Results tagged ‘ Jonathan Mota ’
Minor Matters – May 20, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Reports)
At The Plate – The Smokies used a huge fourth inning to secure game one, with the game tied at one the Smokies exploded for seven runs in the fourth en route to a 9-2 victory. The Smokies pounded out twelve hits and scored nine times in just seven innings, and were 5-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Matt Szczur was 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI’s, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .302 on the season. Arismendy Alcantara had a huge game going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI’s, and two runs scored. Christian Villanueva was 1-for-4 with his third home run of the season, two RBI’s, and a run scored. Rafael Lopez, and Rubi Silva each had two hits in the victory, Silva added a double, and an RBI. Jonathan Mota was 1-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base, and two runs scored.
On The Mound – The Smokies only needed Alberto Cabrera in this one as he went the distance for his fourth win of the season. Cabrera went seven innings giving up two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out six. He improved his record to 4-1 and lowered his ERA to 3.69 on the season.
At The Plate – The Smokies used all their bullets in game one as they could only manage five hits in a 1-0 loss to Chattanooga. Ronald Torreyes, Ty Wright, and Eric Jokisch all had one hit a piece; Jokisch had the only extra base hit for the Smokies. Christian Villanueva had a solid game going 2-for-3 in the loss.
On The Mound – Eric Jokisch got the start in game two and was even better than Cabrera in game one; unfortunately he couldn’t get the win. Jokisch worked six scoreless innings giving up three hits while walking one and striking out five. Marcus Hatley took over and also took the loss, he worked two-thirds of an inning giving up one run on one hit while walking two and striking out one.
At The Plate – Daytona couldn’t get much going in this one as they could only manage six hits and one run in a 4-1 loss to Jupiter. The D-Cubs were in it until the end but Jupiter was able to plate three runs in the eighth to break this one open. Zeke DeVoss had another strong game, that’s two in a row for the struggling center fielder; he was 2-for-3 with two singles. Javier Baez seems to be heating up at the plate and making much more contact, he was 2-fo-4 with two doubles, and an RBI, he’s now hitting .262 on the season.
On The Mound – Kyler Burke is probably a name you have known has been missing this year; he has been working at extended spring training and made his 2013 debut tonight. Burke was solid going five innings giving up one run on four hits while walking two and striking out five. Eduardo Figueroa, who seems to pitch every day, was hung with the loss in this one after being roughed up. Figueroa worked 2.1 innings giving up three runs on five hits while walking one and striking out one. Sheldon McDonald was his usual solid self, tossing two-thirds of an inning giving up one hit while striking out one.
At The Plate – Another very tough loss for the Cougars against the best team in the league, the Cougars lost three out of four, all three by one run, quite the fight in these games. Gioskar Amaya went 2-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, and two runs scored. Dan Vogelbach was 2-for-5 with two RBI’s; he’s now hitting .286 on the season, and has twenty-five RBI’s. Jeimer Candelario is heating up, he was 4-for-5 with two RBI’s, shocked he didn’t double, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .267 on the season. Rock Shoulder wasn’t able to register a hit in this one, but he did walk three times, he was 0-for-2 with a run scored.
On The Mound – Tayler Scott got the start for the Cougars, and did his best to hold off the Kernels but they eventually got to him. Scott worked 5.1 innings giving up five runs, four earned, on eight hits while walking two and striking out four. Nathan Dorris was roughed up which is a rare occurrence, he worked 1.2 innings giving up three runs on three hits while walking three and striking out two. Steve Perakslis worked a scoreless inning out of the pen while walking one.
NOTES: Iowa was rained out. On a more serious note, there has been some terrible weather ripping through the midwest, I just want to take this opportunity to say that my thoughts and prayers are with those of Moore, Oklahoma, terribly sad.
Minor Matters – May 16, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Reports)
At The Plate - Iowa didn’t really have a lot going offensively, but they didn’t need it as the one run they scored in the second inning was enough for the win. Brent Lillibridge was 1-for-3 with a walk in the win. Dave Sappelt, Brian Bogusevic, and Josh Vitters all had base hits in this one. Donnie Muphy had the biggest one, a run scoring single in the second, he finished the night 1-for-2 with said RBI.
