It was a rough middle of the week for the Cubs’ minor league affiliates. Several players kept producing at the plate and on the mound, but the overall win-loss record was not that good.
The Cubs promoted first round pick OF/2B Ian Happ to South Bend. And Happ’s new teammate, Jeffrey Baez has not slowed down with the bat or on the bases.
Donnie Dewees picked the right time to launch his first home run in pro ball, and it wasn’t a cheap shot. The ball traveled 404 feet.
Chesny Young is just a machine. Young extended both his hitting streak (12) and on-base streak (42). Chesny keeps adding to his now Carolina League on-base record.
As the back-up week comes to a conclusion, here are the details from the Cubs’ farm system.
Short Season Class-A – Eugene Emeralds (17-18)
Eugene could not put one in the win column Wednesday but at least the Ems put runs on the board as the Emeralds lost 4-2 to the Canadians. Jose Paulino was touched up for all four runs Vancouver scored but only one was earned. Paulino gave up five hits with a walk and two strikeouts in three innings. Jae-Hoon Ha tossed three innings of shutout ball. Ha allowed two hits and no walks while striking out three. Casey Bloomquist and Tanner Griggs each completed a perfect inning.
Eugene scored both runs in the second inning on a Matt Rose (1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI) two-run homer. Justin Marra (0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored) led off the inning with a free pass and scored on the longball. Donnie Dewees (1-for-4 with a double), Frandy Delarosa (1-for-4 with a double), Eloy Jimenez (1-for-4) and Kevonte Mitchell (1-for-3) collected the other four hits.
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The Ems posted a much needed win on Thursday night and it was a recent draft pick that provided the big hit in a 2-1 victory over Salem-Keizer. Donnie Dewees (1-for-3 with a home run, a walk and two RBI) cranked a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, the first longball of his career, with pinch-hitter Matt Rose (1-for-1 with a run scored) along for the ride.
Kyle Twomey made the start and allowed one run on two hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts. Preston Morrison followed with two scoreless frames that included four strikeouts and a walk. Pedro Araujo had five strikeouts in his three innings and Tyler Peitzmeier picked up the win with two shutout innings.
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Low Class-A – South Bend Cubs (43-52)
South Bend received a quality start from Jake Stinnett in one of his longest outings of the season. But the offense could not scratch their way back and Dillon Maples was touched up for more runs in a 5-2 loss to Great Lakes.
Jake Stinnett appears to be figuring things out. Stinnett allowed three runs on nine hits without a walk while striking out five in 6 2/3 innings. Dillon Maples continues to struggle and surrendered two runs on three hits and no walks with a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings.
South Bend scored single runs in the second and third inning. Yasiel Balaguert (1-for-4 with a run scored) singled to start the second. Balaguert stole second with Rashad Crawford (0-for-4) at the plate and moved to third on a groundout. Erick Castillo (2-for-4 with a RBI) singled to left and plated Balaguert.
It was that guy Jeffrey Baez (3-for-4 with a run scored) again in the third inning. Baez singled with one out in the third and stole second base. After a ground out put him at third base, Kevin Encarnacion (1-for-3 with a RBI) bunted him in.
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South Bend had a Thursday that the entire team would like to forget. The SB Cubs were blown out 13-0 by Great Lakes in front of the home crowd. The Loons pounded out 18 hits and scored eight of the 13 runs in the seventh inning. While Great Lakes apparently hit the ball all over Four Winds Field, the SB Cubs were charged with as many errors (4) as the number of hits (4) they ended up with on the night.
Michael Wagner allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits with a walk and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Tyler Ihrig surrendered five runs on six hits with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. Sam Wilson was charged with four runs, one earned, on four hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. It was position player time in the ninth inning as David Bote was called on in mop up duty. Bote retired all three batters he faced.
Gleyber Torres (1-for-3 with a walk), Charcer Burks (1-for-4), Jesse Hodges (1-for-3) and Rashad Crawford (1-for-3) collected the four singles.
