The ball continues to fly down on the farm. Eloy Jimenez went yard for Eugene while the reigning Midwest League Player of the Week, Jeffrey Baez, kept finding holes. And Erick Leal tossed a gem for South Bend.
Chesny Young extended his on-base record and helped Myrtle Beach extend its winning streak. And a grand slam from Cael Brockmeyer did not hurt.
The Smokies swept a doubleheader over a South Side affiliate.
Christian Villanueva and Rubi Silva hit home runs but Iowa’s winning streak ended after a rough start from Tsuyoshi Wada.
The Cubs shuffled the players and a couple of top prospects received promotions. Make sure to check the news and notes section for all of the player movement.
Back-up week continues with the Down on the Farm Report and here are all the details from the Cubs’ system.
Short Season Class-A – Eugene Emeralds (16-17)
Eugene had another rough game Monday and was shutout 8-0 by Vancouver. Top pitching prospect Justin Steele was hit rather hard while not receiving much help from his defense. Steele was charged with eight runs, five earned, on 10 hits with three walks and no strikeouts in five innings. Trey Masek put together a much needed scoreless outing. Masek blanked the Canadians for two innings with a strikeout. Kyle Miller tossed an inning, gave up two hits but no runs.
The Emeralds managed only five hits and a walk in the loss … Frandy Delarosa (1-for-3 with a walk), Justin Marra (1-for-4 with a double), Alberto Mineo (1-for-3) and Ricardo Marcano (2-for-3).
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The Ems offense is stuck in neutral. Eugene managed an Eloy Jimenez (1-for-4 with a home run) home run on Tuesday night in a 3-1 loss to Vancouver. Oscar De La Cruz had a good outing. De La Cruz allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts in six innings. Greyfer Eregua allowed a run on a pair of hits in two innings.
The Emeralds managed only four hits through the first eight innings and Jimenez’s shot kept them from being shut out again. Donnie Dewees (1-for-4), Frandy Delarosa (1-for-4), Adonis Paula (1-for-3) and Kevonte Mitchell (1-for-3) recorded singles in Tuesday’s loss.
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Low Class-A – South Bend Cubs (43-50)
South Bend collected eight hits but could not push a run across the plate against West Michigan on Monday and lost 4-0. Zach Hedges pitched into the eighth inning and was working on a quality start before the Whitecaps scored two runs in the eighth. Hedges was charged with four runs on eight hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. Alex Santana did not allow a run over the last 1 2/3 innings.
Despite Jeffrey Baez (1-for-4) and Gleyber Torres (2-for-3 with a double) setting the table, the middle of the order were a combined 1-for-12 and could not drive in Baez or Torres. Charcer Burks (1-for-4), Gioskar Amaya (1-for-4), David Bote (1-for-3) and Rashad Crawford (1-for-3) also collected hits in the loss.
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Erick Leal was lights out Tuesday night as the South Bend Cubs shutout Great Lakes 5-0. Leal tossed eight innings of scoreless ball. Leal scattered seven hits, all singles, walked a batter and struck out eight. Ryan McNeil struck out two in the ninth.
Jeffrey Baez (3-for-4 with a run scored) set the tone for the night. Baez led off the first with a single to center and swiped second with Gleyber Torres (0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored) at the plate. Torres struck out but reached first on a wild pitch. Baez moved to third on the play. Charcer Burks (1-for-4 with a RBI) grounded into a 6-4 force out that allowed Baez to score.
Rashad Crawford (1-for-2 with a double, a walk, a RBI and two runs scored) started the fifth with a double to right. Crawford moved to third on a flyout to right and scored on a grounder to third. Gleyber Torres walked with one out in the sixth and stole second base. Burks singled to center. Torres went to third and scored on a Yasiel Balaguert (1-for-4 with a RBI) single. Burks scored on a sac fly. Crawford led off the seventh with a free pass and took advantage of Great Lakes’ defense. Crawford went to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a flyout to center and score on a passed ball.
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High Class-A – Myrtle Beach Pelicans (56-39)
Myrtle Beach made it seven wins in a row on Monday as the Pelicans topped the Salem Red Sox 4-1. Brad Markey continued his run with an excellent start. Markey allowed one run on three hits with a walk and a strikeout in six innings. The only run he allowed scored on a solo home run by Mauricio Dubon leading off the game.
