Results tagged ‘ Sheldon McDonald ’
Minor Matters – April 9, 2013
At The Plate – The Iowa Cubs are scuffling, with the latest loss they fall to 0-6 on the season. Brett Jackson had a solid game going 2-for-4 with a triple, and a run scored, he’s now hitting .280 on the season. Darnell McDonald was 1-for-3 with a walk, a home run, an RBI, and a run scored. Ty Wright was 2-for-4 with two singles in the loss.
On The Mound – Chris Rusin was roughed up early then settled in but couldn’t escape the loss. Rusin went six innings giving up four runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out two. Zach Putnam and Rafael Dolis both tossed scoreless innings out of the bullpen in the loss.
At The Plate – The D-Cubs spent the whole night fighting back, but in the end couldn’t catch the Threshers. Zeke DeVoss showed some power from the lead-off spot going 1-for-5 with a home run, an RBI, and a run scored. Javier Baez was 1-for-5 with a triple, and a run scored. Jorge Soler continues his torrid start to the season going 2-for-4 with a walk, and an RBI. The D-Cubs made four errors, that most definitely cost them in this one.
On The Mound – Zach Cates made the start and as I just mentioned didn’t get much help from the guys behind him. Cates went 3.2 innings giving up three runs, one earned, on six hits while walking none and striking out seven. Eduardo Figueroa went 2.2 innings out of the pen giving up two runs on one hits while walking two and striking out three. Sheldon McDonald was solid going 2.2 innings giving up no runs on two hits while walking two and striking out one.
At The Plate – The Cougars smacked the ball all over the place in this one as six different guys had multi-hit games. Daniel Vogelbach was 3-for-5 bring his season average up to .310, all three hits were singles. Rock Shoulders might be the hottest hitter in the Cubs system, he went 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored, he’s hitting .480 (12-for-25) on the season. Gioskar Amaya, Jeimer Candelario, Marco Hernandez, and Bijan Rademacher all had two hits.
On The Mound – Pierce Johnson had a rough start to this one as he gave up two runs in the first as he struggled with command, but he found it quickly. Johnson went five innings giving up two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out four. Jeffry Antigua was solid out of the pen going three innings giving up one run on four hits while walking none and striking out one. Eduardo Orozco had some tough luck in blowing the save, but ended up getting the win. Orozco gave up two runs, both unearned on NO hits, and one walk in one inning.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Minor Matters – April 4, 2013
Welcome to Minor Matters, here’s a quick introduction… You want to know how the Cubs’ minor league teams did? Then this is the post you want to read, it will be a daily post and will recap EVERY minor league game that day. Usually this post will be published the night of the games, sometimes, especially once Boise starts, the post might not appear until the next morning. Enjoy!.
At The Plate - Iowa pounded out eleven hits on the night, but could only push across three runs in the defeat. Brian Bogusevic led the way going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, all three hits were singles. Ty Wright went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and J.C. Boscan also went 2-for-4. All eleven Cubs hits were singles.
On The Mound - It was a rough start for Chris Rusin as he gave up three in the first but he settled down to make it through five innings. Rusin gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits while walking two and striking out four. Jensen Lewis got lit up and was slapped with the loss as he gave up five runs, three earned (defense was an issue) on four hits in a third of an inning. Zach Putnam didn’t fair much better has he gave up two runs all earned on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Both Casey Coleman and Rafael Dolis had scoreless appearances.
At The Plate – The top of the order for the Smokies was outstanding, unfortunately there wasn’t much after that. Matt Szczur was tremendous in the lead-off spot going 3-for-4 with a run scored, all three hits were singles. Number two hitter Arismendy Alcantara was 2-for-3 with a run scored, a home run, and three RBI’s. Johermyn Chavez was the only other Smokies player to record a hit, a single.
On The Mound – Dallas Beeler got knocked around in his first start of 2013, but had decent command. Beeler worked 5.1 innings, he gave up four runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out five. A.J. Morris tossed 1.2 innings giving up one run on one hit while walking one and striking out two. Tony Zych couldn’t keep it close late as he gave up two runs (both unearned) in his one inning of work while walking one and striking out one.
