF (#77)
Jorge Soler did quite well in getting accustomed to baseball in America.  He is still very raw, but at 20 the Cubs feel very strongly he will be a big contributor to the big club in the future.  He spent time with the AZL Cubs and moved to Peoria where he finished the year.  He combined to hit .299/.398/.463 with five home runs and 25 RBIs in just 34 games.
6. Matt Szczur – OF
The speedy outfielder had a nice season in Daytona hitting .295/.394/.407 with 38 stolen bases, but struggled a bit in 35 games with Tennessee.
7. Trey McNutt - RHP
McNutt did not have the year he was looking to have going 9-8 with 4.26 ERA.  He struggled a bit and was moved to the bullpen, but maybe it will be better for him and the Cubs.
8. Junior Lake -SS
Lake played the entire year in Tennessee and did a pretty good job going .279/.341/.432 with 10 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases.  He is still very raw and will continue to work on his game.
9. Pierce Johnson – RHP
The Cubs took Johnson with the 43rd overall pick in this years draft and he did quite well making six starts, two with the AZL Cubs and four with Boise.
10. Josh Vitters - 3B
The former first round pick, number 3 overall finally put it all together this year in Iowa hitting .304/.356/.513 with 17 home runs and 68 RBIs.  The PCL All Star got the call up, but has struggled so far with the Cubs, but at only 23 the future is still very bright for Vitters.
11. Dillon Maples – RHP
It took a while for Maples to make his first appearance, but when he did he showed signs of what he could be.  He was a bit inconsistent in his six appearances, but he will have more opportunities next season to show what he has.  He has tremendous upside.
12. Robert Whitenack - RHP
Coming off of Tommy John surgery Whitenack struggled pitching for Daytona going 1-6 with a 5.96 ERA.  Although the numbers don’t look good, remember he is coming off of major surgery and has good upside.
13. Dan Vogelbach - 1B
Not many Cubs prospects did as much damage as Vogelbach did this year.  The big first baseman played in 61 games this season between the AZL Cubs and Boise Hawks.  He hit .322/.410/.641 with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs.
14. Ben Wells – RHP
A 2010 draft pick the 19-year-old Wells missed most of the season with a right elbow strain.  He made a few appearances at the end of the year, but will look to stay healthy in 2013.
 15. Paul Blackburn – RHP
Another 2012 draft pick Paul Blackburn was chosen 56th overall out of high school.  He made nine appearances for the AZL Cubs going 2-0 with a 3.48 ERA.
16. Jeimer Candelario - 3B
Candelario played the entire season at Boise and at only 18 the corner infielder showed he can hit a little bit.  The switch hitting Candelario hit .281/.345/.396 with six home runs and 47 RBIs.
17. Gioskar Amaya – 2B/SS
Amaya played his season in Boise and put up some good numbers.  He his .298/.381/.496.  The 19-year old filled up the stat sheet with six doubles, 12 triples, and eight home runs.  He also drove in 33 and stole 15 bases.
18. Tony Zych - RHP
Zych shared time between Daytona and Tennessee out of the bullpen.  He combined to going 5-4 with a 3.67 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 61.1 innings.
19. Alberto Cabrera – RHP
Cabrera, who moved to the bullpen this year started in Double-A, but quickly moved to Triple-A before finally ending up with the big club.  His minor league numbers were really good going 4-1 with 3.11 ERA with 74 strikeouts to only 14 walks.  He has struggled since coming to the Cubs, but we’ll see where he factors in going forward.
20. Marcus Hatley – RHP
Hatley pitched well in Tennessee out of the bullpen going 3-1 with a 3.40 with 46 strikeouts in 45 innings.  He then got the call to Iowa where he struggled in his time there.

It is good to see the Cubs have five players who are inside the top 80 in MLB.  You can also see the emphasis the Cubs placed on pitching, drafting Pierce Johnson and Paul Blackburn in this years draft as well as bringing in Arodys Vizcaino in the Paul Maholm deal.  Looking a little further into things is the talent Theo Epstein and company brought in this year.  They obviously brought in the three pitchers above as well as Albert Almora and Jorge Soler.  three of those five are inside the Cubs top five and Pierce Johnson makes it four in the top 10.  The exciting thing is there are more who they brought in who I would guess are close to cracking this top 20 and who may even show up in the top 20 before the 2013 season gets underway.  Keep checking back this offseason as we will talk more in-depth about these prospects as well as many more.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

9/2: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Only three games on Sunday as the minor league season comes to a close.  Daytona’s season ended on Sunday, while Peoria and Tennessee will play their final game on Monday.

