Results tagged ‘ Wilson Contreras ’
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
8/13: Around the Cubs Minor League System
Here is a look at the Cubs minor league affiliates on Monday, August 13. Daytona and Tennessee each had the night off.
The AZL Cubs just exploded pounding out 25 hits and scoring 17 runs beating Reds 17-7. I don’t even know where to start with this one, except make sure to look at the full box score because I won’t be able to mention all the awesome things that happened in this one. Albert Almora led the way going 5-for-6 with a triple, three runs scored, and three RBIs. Garrett Schlect had two doubles and drove in three and Daniel Lockhart hit his first home run and drove in three as well. Carlos Penalver was 4-for-6 with three runs scored and Yasiel Balaguert was the only Cub to not have a multi-hit game, but he did knock in three of his own. Trevor Gretzky, Shawon Dunston, and Justin Marra all had three hits a piece, with Dunston adding two RBIs and Marra driving in one. David Bote also had two hits. There I think I got through all of the offensive numbers. Paul Blackburn started, but did not have his best outing allowing four runs, three earned in two innings. On a positive Dillon Maples was spectacular pitching three scoreless innings allowing only two hits while striking out five. Chad Martin and Ryan Hartman also pitched in this landslide victory.
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A nine run eighth was way too much for Boise to overcome losing 11-4 on Monday night. Jose Arias pitched six innings allowing two runs on six hits, while striking out four. He left in line for the win and after Willengton Cruz pitched a scoreless seventh things were looking good. Good turned to really bad when Hayden Simpson came on in relief. He had a terrible outing giving up eight run, six earned on six hits all the while only recording one out. He obviously took the loss as there was no way the Hawks were going to come back from that. Offensively speaking there were some good things to come out of the Monday nights loss. Jeimer Candelario was 3-for-4, raising his average to .294. Marco Hernandez had two hits of his own, including a triple and an RBI. Stephen Bruno and Wilson Contreras had a hit and an RBI a piece while Gioskar Amaya added two hits from the leadoff spot.
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Peoria tied the game at two in the top of eighth, but gave one up in the bottom half and lost 3-2 to Beloit. Yao-Lin Wang started and pitched pretty good going six innings allowing two runs on three hits, walking one and striking out four. Austin Reed took the loss allowing one unearned run in his two innings of work. Jorge Soler went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Oliver Zapata added a double and an RBI on the evening. Zeke DeVoss, Chadd Krist, and Bijan Rademacher all had one hit a piece in the Chiefs loss on Monday.
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Iowa’s pitchers struggled big time in this one as the Cubs lost 14-7. Ryan Rowland-Smith started and took the loss giving up five runs in four inning. Jaye Chapman, Seth McClung and Brian Esposito all pitched and gave up multiple runs each. Jay Jackson was the only Cubs pitcher to come out unscathed recording two outs. Offensively speaking Tony Campana had a nice night going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two stolen bases. Greg Rohan and Dave Sappelt each had a hit and two RBIs in the loss to Las Vegas on Monday night.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
8/12: Around the Cubs Minor League System
The Cubs minor’s report for Sunday, August 12.
The AZL Cubs took a 6-1 lead early, but lost a heartbreaker 10-8, giving up five in the seventh. Albert Almora continued to impress going 2-for-3 with a double, one RBIs, and two runs scored. Carlos Penalver and Alberto Mineo each had two hits with Penalver hitting a double and driving a run in. Garrett Schlect and Trevor Gretzky each had a hit with Schlect knocking one in. Jacob Rogers and Yasiel Balaguert also drove in a run. Ryan McNeil started, giving up one run on two hits, while striking out two in two innings. Jin-Young Kim struck out two and gave up two unearned runs. After Arturo Maltos-Garcia gave up a run in his one inning the game really took a turn. Corbin Hoffner took the loss, but didn’t get any help giving up six unearned runs on seven hits in 1.2 innings. Jasvir Rakkar recorded the last four outs not allowing a baserunner and striking one out. The Cubs need to be better defensively as they gave up eight unearned runs on Sunday.