At The Plate – Kane County couldn’t really get anything going at the plate as they were only able to register five hits in the loss. Dan Vogelbach has a solid night going 2-for-4 with two singles. Jemier Candelario and Willson Contreras each had one hit, and Rock Shoulders was 1-for-4 with a run scored, a home run, and two RBI’s.
On The Mound – Pierce Johnson got the start and got beat up. Johnson gave up five runs on six hits while walking one and striking out five in 2.1 innings. Justin Amlung worked 2.1 innings giving up one run on two hits while walking two and striking out two. Brian Smith tossed two innings giving up one run on one hit while walking two and striking out four. Steve Perakslis and Eduardo Orozco each had a scoreless appearance.
At The Plate – A quiet night at the plate for the D-Cubs as they could only manage three runs on six hits, but they did walk five times which is a plus. Jorge Soler got his first full professional season off to a great start going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. Zeke DeVoss was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored out of the lead-off spot. Timothy Saunders was 1-for-4 with a run scored, and an RBI double. Stephen Bruno was 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, and an RBI double. Javier Baez rounded out the scoring with a sac-fly, he finished the night 0-for-3.
On The Mound – Ben Wells was knocked around early but managed to battle his way through four innings. Wells gave up two runs on seven hits, he didn’t walk anyone and struck out four to earn a no decision. Sheldon McDonald was hung with the loss as he went 2.2 innings giving up two runs on three hits while walking one and striking out three. Eduardo Figueroa was solid out of the pen giving up no runs on two hits while striking out two in 2.1 innings of work.
Thanks for reading,
- George
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.
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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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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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
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.
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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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 Rogers. Timothy 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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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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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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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
8/25: Around the Cubs Minor League System
Saturday’s minor league recap.
It was a game of big innings early, until the ninth when the AZL Cubs walked off with another win, this time 8-7. Paul Blackburn started, but wasn’t at his best giving up three runs on four hits in three innings of work. Rafael Dolis and Jasvir Rakkar each pitched an inning allowing two runs a piece. Ethan Elias did a great job keeping the Giants at seven runs as pitched the next three innings allowing no runs on no hits, while walking two and striking out four. The good luck charm Steve Perakslis improved his record to 4-0 as he got the win after pitching a scoreless ninth. The Cubs had a lot of nice days offensively. Carlos Penalver and Yasiel Balaguert each had two hits and drove in two a piece. Ben Carhart was 2-for-6 with a walk off single and Shawon Dunston had one hit, a double and three RBIs. Trevor Gretzky and David Bote both contributed with two hits and combined two score three runs for the Cubs. Daniel Lockhart and Garrett Schlecht each had a hit and an RBI in the Cubs victory. The victory clinched a spot in the playoffs for the Cubs.
Boise got out to a quick start and held on to beat Vancouver 8-6. After a recent struggle Jeimer Candelario appears to have broken out as he went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored, and three RBIs. Stephen Bruno stayed red-hot going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Dan Vogelbach also had two hits, including a double and an RBI. Wilson Contreras and Gioskar Amaya each had a hit with Contreras knocking in two and Amaya one. Albert Almora left the game early with an apparent injury, but I have no word yet as to what the problem was. Ian Dickson started, but did not factor in the decision as was only able to last 4.1 innings as he allowed four runs on seven hits. Hunter Ackerman did get the victory as he threw the next 2.2 innings giving up one run and striking out five. Eduardo Orozco got the ball to Nathan Dorris and Dorris closed out the win and the second half for Boise. With the victory Boise is the second half winners and are headed to the playoffs.