Dave Berg picked up his first save after tossing a scoreless ninth. Fernando Cruz kept the Sox off the board in the seventh and eighth innings while allowing just three hits.
The Pelicans tied the game at one in the bottom of the first. Mark Zagunis (1-for-4 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored) reached on an error and scored on a double by Jeimer Candelario (1-for-4 with a double and a RBI). Myrtle Beach took the lead for good in the second inning. Victor Caratini (2-for-2 with a double, a walk and a RBI) led off with a single to right. Pin-Chieh Chen (1-for-3) singled to right and advanced Caratini to third. Chen was thrown out trying to swipe second base. Danny Lockhart (1-for-3 with a double and a RBI) doubled in Caratini.
Trey Martin (1-for-3 with a run scored) started the fifth with a single to left and stole second with Zagunis at the plate. Zagunis smacked a ground rule double to right and plated Martin. Chesny Young extended his on-base streak to 39 games with a single to right. Zagunis scored on the play as Young was thrown out at second base.
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The Pelicans made it seven wins in a row Tuesday with a 12-0 thumping of the Salem Red Sox. Jen-Ho Tseng had a good night on the bump. Tseng allowed five hits and three walks with three strikeouts in five innings. James Pugliese walked a batter and hit a batter but did not allow a hit in three innings. Jasvir Rakkar retired all three batters he faced in the ninth.
The Birds liked crooked numbers Tuesday. Myrtle Beach did all of their scoring in three different innings. Chesny Young (2-for-5 with a run scored) extended his on-base streak to 40 games with a single to right in the first inning. Singles by Pin-Chieh Chen (1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored) and Mark Zagunis (3-for-5 with a double and three runs scored) loaded the bases with no outs. Victor Caratini (1-for-2 with a double, a walk, two RBI and two runs scored) hit a sac fly to center that plated Young. With runners on the corners, Cael Brockmeyer (2-for-4 with a home run, five RBI and three runs scored) singled to center. Chen scored. Kevin Brown (4-for-5 with two doubles, a RBI and a run scored) singled to reload the bases. Carlo Penalver (1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI) walked and forced in Zagunis. Danny Lockhart (1-for-5 with a RBI) singled to right, Brockmeyer scored and Brown scored on an error.
A two-out walk by Chen in the fourth opened the door for the Pelicans. Zagunis followed with a double and Caratini walked to load the bases. Cael Brockmeyer went yard and his grand slam put Myrtle Beach up 9-0.
Zagunis singled with one out in the sixth and moved to second on a wild pitch. Caratini doubled to right. Zagunis scored. Brockmeyer was hit by a pitch. Brown doubled in Caratini. And Brockmeyer scored on a groundout.
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Double-A – Tennessee Smokies (49-44)
The Smokies were rained out Monday which meant two seven-inning games on Tuesday.
The Smokies jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of game one and held on to beat Birmingham 3-2 on Tuesday afternoon. Felix Pena started and allowed two runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings. Pena walked three and struck out 10 batters. P.J. Francescon replaced Pena in the fifth with the Smokies up by two and a runner on second. Francescon surrendered a single that allowed Courtney Hawkins to score and make it a 3-2 game. Francescon struck out Chris Jacobs swinging to end the fifth.
Elliot Soto (1-for-3 with a run scored) led off the first with a single to center. Albert Almora Jr. (1-for-3 with a run scored) singled to center. And Bijan Rademacher (1-for-3 with a run scored) singled to right and loaded the bases. Willson Contreras (2-for-3 with a double and two RBI) hit a ground rule double to right, Soto and Almora Jr. scored. Rademacher crossed the plate on a grounder to short off the bat of Jeimer Candelario (0-for-2 with a RBI).
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The Smokies completed the sweep over the Barons in dramatic fashion. Bryant Flete (1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI) walked off Birmingham with a two-run homer in the seventh and gave Tennessee a 3-1 win. Ivan Pineyro had a very good outing. Pineyro picked up the victory after allowing one run on seven hits in the seven-inning complete game. Pineyro did not walk a batter and struck out seven.
Albert Almora Jr. (1-for-2 with a walk and a RBI) gave the Smokies a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a single to center that plated Jacob Hannemann (1-for-3 with a double). Elliot Soto (2-for-3 with a double and a run scored) doubled ahead of Flete’s walk-off homer.