On The Mound – Matt Garza is just about ready to return to the Cubs and he showed it tonight. Garza was brilliant going six scoreless innings giving up two hits while striking out six, he threw 75 pitches, 53 for strikes. Brooks Raley took it from there as he worked three scoreless inning out of the pen for his first save of the year, he gave up two hits while walking one and striking out three.
At The Plate – The Smokies broke through with two runs in the sixth inning to break a 4-4 tie, and eventually win 6-4, the win pushes them one game over .500 on the season. Arismendy Alcantara was 2-for-4 with a double and a runs scored in the win. Ty Wright had a huge night for the Smokies going 2-for-4 with two home runs, four RBI’s, and two runs scored, Wright came into this one with no home runs on the season. Jonathan Mota was 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Rafael Lopez was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
On The Mound – Matt Loosen never really found his command in this one as he worked four innings giving up four runs on three hits while walking six(!), and striking out five. Then the bullpen took over for the Smokies and won the game. A.J. Morris was perfect going three scoreless innings while striking out three to get his second win of the season. Marcus Hatley worked a scoreless eighth inning giving up one hit. Frank Batista worked a scoreless ninth to earn his fifth save of the season while striking out one.
At The Plate – The Daytona bats finally woke up, unfortunately that wasn’t enough to win tonight as they drop another disappointing one to Charlotte. Daytona scored seven times but left a lot out there as they were only 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Dustin Geiger is putting together a solid season and had another good night going 3-for-5 with his fourth home run of the season, a double, an RBI, and two runs scored, he is now hitting .298 on the season. Ben Carhart was 1-for-4 with a walk, and two runs scored in the loss. Huge night for Chadd Krist, he went 3-for-3 with a walk, two doubles, and five RBI’s, not bad for his second game with Daytona.
On The Mound – Probably the worst outing you will ever see P.J. Francescon have, he had nothing. Francescon went five innings giving up ten runs, eight earned, on nine hits while walking five and striking out three, his record fell to 3-3 on the season. Jeffrey Lorick was decent out of the pen going 1.2 innings giving up one run, unearned, on one hit while walking one and striking out one. David Cales was okay out of the pen going 1.1 innings giving up one run on one hit while walking one and striking out one. Hunter Cervenka worked a scoreless inning giving up one hit, he has a sparkling 1.62 ERA on the season.
At The Plate – Game one was all Cougars, they didn’t break it open until late but they only needed one as they beat the Chiefs in game one 5-0. Pin-Chieh Chen was 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored from the lead-off spot. Gioskar Amaya had a big game going 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI’s, and a run scored. Dan Vogelbach was 1-for-4 with a double, and an RBI in the win. Willson Contreras is locked in right now, he was 2-for-3 with a walk, he is now hitting .307 on the season. Marco Hernandez was perfect in game one going 3-for-3 with a double, and two runs scored.
On The Mound - Brian Smith was awesome for the Cougars, in fact he was almost perfect. Smith worked four scoreless, and hit-less innings while walking two and striking out two. Eddie Orozco took over and was very good, he worked two scoreless innings giving up one hit while striking out one to earn his second win of the season. Jeffry Antigua came on to close this one out, he worked a scoreless inning while striking out one.
At The Plate – The Chiefs got payback in game two as they routed the Cougars 8-2, the Cougars could only manage three hits in this one. What’s worse is they committed six errors in seven innings, that usually doesn’t end well. Jeimer Candelario was one of the few Cougars who had a strong game two at the plate, he was 2-for-3 with two doubles, he also committed three errors. Marco Hernandez proved to be the only offense for the Cougars going 1-for-3 with his first home run of the season, two RBI’s, a run scored, and you guessed it, an error.
On The Mound – As you could imagine the Cougars pitching didn’t get a lot of help from their defense. Michael Heesch got the start and took the loss, he worked three innings giving up six runs, two earned, on four hits while walking two. Steve Perakslis was solid out of the pen working three scoreless innings giving up three hits while striking out two. Bijan Rademacher, the Cougars starting right fielder, worked one inning giving up two runs, unearned, on two hits while walking one.