FULL BOX SCORE

Peoria led most of the way, but lost in extra innings 5-4.  Starling Peralta got the start and pitched pretty good, but had one tough inning in which he gave up three runs on three hits, walked three, and struck out eight in 5.1.  Sheldon McDonald and Steve Perakslis combined to pitch the next 2.2 innings allowing one run.  Austin Reed took the loss as he gave up a run in the 10th inning.  Jorge Soler was the story on the offensive side as he was 3-for-5 with a mammoth home run, his third with Peoria.  Jacob Rogers and Timothy Saunders each had two hits with Rogers knocking in one run.  Zeke DeVoss, Pin-Chieh Chen, and Sergio Burruel each had a hit with Burruel adding an RBI in the loss.

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FULL BOX SCORE

Daytona ended the season on good note beating Brevard County in walk off fashion 3-2.  Also ending the season on a positive note was Javier Baez who was 2-for-3 with two home runs and two RBIs.  Taylor Davis was the hero though as he had two hits, including the walk off RBI.  Ronald Torreyes was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk in the win.  Nelson Perez and Micah Gibbs each had a hit.  Ryan Searle got the start pitching six inning allowing two runs, one earned on four hits.  Matt Spencer and Hunter Cervenka combined to pitch 2.1 innings not allowing a hit and striking out four.  Eduardo Figueroa got the win getting the last two outs of the game.  It was a nice way for Javier Baez and the Daytona Cubs to end the season.

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FULL BOX SCORE

Tennessee scored four in the 15th beating Pensacola 7-3.  Dae-Eun Rhee got the start pitching six innings allowing one run on five hits.  Tony Zych struggled giving up two runs in just 0.2 innings, but Frank Batista and Brian Schlitter did a really nice job pitching the next 4.1 scoreless innings.  Casey Harman was outstanding as well pitching four scoreless innings, allowing only one hit, one walk, and one strike out notching his first win of the season.  Matt Cerda was 3-for-7 with an RBI and a run scored.  Logan Watkins had two hits, including a double and two RBIs.  Junior Lake had one hit, but he made it count hitting a three-run homer and ended with four RBIs on the night.  Jae-Hoon Ha, Rubi Silva, and Michael Brenly each had two hits in the win.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

9/1: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Our daily minor league recap.

FULL BOX SCORE

Boise closed out the regular season by winning a wild one Saturday night 12-11.  Boise took an early lead, but gave up six in the fourth and five in the fifth and were quickly down by six runs.  They came storming back scoring four in the sixth, one in the seventh, and two in the ninth to get the victory. Marco Hernadez was 4-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBIs, including the game tying RBI and the winning run scored.  Dan Vogelbach had three hits and three RBIs.  Gioskar Amaya was 2-for-4 with a double, triple, three runs scored, and two RBIs.  Albert Almora and Rock Shoulders each had two hits, with Almora knocking one in and Wilson Contreras had two RBIs including the game winner.  Stephen Bruno kept the hitting streak alive as he went 1-for-1, with an RBI, but was ejected shortly after that.  Ian Dickson got the start, giving up six runs, four earned in just 3.1 innings.  Hunter Ackerman followed and gave up five runs, two earned over the next 1.2 innings.  Brian Smith was tremendous pitching three perfect innings with four strikeouts.  Rafael Diplan got his third win of the season pitching a scoreless ninth.  Boise starts their playoffs on Monday.

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FULL BOX SCORE

Peoria gave up three in the sixth and took the loss 6-5.  Jeff Antigua got the start, but struggled a bit giving up six runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings.  Justin Berg came on and pitched the final 2.1 innings not allowing a run.  Bijan Rademacher had a nice night at the plate going 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.  Oliver Zapata also had a double and rove in two.  Chadd Krist was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored.  Jorge Soler, Zeke DeVoss and Jacob Rogers each had a hit a piece, with Rogers scoring two runs.  Peoria has two more games against Kane County as the season will come to a close on Monday.

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FULL BOX SCORE

Daytona beat Brevard County on Saturday 4-2.  Matt Loosen got the start and pitched quite well in his five innings.  He allowed one run on two hits and struck out six, in earning his 11th win of the season.  Jeff Lorick gave up a run, but pitched the next two innings before getting the ball to AJ Morris threw the final two innings and earned his seventh save of the season.  John Andreoli, who has had a really nice season waited until tonight to hit his first home run of the season.  He ended the night 2-for-3 with two runs scored, an RBI, and two stolen bases bringing his total to 55.  Nelson Perez was 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI and Rafael Lopez had a hit and knocked one in as well.  Javier Baez and Christian Villanueva each had a hit, with Villanueva stealing two bases and scoring a run as well.  Daytona’s season will come to a close on Sunday.