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A three run fourth was enough for Joseph Zeller and the Cubs bullpen as they beat Wisconsin 3-2. Zeller pitched quite well giving up one run on seven hits in six innings. Sheldon McDonald pitched the next two innings allowing one run, but got the ball to Larry Suarez who notched his fifth save of the season striking out two in a scoreless ninth. Timothy Saunders had another nice night going 2-for-4 with a homer and a double. Chadd Krist also hit a home run, a two run shot in the fourth inning. Oliver Zapata had a hit, two walks, and two stolen bases and Zeke DeVoss also added a hit in the Chiefs win.
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Daytona lost game one to Tampa 3-2. Although they only had three hits, they threatened late, but couldn’t finish. Ronald Torreyes, Elieser Bonne, and Vladimir Frias were the only Cubs to have hits on Saturday. Nelson Perez drove in the two Cubs runs in game one without the benefit of a hit. Eduardo Figueroa started, but took a no decision as didn’t give up a run in four inning, while striking out six. Matt Spencer took the loss as he really struggled with his command walking five and allowing all three of the Yankees runs to score in just 0.2 innings. Matt Iannazzo finished game one out throwing a scoreless 1.1 innings.
Daytona returned the favor in game two as Ryan Searle and staff only allowed three hits in a 4-1 win. Searle started and pitched pretty good going five innings allowing one run on three hits and striking out five. From there Jeff Lorick pitched a scoreless sixth and Scott Weismann notched his fourth save of the season throwing a perfect seventh. John Andreoli and Ronald Torreyes hit one-two in the order and set the table of the Cubs in this one. Torreyes was 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored, and an RBI. John Andreoli was also 2-for-4 with a double, triple, and two runs scored. Rebel Ridling had two hits of his own and drove in one run and Nelson Perez drove in another run, again not having a hit. Javier Baez broke through with a double in the victory.
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Mobile scored one in the ninth to tie it and got one in the 10th to beat Tennessee 4-3. Nicholas Struck was in line for the win pitching seven innings, allowing two runs, one earned on six hits, while striking out six. Zach Rosscup did his job getting the ball to Frank Batista, but Batista couldn’t get the save in this one allowing the ninth inning run. Casey Harman took the loss allowing an unearned run in the 10th. Rubi Silva had a nice night at the plate going 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs. Jae-Hoon Ha had three hits and Junior Lake had two hits and a run scored. Logan Watkins was 1-for-5 with a home run for the Smokies in the tough loss on Saturday.
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Things have been better for Iowa as of late and Saturday was no different as they beat Oklahoma City 4-1. Ty’Relle Harris started and got the win pitching six strong innings. He allowed one run on four hits while striking out six. Miguel Socolovich and Jeff Beliveau each pitched a perfect frame to get the ball to Jairo Asencio who struck out two and pitched a scoreless ninth to record his fifth save of the season. The Cubs had a few nice nights offensively on Saturday starting with Diory Hernandez who had a home run and three RBIs. Dave Sappelt was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Matt Tolbert also had two hits with a run scored. Greg Rohan and Jeff Frazier each had two hits a piece with Frazier having two doubles and Rohan having one. It is good to see Iowa finishing the season strong.
It was an exciting night, Congrats to Boise Hawks and the AZL Cubs in clinching a playoff birth.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
8/22: Around the Cubs Minor League System
The Cubs minor leagues were in full effect on Wednesday with the AZL Cubs and Daytona each playing 7-inning double headers.
The AZL Cubs scored three in the first inning of the first game and that was all Ryan McNeil and company would need beating the Diamondbacks 3-0. McNeil was outstanding pitching four scoreless innings giving up five hits and striking out two. Rafael Dolis continued his rebab pitching the next 1.1 innings and getting the win. Jasvir Rakkar earned his first save of the year, striking out four of the five outs he recorded. Anthony Giansanti also continued his rehab assignment going 1-for-2 with a double and two RBIs. Justin Marra also had a hit and an RBI in the victory. Shawon Dunston continued his impressive stretch at the plate going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Ben Carhart and Yasiel Balauert also had a hit in the game.