Minor Matters – May 9, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)
At The Plate - Not a lot went right for Iowa in this one as they only managed one run on seven hits en route to a 5-1 loss. Brett Jackson had a successful return to the lineup going 2-for-4 with two singles. Brad Nelson was 2-for-4 with a double, he’s now hitting .270 on the season. Alberto Gonzalez had a his second solid game in a row going 2-for-3 with a walk. The Cubs were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base, and they lost to Chris Volstad, so there’s that too.
On The Mound - Drew Carpenter got the start and was decent going five innings giving up three runs on six hits while walking one and striking out six. Casey Coleman wasn’t much better out of the bullpen working one inning giving up two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out two. Zach Putnam was solid going two scoreless innings giving up one hit while striking out one.
At The Plate – The Smokies did plenty offensively but could hold down the Barons in a wild 9-7 loss. The Smokies entered the ninth tied at seven and the Barons managed to push two runs across the plate to take the lead and get the win. The Smokies missed a bunch of opportunities as they were 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Rubi Silva was 1-for-5 with a triple, an RBI, two stolen bases, and a run scored. Rafael Lopez was 1-for-4 with a walk, his second home run of the season, two RBI’s, and two runs scored. Jonathan Mota was 1-for-3 with a walk, his second home run of the season, and a run scored. Tim Torres had his second straight solid game going 3-for-4 with a double, and two runs scored.
On The Mound - Alberto Cabrera was roughed up, that usually doesn’t happen, especially like this. Cabrera worked 4.1 innings giving up six runs on thirteen(!) hits while walking three and striking out five. Kevin Rhoderick was decent out of the pen but struggled with his command again, he worked three innings giving up one run on one hit while walking two and striking out two. Trey McNutt took the loss, working 1.2 inning giving up two runs, one earned, on one hit while walking two and striking out one.
At The Plate – Solid win for Daytona against a very good opponent. Daytona pounded out ten hits in the victory, after letting a 3-1 lead get away the D-Cubs jumped back on top for good in the sixth inning. Javier Baez padded his slugging stats in this one going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, a stolen base, an RBI, and a run scored, he also made his fourteenth error of the season. Jorge Soler was 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored, he is now hitting .290 on the season after struggling and seeing his average drop into the .260′s. John Andreoli continues to hit, he was 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .333 on the season. Dustin Geiger had another solid game going 2-for-3 with an RBI in the victory.
On The Mound – P.J. Francescon was pretty good in this one going five innings giving up three runs, two earned, on eight hits while striking out four. Jeffrey Lorick worked a scoreless out of the pen to earn the victory. Austin Reed, and Hunter Cervenka each had scoreless appearances out of the pen to close this one out. Cervenka worked two innings giving up one hit while striking out one to earn his third save of the season.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Minor Matters – May 2, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)
At The Plate - The Smokies swarmed the Braves in this one as the pounded out fourteen hits and scored seven runs to beat the Braves 7-0. Ronald Torreyes went 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored, and en error. Christian Villanueva had a solid game going 2-for-5 with an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored. Rubi Silva continued his superb 2013 going 3-for-4 with a walk, a triple, and two runs scored, he’s now hitting .318 on the season. Rafael Lopez was 1-for-3 with his first home run of the season, he also walked twice, had an RBI, and scored two runs. Jonathan Mota was 2-for-3 with a walk, and two RBI’s in the victory.
On The Mound - Dallas Beeler was outstanding once again for the Smokies. Beeler went 6.2 scoreless innings giving up one hit while walking three and striking out five to earn his third win of the season. Zach Rosscup earned his sixth hold of the season as he worked 1.1 scoreless innings out of the pen while walking one and striking out two. Brian Schlitter worked a scoreless ninth, giving up two hits and walking one.