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FULL BOX SCORE

Tennessee scored two in the fifth, but gave up one in the ninth to lose 3-2.  Eric Jokisch started, but did not factor in the decision going five innings and allowing one run on six hits, while striking out five.  After Zach Rosscup gave up a run in his inning of work, both Jaye Chapman and Rafael Dolis pitched a scoreless inning each.  Kevin Rhoderick took the loss giving up a run in the ninth inning.  Logan Watkins was 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, he also walked twice.  Matt Szczur had two hits, including a double and he scored a run.  The pitcher Eric Jokisch and pinch hitter Dustin Harrington were the only other Smokies to record a hit in the loss.  Tennessee has two games left and will end their season on Monday.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

8/30: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Here is a quick look at the Cubs minor league recap for Thursday, August 30th.  When the AZL Cubs playoff game ends we will have a full recap of that game.

FULL BOX SCORE

Boise scored two in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough as they lost to Everett 4-3.  What else is new Stephen Bruno was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  His hit streak now sits at 20.  Rock Shoulders hit a pinch-hit two-run home run in the ninth.  Albert Almora was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Dan Vogelbach also had a hit in the loss.  Justin Amlung started and took the loss going two innings allowing one run on two hits.  James Pugliese pitched the next four innings allowing two runs and striking out four.  Su-Min Jung and Tyler Bremer combined to throw the last three innings, with Bremer giving up a run and striking out two.

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FULL BOX SCORE

Cedar Rapids put up four big runs in the 10th inning to beat Peoria 11-7.  The Chiefs had a lot of nice nights on the offensively.  Pin-Chieh Chen was 3-for-4 with two walks, a triple, three runs scored, and a stolen base.  Wes Darvill also had three hits, including a double and an RBI.  Jorge Soler was 2-for-6 with an RBI and Sergio Burruel also had two hits including a double and two RBIs.  Zeke DeVoss had a hit and an RBI as did Jacob RogersTimothy Saunders, Oliver Zapata, and Bijan Rademacher all had a hit in the loss.  Joseph Zeller started and pitched 6.2 innings allowing five runs on eight hits.  Sheldon McDonald and Larry Suarez pitched the next 2.1 innings, but Luis Liria took the loss giving up the four runs in the 10th.

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FULL BOX SCORE

Going into the ninth tied Brevard County scored two and Daytona one, so the final ended up 6-5 Brevard County.  Kyle Hendricks started and pitched four innings allowing three runs on seven hits.  Matthew Spencer and Hunter Cervenka combined to pitch the next 2.1 innings giving up one run and striking out four.  Eduardo Figueroa took the loss as he allowed the two runs in the ninth inning.  John Andreoli had a nice night going 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored.  Javier Baez was 1-for-4 with a home run and Christian Villanueva had a hit and an RBI.  Rebel Ridling was 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored and Elieser Bonne knocked in a run with a hit in the loss.

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FULL BOX SCORE

Tennessee beat Pensacola on Thursday 4-2.  Dallas Beeler started and pitched five innings allowing two runs, one earned on four hits, while walking two and striking out four.  After Casey Harman pitched a scoreless sixth, Trey McNutt pitched an outstanding inning as he struck out the side and didn’t allow a base runner.  Brian Schlitter notched his six save as he struck out four over two innings.  The Cubs offense used the long ball as all four runs accounted for via the home run.  Logan Watkins, Justin Bour, and Matt Cerda all connected with Cerda hitting a two-run homer.  Jae-Hoon Ha was the only other Smokies player to have a hit in the win.

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FULL BOX SCORE

Thursday was not a good night for Iowa losing to Nashville 6-1.  Yonner Negrin started and took the loss as he pitched five innings allowing three runs, two earned on six hits.  Jaye Chapman struck out two in a scoreless inning of work, but Miguel Socolovich gave up three runs in his inning.  Rafael Dolis pitched the final frame, not allowing a run and striking one out.  Adrian Cardenas was responsible for the only Cubs run as he was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Tony Campana also had one hit and he scored the Cubs lone run, he also stole his 18th base at Iowa.  The Cubs had five more hits in the loss, as Thursday was not a very good night.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

8/29: Around the Cubs Minor League System

Our daily look at the Cubs minor leaguers.  Tennessee was off and the AZL Cubs regular season has come to an end.  They wound up winning the wild card.