Game two was scoreless until Anthony Giansanti stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Giansanti delivered hitting a walk off homer as the Cubs swept the double-header against the Diamondbacks. The Cubs used three pitchers in this one as Corbin Hoffner got the start striking out two and allowing three hits in three innings. Some more good news was the return of Ben Wells who began his rebab assignment in style striking out the side in his one inning. Alvido Jimenez ended the scoreless day pitcing the final three innings and getting his second win of the season. Carlos Penalver, David Bote, and Yasiel Balaguert all had a hit in game two of the double-header. The Cubs remain three games behind the A’s for first place, but are leading the wild card by three games over the Giants.
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Boise just keeps rolling as they beat up Vancouver 11-6. The offense was the story in this one as they pounded out 17 hits to go along with those 11 runs. Stephen Bruno is just raking right now as he went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two RBIs. He is now hitting .344 on the season and .439 in his last 10. Izaac Garsez and Wilson Contreras each had really nice games both having three hits and driving in two runs a piece. Garsez also scored three runs and stole his first base of the season. Carlos Escobar and Darien Martin both had two hits with Escobar knocking in two. Marco Hernandez also had two RBIs and Gioskar Amaya had one of his own. Justin Amlung got the start, but only lasted two innings as he gave up three runs on six hits. Michael Heesch then pitched two scoreless innings and got his second win of the season. James Pugliese struck out six over the next three innings, but did give up three runs before getting the ball to Nathan Dorris. Dorris closed this one out striking out two over the final two innings of the game. Boise remains six games up on the Yakima Bears with their magic number down to four.
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Beloit got off to a great start, but Peoria came roaring back scoring four in the sixth and one in the eighth to tie it up before scoring three in the 13th and beating Beloit 9-6. Timothy Saunders continues to impress at the plate going 4-for-6 with a stolen base, three runs scored and two RBIs. He is now hitting .391 with Peoria in 11 games. Jorge Soler was back at it going 2-for-6 with a stolen base, three runs scored and an RBI. Jacob Rogers and Bijan Rademacher each had a hit and an RBI and Pin-Chieh Chen had two hits. Starling Peralta started, but struggled with his command walking five in five innings. He also gave up five hits and allowed four runs, three earned, and struck out four. After Bryce Shafer gave up an unearned run the rest of the Chiefs staff threw up zeros. First Pete Levitt struck out four in 2.2 innings, then Sheldon McDonald struck out four in his two innings. Luis Liria came on to shut the door in the 13th and recorded his fifth save of the season.
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Game one of Daytona’s double-header was decided early as Clearwater scored two in the first and Daytona scored one in the second. Nothing would change as the Cubs lost game one 2-1. PJ Francescon started and took the loss striking out four and giving up two runs in three innings. Eduardo Figueroa, Matt Spencer, and AJ Morris all did their job not allowing another hit and shutting Clearwater down over the next three innings. The offense just couldn’t get it going, which is to be expected as they haven’t played in several days. Taylor Davis was 2-for-2 and drove in the only Cubs run in this one. Christian Villanueva hit a double and scored the Cubs lone run in the loss. John Andreoli and Elieser Bonne also had hits and Javier Baez was 0-for-3.
Game two didn’t go much better for Daytona as Clearwater jumped out early scoring three in the first and never looked back beating the Cubs 4-2. Frank Del Valle was on the hook for all four runs, only three of which were earned in four innings of work. Ryan Searle and Hunter Cervenka each pitched a scoreless inning a piece. Offensively there were a couple bright spots, one of which was Ronald Torreyes who was 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Vladimir Frias had two hits of his own and Nelson Perez added a hit and an RBI. The offense is obviously having a hard time getting in any kind of rhythm as games have been few and far between.