At The Plate - After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning the D-Cubs offense went tow work scoring six times over the next four innings to put this one away. John Andreoli was 2-for-5 with a run scored, and his ninth stolen base of the season. Stephen Bruno was 2-for-4 with a double, and RBI, and two runs scored, he’s now hitting .362 on the season. Dustin Geiger also had a solid night going 2-for-4 with a run scored in the win.
On The Mound – Austin Kirk had a weird night, but because he didn’t walk anyone he was able to survive giving up ten hits. Kirk went six innings giving up two runs on ten hits while striking out four to improve his record to 4-1 on the season. Austin Reed had was great out of the bullpen, and finally might be finding some confidence, he worked two scoreless innings giving up one hit while walking one. David Cales took care of the rest as he worked a scoreless ninth innings giving up one hit while walking one and striking out one.
NOTES: Kane County and Iowa were both rained out because the weather hates us all.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Minor Matters – April 23, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Reports)
At The Plate - Not a lot going on for the Cubs in this one as they could only manage one run on four hits in the loss. Logan Watkins was 1-for-2 with, yes you guessed it, two walks, and a caught stealing. Ryan Sweeney was 1-for-4, while Brian Bogusevic was 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Brad Nelson was 1-for-3 with an RBI in the loss.
On The Mound – Nick Struck was solid in this one, but was still hung with the loss as he fell to 0-2 on the season. Struck went six innings giving up two runs on five hits while walking two. Casey Coleman tossed a scoreless inning out of the pen and he also struck out the side. Yoanner Negrin had his second straight rough outing as he gave up two runs on three hits in one inning of work.
At The Plate - Really tough loss for the Smokies in this one as they let a 3-1 lead get away in the ninth. Christian Villanueva was 2-for-4 with an RBI in the loss. Johermyn Chavez was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, and a run scored. Jonathan Mota was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI’s, a double, and a run scored. Matt Szczur and Arismendy Alcantara continue to tear up the base paths as Szcur stole base number seven, and Alcantara registered his eleventh stolen base already.
On The Mound – Kyle Hendricks was down right nasty, unfortunately he had to settle for a no decision. Hendricks went seven innings giving up one run on three hits while walking one and striking out nine. Zach Rosscup had another solid outing out of the pen tossing a scoreless inning while giving up on hit and striking out three. Trey McNutt didn’t have his command and it came back to haunt him in this one, he worked the ninth and gave up three runs on three hits while walking two to get a blown save and the loss.
At The Plate – A powerless night for Daytona as they could only manage four hits while being shut out. Ben Carhart had a solid game going 2-for-3 with a double. Zeke DeVoss and John Andreoli added singles and that was it. Daytona walked only once, and it was Javier Baez go figure, and struck out ten times.
On The Mound – P.J. Francescon had an encouraging outing as he had been roughed up as of late. He worked five inning giving up one run on five hits while walking two and striking out four, he got the loss. Yao-Lin Wang struggled out of the pen as he went 1.1 innings giving up two runs on four hits while walking one and striking out one. Frank Del Valle was outstanding again going 1.2 scoreless innings while walking one and striking out four.
Guess what? Yep, you’re right, Kane County was rained out.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Minor Matters – April 22, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)
At The Plate – Iowa had several solid performances in this one and it led to a solid victory over a good Redbirds team. Logan Watkins went 1-for-3 with two walks, a double, a stolen base, and a run scored. Ian Stewart finally showed some life as he went 1-for-3 with a double, two RBI’s, and a run scored. Brian Bogusevic was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .389 on the season. Brad Nelson was 2-for-4 with a home rune, two RBI’s, and a run scored in the victory.
On The Mound – Brooks Raley had another solid outing, and was rewarded with his second win of the season. Raley went 5.1 innings giving up two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out three. Zach Putnam, Rafael Dolis, and Blake Parker combined to shut the Redbirds down over the final 3.2 innings to preserve the win. Putnam went 1.2 scoreless innings giving up two hits while walking one and striking out three. Dolis and Parker also worked scoreless innings with Parker walking a tightrope to earn his second save, he didn’t give up a hit while walking two and striking out two in the ninth.