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Triple-A – Iowa Cubs (52-44)
The I-Cubs kept rolling Monday night with a 7-1 victory over Chi Chi Gonzalez and Round Rock. And the theme for Iowa’s offense … everyone gets a hit. Drake Britton had a good outing and put together a seven-inning start in which he allowed one run on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Armando Rivero had a scoreless inning of work and Yoervis Medina righted his ship with his best outing since he was demoted to Iowa. Medina kept Round Rock off the board in the ninth.
Iowa jumped on the Express and scored all seven runs in the first six innings. Matt Szczur (2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored) led off the first with a double and scored on a pair of throwing errors with Arismendy Alcantara (0-for-4) at the plate. Mike Baxter (1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored) singled to center to start the second inning. Mike Olt (2-for-4 with a run scored) reached on an error by Joey Gallo. Rubi Silva (2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored) launched his eighth home run of the season, a three-run shot to right.
Matt Szczur started the fifth with a single to left. Szczur stole second with Junior Lake (2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored) at the plate. Lake singled to left, Szczur scored and Lake went to second on the throw. Christian Villanueva (1-for-4 with a double) doubled in Lake. Rubi Silva singled to center in the sixth, moved to third on a single by Taylor Davis (2-for-3) and scored on a Jonathan Mota (1-for-3 with a walk and a RBI) single to right.
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The Iowa Cubs were not able to overcome the Express’ five-run third inning and lost 6-5 to Round Rock on Tuesday night. Tsuyoshi Wada had a rough night. Wada was charged with six runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and no walks in 4 1/3 innings. Ben Rowen allowed a run to score that was charged to Wada. Armando Rivero and Blake Cooper had scoreless outings but Iowa’s offense could not complete the comeback.
Iowa had a 2-0 lead after the second inning thanks to a Mike Olt (1-for-2 with two walks, a RBI and a run scored) walk and a Rubi Silva (1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI) two-run homer. Christian Villanueva (2-for-5 with a home run) hit home run No. 13 in the third.
Mike Olt plated Junior Lake (0-for-2 with two walks and a RBI) with a sac fly in the fifth after Lake walked and stole second. Iowa cut the deficit to one run in the sixth on a sac fly by Lake that allowed Luke Carlin (1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run scored) to score.
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Arizona Rookie League – AZL Cubs (12-11)
The AZL Cubs were blanked Sunday night 3-0 by the AZL Dodgers. James Norwood got the start and tossed four innings of scoreless ball. Norwood walked one but did not give up a hit while striking out six. Trey McNutt kept the Dodgers off the board for an inning with a strikeout.
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The AZL Cubs lost a one-run game to the AZL Angels on Monday night by a final of 5-4. Jesus Camargo gave up three runs, two earned, on two hits and a walk with four strikeouts in four innings. Craig Brooks surrendered a hit but no runs in his inning of work. Luis Hernandez was hung with the loss. Robert Garcia (1-for-5 with a run scored), Jose Paniagua (2-for-4 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored), Michael Foster (2-for-3) and Angelo Amendolare (0-for-4 with a RBI) contributed at the plate.
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News and Notes
The South Bend Cubs activated INF Jesse Hodges and sent INF Vimael Machin to Eugene Emeralds. The Iowa Cubs sent C/1B Cael Brockmeyer to Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach placed RHP Jeremy Null on the 7-day DL. Angelo Amendolare was sent to AZL Cubs from Triple-A Iowa. Iowa Cubs activated C Luke Carlin.
The Tennessee Smokies placed RHP Michel Jensen on the DL. The Smokies activated OF Albert Almora Jr.
3B Jeimer Candelario, 1B Jacob Rogers and RHP Juan Carlos Paniagua were promoted to Double-A Tennessee. INF Jason Vosler was promoted from South Bend Cubs to High-A Myrtle Beach. INF Vimael Machin was promoted from Eugene to South Bend.
Double-A Tennessee activated RHP Andres Santiago. INF Sutton Whiting was sent from Tennessee to Eugene. LHP Jeffry Antigua was sent from Double-A Tennessee to Triple-A Iowa. INF Varonex Cuevas was sent to AZL Cubs from Double-A Tennessee.