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Salem Keizer scored five in the seventh and held on to beat Boise 10-9. Justin Amlung started for the Hawks pitching the first two innings allowing one run on three hits and striking out one. Michael Heesch gave up two runs in his two innings of work. James Pugliese was not very good on Sunday giving up seven runs, five earned on eight hits in just 2.2 innings. Matt Iannazzo gave the Hawks a chance getting the final seven outs not allowing a run and striking out two. Boise had a few nice nights at the plate on Sunday. Xavier Batista was 2-for-4 with a two home runs and five RBIs. Wilson Contreras also got into the fun going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. Marco Hernandez also had two hits and Stephen Bruno went 3-for-5. We have come to expect great things from Dan Vogelbach, but tonight was not his night as he went 0-for-5. Boise will look to get back on track in their next one.
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After beating Beloit yesterday Peoria dropped one today losing 6-5. Zeke DeVoss was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a run scored, and a stolen base, his 34th of the season. Wes Darvill had his second nice game in a row going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Pin-Chieh Chen and Dustin Geiger each had a hit and drove in a run a piece. Our nightly Jorge Soler watch was back in effect as he went 1-for-3 with a walk. After his outstanding outing earlier in the week Starling Peralta was back on the mound on Sunday. He pitched six innings allowing six runs, three earned on five hits and five walks. Pete Levitt pitched the final two innings, striking out two and not allowing a run. Soler and the Chiefs will be back in action against the Snappers tomorrow.
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Daytona was cancelled once again on Sunday.
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The Tennessee Smokies pitching staff was the story in this one beating Huntsville 4-0. In his first start Yoannis Negrin pitched great throwing five innings giving up no runs on one hit and striking out four. Zach Rosscup and Casey Weathers combined to pitch the next 2.2 innings and Frank Batista recorded his 21st save striking out two in 1.1 innings. A big congrats to Justin Bour as he drove in two runs on one hit bring his RBI total to 100. Junior Lake went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Logan Watkins had a nice night going 1-for-2 with three walks, three runs scored, and two stolen bases. Matt Szczur and Jae-Hoon Ha each had a hit of their own. We’ll see if the Smokies can keep it going.
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In a continuation from Saturday Iowa hung on to beat Las Vegas 10-8 in game one. Greg Rohan was 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Dave Sappelt added three hits of his own, including two doubles and a triple. He also scored two runs and drove two in. Blake Lalli has been getting some more playing time and has been doing quite well as he added two hits of his own, including a home run and two RBIs. Jeff Frazier and Brian Esposito each had two hits with Frazier knocking in three. The Cubs had to use a lot of pitchers in this one as Casey Coleman had to leave early and the game was called when winning pitcher Esmailin Caridad was on the mound when the game was called Saturday. Blake Parker, Marcus Hatley and Jay Jackson combined to pitch the next 3.2 innings before giving the ball to Jairo Asencio. Asencio closed out game one recording his second save.
Iowa dropped game two to Las Vegas losing 3-2 in a seven inning game. Frankie De La Cruz started and took the loss giving up all three runs on five hits in five innings. He also struck out seven and walked four. In his return to Iowa Scott Maine pitched the final inning of this one. Alfredo Amezaga was 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI. Blake Lalli and Diory Hernandez each had two hits of their own in game two. Greg Rohan added a hit and knocked in a run, his 13th since being in Iowa. It’s good to see Iowa get the split in this one.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
8/11: Around the Cubs Minor League System
Our nightly trip through the Cubs system. Daytona was postponed and Iowa suspended in the top of the fifth.
The AZL Cubs got things going early taking a 6-1 lead after three innings and they never looked back winning 8-3. Albert Almora had one of his best games as a Cubs going 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Dan Lockhart, Alberto Mineo, and Trevor Gretzky all had two hits of their own. Gretzy drove in two and scored a run on the night as well. Garrett Schlect and Shawon Dunston each had a hit and an RBI and Schlect stole three bags. The Cubs used three pitchers to get this win with Anthony Prieo pitching the first three, striking out three and allowing one run. Carlos Martinez-Pumarino threw the next three allowing two runs and striking out four. Finally Steve Perakslis pitched the last three striking out two allowing no runs on one hit in getting his third win of the season.
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Boise stayed hot beating Salem-Keizer 4-1. The first question on everyone’s mind will be, did Dan Vogelbach hit another home run? No he did not, but he did go 1-for-4 with an RBI. Izaac Garsez did hit a home run and drove in two runs. Trey Martin went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Wilson Contreras had three hits of his own, scoring two runs as well. Pierce Johnson got his first start in Boise pitching two innings allowing one run on four hits, while striking out two. Felix Pena pitched great out of the bullpen in getting his second win of the season. He gave up no runs on two hits, striking out four in five innings. Eduardo Orozco earned his fourth save pitching the final two innings allowing one hit and striking one out. If Boise can keep this up it looks like they will be well on their way to a winning the second half.