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Tennessee was embarrassed on Wednesday losing to Chattanooga 11-1. Dae-Eun Rhee started and took the loss giving up three runs on nine hits in 5.2 innings. Things didn’t get any better as Casey Weathers gave up three runs after recording just one out. After Zach Rosscup struck out the side in the seventh, Casey Harman gave up five runs, only one of which was earned in the eighth inning. Dustin Harrington struck out two in the ninth, that’s right Dustin Harrington, the same guy who plays third base. He was 2-for-2 at the plate as well, hitting a double and scoring a run. Matt Szczur was the only other Smokie to have a hit as he had a triple and drove in the lone Cubs run.
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Iowa was winning 3-1 into the eighth, but gave up five over the next two innings and lost 6-3. Horacio Ramirez was great on Wednesday giving up one run on seven hits in seven innings pitched. Blake Parker struggled and took the loss giving up three runs in the eighth and Jairo Asencio allowed two unearned runs in the ninth. Dave Sappelt had a nice day at the plate going 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs. Brian Esposito had a hit and an RBI and Blake Lalli had a hit and scored a run in the loss. Adrian Cardenas finally got to play baseball again and was 1-for-4 with a run scored. It is tough to see Parker give this one up, as his rehab has been going quite well thus far, but I am sure he will come back strong in his next outing.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
8/18: Around the Cubs Minor League System
Saturday’s trip through the minors. The AZL Cubs and Daytona were both postponed on Saturday, August 18.
It was a nice night all around for Boise as they beat Tri-City 8-2. Boise’s pitchers only gave up two hits and one earned in the win. Jose Arias got the start and was brilliant pitching five strong innings not giving up a run and allowing only one hit. He also struck out five and walked one in getting the win. Hayden Simpson had been struggling, but pitched better tonight giving up two runs, one earned on one hit in four innings. He also struck out five on the night and got the save. Not only did the pitchers do their job, but the offense did as well. Stephen Bruno was great once again ending the night 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. He is now hitting .332 with Boise this year. Rock Shoulders had only one hit, but it was a big one, a grand slam in the third inning. Marco Hernandez was 2-for-4 with a run and Gioskar Amaya had one hit, two walks, and scored three runs. Dan Vogelbach only had one hit in this one, but did have an RBI. Albert Almora was 0-for-5 in this one, hitting into some tough luck. Boise continues to roll and this team is getting more fun by the day.
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Peoria got back on track Saturday beating Wisconsin 9-2. The offense pounded out 14 hits to go along with those nine runs to back Michael Jensen. Jensen pitched well going five innings allowing two runs, one earned one three hits, while striking out seven. Pete Levitt pitched well in relief pitching three shutout innings before giving the ball to Sheldon McDonald who recorded the last three outs of the game. Jorge Soler was outstanding in this one going 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, and two RBIs. Timothy Saunders and Jacob Rogers also had good games as each went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Yaniel Cabezas had a nice game of his own going 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Zeke DeVoss didn’t have a hit, but he walked four times, scored a run, drove one in, and stole his 35th base of the season. It was good to see the Chiefs come back after a rough stretch.
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Tennessee won 2-1 in a rain shortened game. Austin Kirk pitched a five inning complete game giving up one run on three hits. In his first start with Tennessee he got his first win. The offense did just enough for the win in this one led by Junior Lake. Lake was 2-for-3 at the dish with two doubles and a run scored. Michael Burgess and Justin Bour each had a hit and drove in a run a piece. Matt Szczur also contributed to the victory with a double and a run scored. A win is a win anyway you can get it, even if it only lasts five innings.
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Iowa made it two in a row beating Memphis 3-2 on Saturday. Ryan Rowland-Smith got the start and the win giving up one run on five hits in five innings. Blake Parker continued his rehab assignment pitching 1.2 innings and allowing one run. After a scoreless 1.1 innings Marcus Hatley turned things over to Jairo Asencio who notched his third save of the year. After a big day yesterday, Dave Sappelt did it again as went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Alfredo Amezaga, Jeff Frazier, and Brian Esposito all had two hits a piece. Tony Campana also had a hit and scored a run in the Cubs win.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
8/16: Around the Cubs Minor League System
A quick recap of the Cubs minor league system on August 16.