FULL BOX SCORE

Boise got the bats going once again beating Everett 9-5.  Stephen Bruno was back at it going 2-for-3 with an RBI, he is now hitting .354.  Dan Vogelbach was 1-for-3 with a home run, his 10th of the season.  Rock Shoulders had a nice night going 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and two RBIs.  Darien Martin and Marco Hernandez each had a hit and an RBI.  Albert Almora was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.  Tayler Scott started, but did not factor in the decision pitching only four innings and allowing three runs, two earned.  Michael Heesch did get the win pitching the next two innings not allowing a run.  Nathan Dorris pitched two scoreless innings and Eduardo Orozco pitched the final frame, giving up two runs.

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FULL BOX SCORE

Cedar Rapids jumped on Peoria early and held on to beat Peoria 9-5.  Jorge Soler was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.  Chadd Krist and Jacob Rogers each had one hit and one RBI, with Krist having a triple.  Zeke DeVoss and Dustin Geiger each had a hit and a hit and combined to score three runs.  Yao-Lin Wang started and struggled, giving up nine runs, seven earned on eight hits in getting the loss.  Bryce Shafer and Pete Levitt combined to pitch the last five scoreless innings.

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FULL BOX SCORE

Christian Villanueva had a good first game as Daytona won 4-1.  Villanueva was 2-for-3 with a home run, RBI, and two runs scored.  Javier Baez was 1-for-3 with a triple, RBI, and run scored.  Taylor Davis, Elieser Bonne, and John Andreoli all had a hit a piece in the win.  PJ Francescon started and was really good pitching six innings allowing one run on three hits, while striking out three.  AJ Morris got the call in the seventh and recorded his sixth save of the season.

FULL BOX SCORE

It took extra innings in game two as Daytona ended up on the losing end of the second one 3-1.  Frank Del Valle started and pitched five innings allowing one run and striking out six.  Ryan Searle pitched a scoreless sixth, but Jeffrey Lorick struggled giving up two runs in the eighth inning as he took the loss.  Rebel Ridling accounted for the only run for the Cubs as he hit a home run in the fourth inning.  Javier Baez was 1-for-3 with a stolen base in game two.  John Andreoli, Elieser Bonne, and Rafael Lopez all had a hit in the loss.

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FULL BOX SCORE

Iowa got shut out on Wednesday losing 3-0 to Nashville.  Ryan Rowland-Smith started and took the loss giving up one run, two earned in five innings.  Jay Jackson threw one perfect inning in relief striking out one and Jeff Beliveau gave up one run in two innings of work.  There was nothing too exciting on the offensive end.  Diory Hernandez was 2-for-4 with two doubles.  New Cub Anthony Recker was 1-for-3 with a double and Adrian Cardenas also had a double in the loss.  Greg Rohan, Dave Sappelt, and Jeff Frazier all had one hit a piece in the shutout loss.

Thanks for Reading,
-Mark

 

Cubs Announce Arizona Fall League Roster

I wish the Arizona Fall League was closer to Chicago, obviously there are reason’s why it’s not, I’m not a complete moron.  I wish it was closer so I could see games because the rosters are made up of some of the best prospects from all over baseball.  There are six teams competing in the league, here is the breakdown of Major League team participation.

Cubs players will be grouped with players from the Orioles, Astros, Tigers, and Dodgers to form the Mesa Solar Sox.  Click here for the full roster, the Cubs will be sending Javier Baez, Matt Szczur, Rubi Silva, Dae-Eun Rhee, Nick Struck, Tony Zych, Kevin Rhoderick, and Zach Rosscup.  The purpose of this league is to get a look at guys, could be guys that didn’t play too much during the season or guys that are ready to jump a level, possibly to the major league level, or are on the bubble for a 40 man roster spot.  If they are not added to the 40-man roster they will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft and could be lost to another team.  The three players vying for a spot on the 40-man roster are Rhee, Rosscup, and Struck, all others are already on the 40-man roster.  So this league is clearly important, it could be make or break for some guys, or it could be an important building block for others. 

One glaring omission is Jorge Soler as he didn’t get too much time to play here in the States this year.  My guess is that he will be playing somewhere this offseason, most likely a winter league as the organization would like to see him get more 2012 at bats.

Thanks for reading,
- George

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