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Powered by a Jorge Soler grandslam Peoria beat Beloit 5-3. We were at the game so will do a more in depth recap with a bunch of pictures and stuff Sunday.
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Daytona was postponed and will play a double header tomorrow.
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Dae-Eun Rhee pitched great leading Tennessee to a 2-0 win. Rhee pitched six strong innings allowing no runs on six hits, while striking out three. Tony Zych pitched the next two scoreless innings striking out three batters and Brian Schlitter recorded his fourth save pitching a scoreless ninth. Matt Szczur continued his strong week going 2-for-3 with a walk and an outfield assist. Jae-Hoon Ha, Matt Cerda, and Michael Brenly each had a hit, with Brenly and Ha driving in the lone Smokies runs.
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Iowa scored five in the first, but gave up two in the third before the rain came. The game will be continued tomorrow with Iowa leading 5-2 in the top of the fifth.
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
8/7: Around the Cubs Minor League System
Here’s what happened in the Cubs minor league system on Tuesday night.
The AZL Cubs got back on track beating the Angels 6-1. The Cubs used four pitchers, all doing a nice job. Ryan McNeil struggled with his control, but struck out four and allowed no runs in 2.1 innings. Anthony Prieto thew two scoreless innings and Loiger Padron got his fourth win of the season striking out three in three scoreless innings. He is now 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA. Shawon Dunston had only one hit, but drove in an impressive three runs. Jorge Soler went for with an RBI and Albert Almora added a hit of his own. Both top prospects stole two bases and scored a run. Dan Lockhart had a hit and Carlos Penalver knocked in one in the victory. After a couple tough days for the Cubs it was back to business as usual on Tuesday night.
Tuesday didn’t go to plan for Boise as they lost to Everett 6-3. Dan Vogelbach hit his third home run since going to Boise and ended the night 1-for-3. Gioskar Amaya had two more hits, including a triple and an RBI. Izaac Garsez went 2-for-2 with a run scored and Wilson Contreras had a hit and an RBI. Jeimer Candelario and Marco Hernandez each had a hit on Tuesday night as well. James Pugliese pitched four innings allowing one run on six hits, while striking out six in a ND. Michael Heesch allowed three runs in two innings and took the loss. Boise has had a nice run as of late, so they will get back at it tomorrow.
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Starling Peralta was the story in this one as the Peoria won 5-3. Peralta thew seven innings allowing one run on two hits and struck out 14. Yes you read that right, he struck out 14. Bryce Shafer struggled, but Larry Suarez came in to pitch a scoreless 1.1 innings and record his first save of the season. Offensively had one of his best, if not his best game of his young career. He went 4-for-4 with two doubles, one triple, four runs scored, and a stolen base. Chadd Krist and Wes Darvill each had two hits, and Krist drove in two runs. Pin-Chieh Chen and Yaniel Cabezas each added a hit and an RBI. Peralta really just put the Chiefs on his back in this one and had night to remember.
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Daytona picked up the win beating Lakeland 6-1. Austin Kirk was good giving up one run on four hits in 5.2 innings. He got the win and improved his record to 7-3. Jeffrey Lorick and AJ Morris combined to pitch the last 3.3 innings allowing no runs. It took a couple of games, but Javier Baez finally had his coming out party in Daytona. He went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Christian Villanueva was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Rubi Silva added an RBI and John Andreoli went 2-for-3 with a run scored and three stolen bases, he now has 47 on the year. Everyone else in the lineup contributed with a hit on Tuesday as it was one of those rare games where everyone ends with a hit.
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A six run first was way too much to come back from for Tennessee as they lost to Jackson 10-4. In his second start with the Smokies Jacob Brigham really struggled giving up six runs on six hits in just 0.2 innings. The Smokies would use five more pitchers on the evening. Kevin Rhoderick pitched better than he has been pitching 1.1 scoreless ball. Brian Schlitter and Dustin Harrington combined to pitch the last 2.1 innings not allowing a run. Need I say it, Justin Bour was 2-for-3 with yet another RBI and Nelson Perez had two hits of his own. Matt Szczur, Logan Watkins, and Matt Cerda all had triples on Tuesday. Junior Lake, Nate Samson, and Chad Noble all contributed with an RBI a piece. It was definitely a tough start for Brigham, but the Smokies will look to get back on track tomorrow.