The AZL Cubs only gave up three hits on Thursday beating the Reds 9-1. Anthony Prieto started and pitched three quality innings allowing no runs on one hit while striking out three. Carlos Martinez-Pumarino got his fifth win of the year pitching five nice innings in relief. He gave up one run on two hits while striking out seven in five innings. Jin-Young Kim threw a scoreless ninth striking out one. The pitching wasn’t the only highlight of the night as the Cubs scored nine on 11 hits. Shawon Dunston was really good going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Yasiel Balaguert had a nice offensive night as he had two hits, a homer and a double. Trevor Gretzky continued his great run going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Garrett Schlecht, Carlos Penalver, and Alberto Mineo all drove in one run. It was good to see the offense get going again on Thursday night.
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Boise put up five runs through the first four innings of this one and that was more than enough as they beat Tri-City 7-2. We will start with our Albert Almora watch. Almora went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Carlos Escobar had two hits, including a double and three RBIs. Jeimer Candelario was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Dan Vogelbach and Wilson Contreras each drove in a run with Contreras going 3-for-5 with a double. Giosakar Amaya added a triple and walked three times. The other story of the night was Pierce Johnson who was just great striking out five of the six outs he recorded. Felix Pena got the win as he went the next five innings allowing two run on five hits. Nathan Dorris picked up his third save of the year striking out three batters in two innings. Boise had a very nice night all around.
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Peoria only gave up three hits, but couldn’t plate a run as they lost to Burlington 4-0. Willengton Cruz got the start for Chiefs and took the loss giving up two runs in two innings of work. Luis Liria and Sheldon McDonald each gave up an unearned run as they combined to pitch the next five innings. Larry Suarez struck out four and pitched the final to innings for Peoria. Dustin Geiger and Timothy Saunders each had a really nice game at the plate recording two hits a piece. Oliver Zapata, Zeke DeVoss, and Pin-Chieh Chen all had a hit to round out the offense for the Chiefs. Once again the defense was an issue as Peoria committed three errors, and allowed two unearned runs to score.
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It started out as a good night, but turned into a tough one as they gave up four runs in the eighth and two in the ninth to lose 7-6. Javier Baez had his best night since moving to Daytona going 3-for-4 with a home run and a double. He ended the night with three RBIs and two runs scored as well. Rebel Ridling was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Taylor Davis also had a double and drove in two for the Cubs. Christian Villanueva had been quiet for a while, but he added a hit and an RBI of his own. Robert Whitenack pitched the first four innings allowing one run on four hits. Matt Spencer threw two really nice innings in relief and was in line to get the win, but the Cubs bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. First Scott Weismann recorded just two outs and gave up four runs and then after the Cubs took the lead again Jeff Lorick gave up two more runs and took the loss. On a positive it was nice to see Baez have a nice night, hope that is the beginning of a tear.
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Tennessee only go four hits in this one, but made them count beating Birmingham 4-3. What else is there to say about Justin Bour. He hit his 16th home run of the season, a three run shot in the third bringing his RBI total to 105. Jae-Hoon Ha was 1-for-3 with an RBI and Elliot Soto drove in a run. Michael Burgess and Dustin Harrington each had a hit as well, with Burgess having a double. Eric Jokisch started, but only lasted 4.2 innings allowing two runs on six hits. Tony Zych came in in relief and got the win pitching a scoreless two innings. After Kevin Rhoderick allowed an unearned run Frank Batista closed the door pitching the final 1.2 innings in recording his 22nd save.
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Iowa lost to Tucson 7-6. Seth McClung‘s first start with Iowa didn’t go as planned allowing seven runs, four earned on seven hits in 3.1 innings. Ryan Searle threw 2.2 scoreless innings and Jay Jackson pitched two scoreless. After getting down by six early Iowa’s offense got to work, but it just wasn’t enough. Alfredo Amezaga was 4-for-5 witha double, a run scored, and an RBI. Tony Campana had two hits and stole a base. Blake Lalli also had two hits driving in one run and Greg Rohan was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Diory Hernandez and Matt Tolbert each had two hits and Jeff Frazier drove in a run. After two wins in a row it’s back to the “L” column for Iowa.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
8/8: Around the Cubs Minor League System
Sorry this is getting up later than normal, but here is Wednesday’s minor league recap.