At The Plate – The Smokies wasted no time in getting back into the win column as they destroyed the Biscuits…Biscuits! Arismendy Alcantara was in the middle of everything once again for the Smokies, he was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI’s, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. Eight of the nine hitters had at least one hit for the Smokies, Alcantara was the only one to have a multi-hit game. Jae-Hoon Ha was 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, and two runs scored. Jonathan Mota was 1-for-4 with two RBI’s in the victory.
On The Mound – Eric Jokisch continued his tremendous start to the season tonight, he went 6.1 innings giving up three runs, one earned, on eight hits while walking two and striking out three to move his record to 3-0. Brian Schlitter, who has been just as good, if not better, did the rest out of the pen. He went 2.2 scoreless innings giving up two hits and striking out one, he has yet to give up an earned run this season.
At The Plate – After yesterday’s poor offensive effort the D-Cubs got back at it tonight as they pounded out ten hits and seven runs. Javier Baez, who is really turning it on of late, was 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. Dustin Geiger also had a big night going 3-for-5 with three RBI’s, he now has 18 already on the season. Jorge Soler was finally shut down, he was 0-for-5, but did have an RBI, and scored a run.
On The Mound - Austin Kirk had some trouble navigating through five innings, but he was able to do so and improve his record to 3-0 on the season. He gave up four runs on four hits while walking two and striking out eight over those five innings of work. The bullpen was stout for the D-Cubs, and it was just two guys doing the work. Zach Cates worked 1.1 scoreless, and hit-less innings while walking one, and Hunter Cervenka worked 2.2 scoreless, and hit-less innings while walking one and striking out two.
At The Plate – Tough one to take for the Cougars as they built an early 5-1 lead only to watch it slip away an end up in a 9-6 loss. Pin-Chieh Chen was 2-for-4 with a walk, a caught stealing, and a run scored. Gioskar Amaya was 2-for-5 with a run scored, but also made an error. Daniel Vogelbach had a productive night at the plate going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI’s, and a run scored. Marco Hernandez was 2-for-4 with two doubles, and two RBI’s in the loss. Rock Shoulders was finally held without a hit, but did walk three times, and scored a run.
On The Mound – Michael Heesch was solid in his start today, unfortunately the bullpen and the Cougars defense kept him from getting the win. Heesch went six innings giving up two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out five. Brian Smith took the loss out of the pen, while he didn’t pitch well, he didn’t get much help either. Smith went two-thirds of an innings giving up five runs, only one earned, on three hits while walking two and striking out one. Matt Iannazzo was beat up as well, he went 2.1 innings giving up two runs on five hits while walking three.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Minor Matters – April 15, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)
At The Plate – The Cubs built an early lead but once again had trouble holding it as they dropped to 3-9 on the season. Darwin Barney had a huge game in his last rehab appearance, he was 4-for-5 with a double, and two runs scored. Ryan Sweeney continues to mash the ball, he went 2-for-4 with a home run (3), three RBI’s and a run scored. Brett Jackson was 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored.
On The Mound – The Cubs were beat up from start to finish in this one. Drew Carpenter got the start, he went 4.1 innings giving up five runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out one. Emailin Caridad went 1.2 innings out of the pen giving up one run on three hits while striking out three. Both Jensen Lewis and Jaye Chapman continued their horrendous 2013 as Lewis gave up two runs, and Chapman gave up three.
At The Plate - Jae-Hoon Ha continued his red-hot start going 2-for-3 with two walks, a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Rubi Silva has been the hottest hitter in the Smokies lineup, he was 3-for-4 with a home run (2), four RBI’s, a double, and two runs scored, he’s now hitting .394 on the season. Jonathan Mota was 2-for-4 in the loss.
On The Mound – Dallas Beeler put together a quality start and was in line for the win before the bullpen lost it. Beeler went six innings giving up three runs on four hits while walking three and striking out four. Tony Zych went 1.1 innings out of the pen giving up two runs on two hits while walking one. Trey McNutt had a rough go of it as he not only blew the save but got the loss, he went 1.1 innings giving up three runs on three hits while walking two.