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Iowa put up seven on Tuesday and that was enough as the beat Reno 7-4. Ty’Relle Harris was quite impressive pitching six innings allowing only two runs and striking out five. Jaye Chapman pitched a scoreless 0.2 innings, striking out both outs he recorded. Jairo Asencio earned his first save by striking out one in one inning. Dave Sappelt had a nice night going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. James Adduci hit a double and knocked in three and Alfredo Amezaga added two hits and scored two runs. Matt Tolbert added a double and drove in one run . It is nice to see Iowa get a win, hope they can keep it going.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
8/6: Around the Cubs Minor League System
Looking at the Cubs system on Monday, August 8. Daytona had the day off.
The AZL Cubs were able to tie the game at eight in the bottom of the ninth, but gave up two in the 10th to lose 10-8. Pierce Johnson took the mound for the second time and thew two scoreless innings, striking out two. As good as Carlos Martinez-Pumarino was in his first 29 innings pitched Monday was a real struggle. He gave up seven runs, six earned on seven hits in just 1.1 innings. Jasvir Rakkar struck out two in two scoreless innings. Alvido Jimenez took the loss, his third of the season giving up two runs in the tenth. Justin Marra had really nice night at the plate going 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Garrett Schlecht also had three hits on the night and drove one in. David Bote had two RBIs and Ben Carhart added one. Albert Almora had one hit and Jorge Soler was back in the lineup going 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored.
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Wow, Boise did it again beating Everett 11-7. The story in this one was the offense as they pounded out 14 hits to go along with the 11 runs they scored. After a rough game yesterday Gioskar Amaya got back on track, going 3-for-5 with a home run. Rock Shoulders got the start at first tonight and delivered going 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Carlos Escobar had two hits including a home run and two RBIs. Stephen Bruno also hit a homer and ended with two RBIs as well. Trey Martin ended the night with two RBIs and Wilson Contreras added a double and an RBI as well. The staff struggled on Monday. Justin Amlung started, but only lasted two innings giving up two runs. Felix Pena did not pitch well in four innings, but did get his first win of the year. He gave up four runs in four innings, however he did strike out five. Nathan Dorris secured the win notching his first save of the season, striking out three in 1.1 innings. The Hawks continue to roll and look to keep it going.
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Peoria dropped their fifth in a row losing to Clinton 8-6. Leading 4-1 after the first, this was not the outcome Peoria had in mind. The Chiefs did a few good things at the plate on Monday. Bijan Rademacher, Wes Darvill, and Sergio Burruel all had two hits, Darvill and Burruel driving in a run a piece. Timothy Saunders was 1-for-5 with a double, but drove in three runs and scored one. Zeke DeVoss added a hit out of the leadoff spot and also stole his 30th base of the season. Zach Cates got the start, but did not factor in the decision tossing 4.2 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits. Pete Levitt pitched a scoreless 1.1 innings and was in line for the win. Justin Berg struggled and took the loss allowing three runs, two earned in two innings. Jeffry Antigua couldn’t keep it close enough for the Chiefs as he gave up two runs in only one inning. This was another tough loss for Peoria on Monday.
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Tennessee score two in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough as the Smokies lost to Jackson 7-6. Tennessee did have 10 hits and seven runs, so the offense did a pretty nice job. What else can you say about Justin Bour. He hit another home run today, his 15th of the season and ended the day 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Junior Lake continued his solid season going 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Matt Szczur, who has been struggling since moving to Tennessee went 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored, and a stolen base. Lendy Castillo started and pitched only two innings allowing one run on one hit and striking out two. Dae-Eun Rhee just didn’t have it tonight, allowing six runs in five innings and taking the loss. The story in this one was Justin Bour who is just tearing it up right now.
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Iowa gave up a run in the top of the ninth losing to Reno 2-1. Frankie De La Cruz pitched five innings allowing only one run, while striking out four and walking three. Blake Parker and Michael Bowden combined to throw three scoreless innings, but Jairo Asencio took the loss allowing one run in the ninth. Greg Rohan had nice night at the dish going 2-for-4 with the Cubs lone RBI. Blake Lalli also added to hits, including a double. Alfredo Amezaga also had a double and Dave Sappelt contributed with a base hit of his own. Unfortunately I have feeling this is how most games are going to go offensively for Iowa the rest of the way. Let’s hope I am wrong and they can do something positive going forward.