The AZL Cubs pick up where they left off beating the Dodgers 5-2. Paul Blackburn started and pitched two innings giving up two unearned runs on four hits, while striking out two. Chad Martin got his first win of the season pitching two scoreless innings. Dillon Maples then went to the mound and struck out three in his two innings of scoreless baseball. Corbin Hoffner then pitched two scoreless followed by Ryan Hartman notching his second save of the season. Offensively Davie Bote had a really nice game going 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs. Treveor Gretzky was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Shawon Dunston also added two hit, including a triple and he drove in a run. Albert Almora had a hit and an RBI, his seventh of the season.
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Another night and another win for Boise beating Everett 8-6. Dan Vogelbach hit another home run, this one a two-run shot. Rock Shoulders also hit a home run, his was a grand slam. Jeimer Candelario had a hit and an RBI of his own. Wilson Contreras was the only Hawks player to have a multi-hit game ending the night 2-for-4. Gioskar Amaya only had one hit, but did score three runs. Jose Arias pitched good enough to get the win, but did allow three runs on four hits while striking out six. Hayden Simpson pitched three innings allowing three runs, but struck out four and Eduardo Orozco preserved the lead notching his third save pitching a scoreless ninth.
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Peoria gave up four in the eighth and one in the ninth to put the game into extra innings. It took until the 14th when the Chiefs put up two, Burlington came right back and scored three and won the game 9-8. Timothy Saunders went 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs, and two stolen bases. Paul Hoilman also had two hits, including a home run and two RBIs. Dustin Geiger added two hits and three RBIs and Zeke DeVoss went 3-for-7 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Yao-Lin Wang got the start and pitched outstanding going six strong innings. he allowed only one run on three hits and struck out 10 without walking a batter. Luis Liria and Austin Reed both struggled combining to allow five runs in three innings. Sheldon McDonald pitched three nice innings, but Pete Levitt took the loss allowing all three runs in the 14th. It really should have never gotten to extra innings, but then to take a lead there and still lose is a tough pill to swallow.
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Daytona was postponed due to rain.
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Huntsville scored three in the first and three more in the third and never looked back beating Tennessee 7-2. Junior Lake was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, he is now hitting .288. Matt Szczur went 1-for-5 with a triple and an RBI. In really good new Jae-Hoon Ha was back on the field for the first time since his scary collision with an unpadded wall that led to a concussion. He ended the night 1-for-4. Dallas Beeler started and took the loss giving up six runs, five earned in the just three innings pitched. Casey Harman pitched three nice innings allowing only one run on three hits and striking out two. Casey Weathers, Tony Zych, and Frank Batista combined to pitch the last three scoreless innings. It was really nice to see Ha back on the field, hope he can stay there the rest of the way.
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The game was tied at one going to the extra innings, but Reno scored four in the 10th and beat Iowa 5-1. Ryan Rowland-Smith got the start and pitched beautifully allowing one run on only two hits in six innings of work. Blake Parker continues hit rehab pitching one scoreless inning. Jay Jackson pitched two good innings, but struggled in the 10th allowing four runs in taking the loss. Greg Rohan did not have a hit, but drove in the lone Cubs run. Dave Sappelt was 1-for-4 with a double and Matt Tolbert was the only Cubs player with a multi-hit game going 2-for-2 with a double of his own.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
8/5: Around the Minor League System
Here is the minor league recap for August 5, 2012.