At The Plate – The D-Cubs continued to pound the ball in a 8-1 victory over Clearwater to move one game above .500 on the season. Zeke DeVoss was very productive from the lead-off spot going 2-for-4 with a walk, a triple, and three RBI’s. John Andreoli was 2-for-5 with two runs scored, he’s now hitting .341 on the season. Ben Carhart went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. Stephen Bruno (2-for-4) and David Bote (2-for-3) each had two hits in the win as Daytona pounded out thirteen total.
On The Mound – Ben Wells was outstanding as he found his command in this one. Wells went six scoreless innings to earn his first win, he gave up five hits while walking one and striking out four. Yeiper Castillo went two scoreless innings out of the pen, he gave up one hit while striking out two. Sheldon McDonald worked the ninth inning, he gave up one run on three hits while striking out one.
NOTES: Kane County was snowed/rained out….again, shocking.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Minor Matters – April 14, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)
At The Plate – Two wins in a row for Iowa, that says a lot considering they only have three total this year. Brian Bogusevic was 2-for-4 from the lead-off spot with a caught stealing and a run scored. Darwin Barney showed great patience in his second rehab start, he was 0-for-1 with three walks, a stolen base, and a run scored. Luis Flores was 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI, and a run scored. Brad Nelson had the big hit in this one, a two run single that gave the Cubs some breathing room, he was 1-for-4 with two RBI’s on the day.
On The Mound - After some rocky starts to start the season, Chris Rusin bounced back with a stellar performance. Rusin went seven innings giving up one run on four hits while walking none and striking out four to earn the win. Zach Putnam worked two scoreless innings to earn his first save of the year, he walked one and struck out three.
At The Plate - The Smokies busted this one open in the seventh inning scoring four times to take a 7-1 lead on their way to a 7-3 win. Ronald Torreyes had his second straight solid game going 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored. Jae-Hoon Ha was outstanding going 3-for-3 with a walk, a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Rubi Silva (2-for-4) and Jonathan Mota (2-for-4) each had two hits in the victory, and Matt Szczur recorded his 5th stolen base of the season.
On The Mound – Couldn’t get much better than Dae-Eun Rhee as he went six scoreless innings giving up one hit while striking out three to earn his first win of the season. Zach Rosscup and Kevin Rhoderick each had a rough go out of it in the seventh and eighth inning with Rosscup giving up one run and Rhoderick giving up two. Brian Schlitter worked a scoreless ninth inning to secure the victory.
At The Plate - The D-Cubs were able to get back to .500 with a solid victory of the Tampa Yankees. Javier Baez seems to be coming around at the plate, he was 1-for-4 with a double, he has hits in his last three games. Stephen Bruno was 2-for-4 with a run scored, he is now hitting .385 on the season. Dustin Geiger was 2-for-4 with a run scored, after his slow start he is now hitting .286 on the season. Micah Gibbs was 2-for-4 with a double, and an RBI in the victory.
On The Mound – Zach Cates was outstanding in this one going six innings giving up one run on four hits while walking thee and striking out four. Austin Reed was just as good out of the bullpen going two innings giving up no runs on three hits while striking out two. Frank Del Valle continues his awesome start to the season as he worked a scoreless ninth for his second save. He didn’t give up any hits or walks, and struck out the side.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Minor Matters – April 12, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Recaps)
At The Plate – The I-Cubs were looking pretty good through four innings, then the bottom fell out, and that’s putting it nicely. Logan Watkins continues to embody everything that Theo Epstein wants, as he was 0-for-2 from the lead-off spot but had three walks. Ryan Sweeney was 1-for-4 with his second home run of the season, two RBI’s, and a run scored. Brian Bogusevic, and J.C. Boscan each had two hits in the loss. Edwin Maysonet only had one hit on the night, but he was productive as he had three RBI’s.