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
7/27: Around the Cubs Minor League System
A quick look at the Cubs minor leaguers on Friday, July 27.
The AZL Cubs dropped a low scoring game to the AZL Athletics 3-1. Lendy Castillo got the start as he continues to work his way back allowing one run on two hits in four innings. He struck out six and took a no decision in this one. Tyler Bremer gave up two runs and took the loss. Carlos Martinez-Pumarino and Jin-Young Kim combined to pitch 3.2 scoreless innings, but the Cubs offense couldn’t come back. The Cubs got their run in the first when Albert Almora hit a two-run double and then scored on a Jorge Soler RBI single. Soler would add another hit on the night and stole a base. Carlos Penalver was the only other Cubs player to record a hit on Friday. This is not what we have come to expect from the Cubs, but they will get back on track soon.
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Boise exploded to beat Tri-City 8-3. The Hawks had five players with multi-hit games. Daniel Vogelbach was one of those going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Gioskar Amaya and Marco Hernandez each had two hits, wtih Amaya driving in two. Trey Martin and Xavier Batista also added two hits a piece. Wilson Contreras connected on his second home run of the season, a three run shot in the second inning. Willengton Cruz got his second win of the season out of the bullpen. He pitched two strong innings striking out four. James Pugliese started and gave up three runs in four innings of work. Michael Heesch and Su-Min Jung each pitched well in relief. After a tough 1-0 loss last night, it was nice to see Boise come back strong tonight.
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Javier Baez gave Peoria a lead with a two-run shot in the eighth and the Chiefs held beating Cedar Rapids 3-2. Baez’s 11th homer of the season turned out to be one of his biggest of his young career. He finished the game 2-for-3 and is now hit a robust .341. Wes Darvill also had two hits, including a double, a run scored, and an RBI. Austin Reed recorded the win in relief, his fourth of the season. Zach Cates got the start, pitching 5.1 innings allowing two runs on three hits, while striking out seven. Sheldon McDonald pitched two scoress inning in relief dropping his ERA to 1.91 on the season. It has been exciting following Baez this year and he continues to impress.
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Robert Whitenack and the staff were outstanding for the Daytona Cubs beating Bradenton 2-0. Robert Whitenack got his first win since coming back from Tommy-John surgery. He pitched five innings allowing no runs on two hits, while striking out four. Eduardo Figuerora struck out four in three scoreless innings in relief. AJ Morris closed the game out recording his second save of the season. The offense lost Matt Szczur who was promoted to Tennessee was able to get enough to win. Rebel Ridling hit his second home run of the season and had two hits. Timothy Saunders also had two hits including a double and a run scored. A big congrats to Robert and here’s to many more in the near future.
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Jacksonville was able to score two runs in three different innings defeating Tennessee 6-4. Junior Lake continued his hot stretch in this one going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Greg Rohan had two hits and connected on his fourth home run with the Smokies. Juan Apodaca also had two hits and an RBI. In his first game with Tennessee Matt Szczur went 0-for-4 with two strike outs. Ty’relle Harris started and took the loss going 2.2 innings allowing four runs on six hits. Zach Rosscup gave up two runs in 3.2 innings, but struck out an impressive six batters. Casey Harman and Kevin Rhoderick also pitched in the loss.
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Iowa wins, Iowa wins, Iowa wins. It has been a rough go as of late so to beat Okalahoma City 5-0 is great to see. Chris Volstad had his best start pitching eight scorelss innings. He only surrendered four hits, walking three, and striking out five. Alberto Cabrerea finished the game off throwing a scoreless ninth striking out two. Alfredo Amezaga led off going 3-for-5 and scored a run. Adrian Cardenas and Brian Esposito each had two hits with Cardenas hitting a double and scoring a run. Dave Sappelt had a triple and drove in two on Friday. Josh Vitters and Brett Jackson each recorded one hit and scored a run, Jackson also drove one in. Hope this is signs to come for Chris Volstad and the Cubs.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
7/26: Around the Cubs Minor League System
Taking you through the Cubs minor leagues on Thursday, July 26.