In an up and down game the AZL Cubs wound up on the losing end dropping Sunday’s game 8-6. In his first start Duane Underwood struggled big time giving up four runs, three earned in just .1 innings and just like that the Cubs were down 4-0. Over the next three innings the Cubs offense would come to life scoring six runs. Ben Carhart was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Jacob Rogers and David Bote had a hit and each drove two runs as well. Top prospect Albert Almora was 1-for-5 and Carlos Penalver drove a run home. Leading 6-4 the Cubs turned it over the bullpen and after Brian Smith calmed things down, Ethan Elias really struggled giving up four runs over three innings. Steve Perakslis and Chad Martin combined to pitch the last three innings holding the Giants scorelss. After being down early and then taking the lead it is definitely tough to not come out on top of this one.
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Just when it looked like Boise was going to cruise to an easy win a five run seventh happened to tie the game at nine. Luckily for Boise Daniel Vogelbach wasn’t going to let this one slip away as he connected for a game winning home run in the top of the 11th. Lance Rymel had qutie the night on Sunday going 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs. Trey Martin and Marco Hernandez each had three hits with Martin driving in two runs. Izaac Garsez had his best game yet, going 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Wilson Contreras had two hits and scored three runs and Stephen Bruno added a hit and two RBIs. Ian Dickson started and took a no decision as he gave up three runs on three hits in five innings. Hunter Ackerman and Rafael Diplan did not have there best days combining to giving up six runs, five earned in just two innings. Su-Min Jung recorded his first win of the season and Eduardo Orozco closed it out earning his second save. Wow, was it a crazy game on Sunday, luckily for us the Hawks took the W.
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Clinton scored two in the eighth to defeat Peoria 3-2. Michael Jensen started and pitched well allowing one run on five hits, while striking out four in five innings pitched. Sheldon McDonald pick up right were he left off striking out three in two scoreless innings. Austin Reed, however was not very good on Sunday giving up two runs in two innings and taking the loss. Not much happening on the offensive side as the Chiefs only had five hits. With the promotion of Javier Baez, Timothy Saunders was sent to Peoria and he ended the game 1-for-4 with a double. Yanel Cabezas had a double as well as an RBI. Wes Darvill, Sergio Burruel, and Oliver Zapata all had one hit a piece in the loss.
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Daytona dropped another one Dunedin on Sunday losing 4-2. Christian Villanueva was the only Cubs player with a multi-hit game as he went 2-for-4 in the loss. Rubi Silva had a hit and drove in John Andreoli who also had a run scored. Rebel Ridling, Rafael Lopez, and Micah Gibbs all had one hit, with Ridling scoring a run. PJ Francescon started and gave up two runs in two innings, striking out four. Frank Del Valle also gave up two runs, but did strike out five in his four innings of relief. Ryan Searl thew the last two innings not allowing a run and striking one out. Javier Baez struggled again in his second game with Daytona going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. It is not the way wanted to start and it is not the way Daytona wanted things to go this weekend.
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After being up early, Tennessee tied it in the seventh, only to lose it in the bottom of the ninth 5-4. Jutin Bour had a nice game going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, bringing his season total to 92. Nelson Perez added two hits including his fifth home run of the season and Matt Cerda also had two hits on the evening. Logan Watkins and Nate Samson each had a hit and Watkins scored a run and stole his 21st base of the season. Eric Jokisch started, but did not factor in the decision pitching five innings and giving up three runs, while striking out six. Brian Schlitter took the loss giving up the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
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Iowa gave up one in each the eighth and the ninth to lose to Reno 2-1. The bright spot on Sunday was Casey Coleman. He pitched outstanding going six innings allowing no runs on two hits and striking out eight. Jay Jackson pitched a scoreless seventh striking out one batter. Marcus Hatley and Esmailin Caridad each gave up a run and Caridad took the loss. Well it happened to Iowa again on Sunday, this time losing Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters to the big club. Diory Hernandez was 1-for-3 with the Cubs only RBI. Greg Rohan stayed hot going 1-for-4 in the loss. There isn’t much exciting happening in Iowa right now and with the departures of Jackson, Vitters, Welington Castillo, and Adrian Cardenas thing probably will continue to be a struggle.
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Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