On The Mound – Nick Struck did just fine tonight, I know the final score doesn’t indicate that but he was solid. Struck went four innings giving up two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out three. That was the end of the good news for the Iowa pitching. Esmailin Caridad was hung with the loss, he worked one inning giving up five runs, four earned, on three hits while walking three and striking out one. Jaye Chapman was even worse as he gave up five runs on six hits while walking one and striking out one in just two-thirds of an inning. Cory Wade had an odd stat line, he went three innings giving up two runs on NO hits while walking three and striking out five. The I-Cubs are now 1-8 on the season.
At The Plate – The Smokies could only manage four hits and two runs but that was just enough for the victory. Matt Szczur continued his strong start to the season from the lead-off spot going 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, two stolen bases, and a run scored. Jae-Hoon Ha was 1-for-3 with the only other RBI for the Smokies. Rubi Silva, and Jonathan Mota tallied the only other hits for the Smokies in the win.
On The Mound – Outstanding work all night for the Smokies pitchers. Eric Jokisch got the start and also the victory as he went six strong innings giving up one run on four hits while walking one and striking out three. Tony Zych, Zach Rosscup, and Trey McNutt all tossed scoreless innings to shut the door on the Lookouts. Trey McNutt earned his first save of the season and has yet to give up a run in 2013.
At The Plate - The D-Cubs didn’t need much in this one, but they were able to score five times on just six hits. Taiwan Easterling had another solid game going 2-for-5 with a double, three RBI’s and a run scored. Javier Baez was 1-for-4 with a walk, and an RBI, much better approach from Baez in this one. Stephen Bruno was 1-for-4 with a double, and a run scored.
On The Mound - Austin Kirk was outstanding despite fighting his command early. Kirk went five scoreless innings giving up two hits while walking four and striking out two, he improves to 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA. Yao-Lin Wang was just as good out of the pen going four scoreless innings giving up one hit while walking one and striking out five to earn the rare four inning save.
NOTES: Kane County was scheduled to play a double header in Wisconsin today but for the second straight day they were snowed out. They are planning on playing a double header tomorrow and Saturday to make up for the last two days. Ronald Torreyes is back! He was a week late in arriving to camp and stayed about a week late to make up for it. He has now been assigned to AA Tennessee.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Tennessee Smokies First Half Recap
The only team that might be hotter than the Peoria Chiefs is the Tennessee Smokies. The Smokies won 10 of their last 11 leading up to the all-star break. The torrid stretch was good enough to bring the Smokies all the way back to .500 after a very slow start to the season. Let’s take a look at how the first half played out.
First Half Standings:
First Half Stats:
Much like the Chiefs, the Smokies took off once they got a highly touted prospect back in the lineup. Junior Lake‘s return sparked the Smokies and it’s easy to see why. The all world talent hit .301 in 35 games for the Smokies adding four home runs and 10 RBI’s. Lake might have re-energized the Smokies ballclub but James Aducci kept them above water before Lake could get back. Aducci was outstanding, he hit .314 in the first half for the Smokies with five home runs and 25 RBI’s. Aducci puts the bat on the ball, and has a good eye at the plate, he only struck out 38 times while walking 27 times. Jonathan Mota, Nate Samson, and Justin Bour all had a productive first half with the bat.
The Smokies pitching staff has really kicked it into high gear lately. Eric Jokisch is leading the way as he finished the first half 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA in five starts. Kevin Rhoderick has been out of this world good out of the bullpen for the Smokies. Rhoderick, who we featured here, finished the first half with a 1-2 record and a 1.35 ERA with seven saves. Frank Batista, TyRelle Harris, Alberto Cabrera, and Marcus Hatley were all outstanding on the mound for the Smokies in the first half. The numbers might not be eye-popping but Dallas Beeler and Trey McNutt, two excellent Cubs pitching prospects, had steady first half performances. I expect both these guys to turn it up a notch in the second half.
2012 All-Stars!
OF – James Aducci (2-for-2, 2B, RBI)
DH – Justin Bour (1-for-3, BB)
RHP – Frank Batista (0.2 IP, scoreless)
RHP - Kevin Rhoderick ((1.0 IP, scoreless)
Not a bad showing from the Smokies all-stars at all.
Thanks for reading, go Smokies!
- George