The AZL Cubs lost a rough one on Thursday to the Ranger 5-4. Leading most of the night, the Cubs gave up two in the eight, one in the ninth, and one in the tenth to blow what appeared to be a win. Those relievers who struggled were Ryan Hartman, Nathan Dorris, and losing pitcher Daniel Adrian. It wasn’t all bad on the mound as Carl Lang and Ethan Elias each pitched three solid innings combing to strike out seven and surrender only one run on four hits. Every night we look forward to seeing how Albert Almora and Jorge Soler and tonight was no different. Almora started strong with hit first double, but ended the night 1-for-5. Soler ended the night 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base. Garrett Schlecht had a night he won’t forget as he hit his first home run of his professional career, a two-run shot in the fourth. Shawon Dunston Jr. stayed hot adding two more hits, raising his average to .296. Carlos Penalver also had two hits and Jacob Rogers added a double. The AZL Cubs havn’t had too many disappointments, but tonight was one of them.
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Boise lost a low scoring game to Yakima 1-0. Although there was only one run scored there was plenty of excitement in this one as there were ejections and the benches almost cleared. It all started a few nights ago when Wilson Contreras was bowled over twice and then was hit by a pitch in this game. Starting pitcher Jose Arias took exception and retaliated hitting a Bears player in the seventh. Arias and manager Mark Johnson were promtly ejected. Things didn’t end there though. Contreras found his way on and bowled over the Yakima catcher and on his way back to the dugout had words for the Bears dugout. Benches almost cleared and Contreras was ejected from the game. Back to the baseball part of it. Jose Arias pitched quite well taking the tough loss on Thursday. He gave up one run on three hits in six innings, he also walked two and struck out three. Michael Hamann and Eduardo Orozco combined to pitch three innings of scoreless baseball in relief. Offensively there wasn’t much to talk about. The highlights were Marco Hernandez having two hits and Daniel Vogelbach getting another hit.
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Peoria scored early and it held up as they beat Cedar Rapids 7-2. The Chiefs got two in the first, one in the third, and three more in the fourth to get an early lead. Javier Baez had a nice night once again going 2-for-2 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Zeke DeVoss and Yaniel Cabezas also had twho hits with DeVoss driving a run and scoring two. Chadd Krist continued his great performance at the plate adding another hit, his sixth double and driving in two runs. On the mound Michael Jensen was at it again winning his ninth game of the year. He pitched six solid innings, surrendering two runs on four hits, while striking out six and walking zero. Larry Suarez and Bryce Shafer finished this one off pitched three scoreless innings to end the game.
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Daytona outlasted Bradenton beating them 9-7 in a high scoring battle. The Cubs offense had a few big innings, scoring three in the second, the fourth, and two in the seventh. Offensively they were led by Rafael Lopez who was 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. Lopez was not the only Cubs player to have a big night as John Andreioli was 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBIs, four runs scored, and his 36th steal of the year. Matt Szczur added two hits and he also drove in a pair, raising his average to .295. Rubi Silva and Elieser Bonne each had two hits as well and Bonne drove in two on the evening. Austin Kirk started and got the win, his fifth of the year. He allowed four runs on six hits in six innings, walking five and striking out three. Ryan Searle pitched the last three holding on the record his first save of the season.
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Despite scoring four Tennessee dropped the game to Jacksonville losing 6-4. Dallas Beeler started, but did not factor in the decision allowing four runs, three earned and striking out eight in five innings pitched. Tony Zych took the loss as he allowed two runs in his two innings of work. On the bright side, there were some nice things that happened at the plate. Junior Lake stayed hot going 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI. Justin Bour and Greg Rohan each connected for a home run on Thursday. Nate Samson added three hits of his own. In an unfortunate accident Jae-Hoon Ha had to leave the game early on a stretcher after he hit his head on a cement wall wall that had no padding. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jae-Hoon and hope to have good news on this soon. We will keep you updated as we know more.
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How many different ways can Iowa find to lose, because it seems like they find a new one every night. After having a lead most of the night they gave up a single run in the fifth and six to tie the game. After scoring two in the tenth, they gave up three to lose 6-5. Michael Bowden to the loss allowing all three runs in the tenth. Casey Coleman was solid pitching 5.2 innings giving up three runs on seven hits. Jay Jackson pitched well in relief allowing no runs in his two innings of work. The Cubs were led by James Adduci at the plate having his best game in Iowa. He went 4-for-5 with a home run, double, a run scored, and two RBIs. Josh Vitters was the other bright spot from the offense going 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and a run batted in. Nothing is going right for Iowa at this time, hope they can turn it around and end the year on a high note, but only time will tell.
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