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High Class-A – Myrtle Beach Pelicans (56-41)
The Birds streak was snapped Wednesday night on the road as Lynchburg thumped Myrtle Beach 10-4. Jonathan Martinez had a rare bad outing. Martinez gave up a season-high eight runs on 11 hits with a walk and two strikeouts. The Hillcats launched three home runs off Martinez. The typically reliable David Garner did not fare much better than Martinez. Garner surrendered two more home runs in three innings. James Farris tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
Carlos Penalver (1-for-4 with a run scored) led off the third with a single to right. Chesny Young (2-for-5) extended his on-base streak with a single to right. Pin-Chieh Chen (3-for-5 with a triple, a RBI and three runs scored) rolled into a force out that allowed Penalver to score. Victor Caratini (3-for-5 with a double and three RBI) delivered a two-out double that scored Chen.
Pin-Chieh Chen tripled in the fifth and scored on a Victor Caratini single. And it was the same combination in the seventh. Chen reached on a one-out single, stole second and scored on a single from Caratini.
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Myrtle Beach dropped its second game in a row Thursday to Lynchburg by a final score of 7-3. Daury Torrez had a rough night and for the second straight game a Pelicans’ starter gave up a season-high in runs allowed. Torrez was tagged for seven runs on eight hits with a walk and five strikeouts. The Hillcats went deep three times off Torrez in five innings. Josh Conway walked four and struck out five in two innings while not allowing any hits or runs. David Berg tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
The Birds took the lead in the third after Trey Martin (1-for-4 with a run scored) singled to center with one out. Chesny Young (3-for-5 with a double and a run scored) extended his on-base streak with a single to center. And Kevin Brown (1-for-3 with a RBI) loaded the bases with a bunt single. Mark Zagunis (0-for-2 with two walks and a RBI) walked and forced in Martin. Cael Brockmeyer (0-for-3 with a RBI) plated Young with a sac fly. Jordan Hankins (1-for-4 with a run scored) started the seventh with a single and went to third on a Chesny Young double. Kevin Brown hit a sac fly to center that allowed Hankins to tag and score.
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Double-A – Tennessee Smokies (50-45)
Tennessee took a 7-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh in Chattanooga on Wednesday and lost by a final of 8-7. The Lookouts scored seven times in the seventh inning, five against Corey Black in a third of an inning. Pierce Johnson had a very good outing go south on him in the seventh. Johnson allowed one run over the first six innings and was charged for two of the seven runs. Johnson gave up three runs on six hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
The Smokies jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Jacob Hannemann (2-for-5 with two runs scored) started the game by reaching on a bunt. An error by Levi Mitchell allowed Albert Almora Jr. (0-for-5 with a run scored) to reach and put runners on the corners. Hannemann scored on another error by Mitchell. Billy McKinney (2-for-4 with a double) drove in Almora Jr. with a single to right. Jeimer Candelario (1-for-4 with a double and two runs scored) reached on a fielder’s choice that erased McKinney at second. Stephen Bruno (2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored) came through with a two-out single to left that plated both Rademacher and Candelario.
The Smokies tacked on with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Jeimer Candelario led off the fourth with a double, moved to third on a fly to right and scored on a sac fly by Jacob Rogers (0-for-2 with a walk and a RBI). In the fifth, Hannemann singled to start the inning, moved to second when Rademacher walked with one out and scored on a Willson Contreras (1-for-4 with a walk and a RBI) single. Bruno singled in the sixth with one out. After Rogers walked, Elliot Soto (1-for-4) singled to right and loaded the bases. Hannemann rolled into a 6-4-3 double play that allowed Bruno to score.
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Tennessee used a three-run eighth inning to beat Chattanooga on Thursday, 4-1. Rob Zastryzny had a good outing. The lefty allowed one run on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts in five innings. Zach Cates completed two innings without giving up a run. Zac Rosscup walked one and struck out three in his second rehab outing with Tennessee and P.J. Francescon surrendered two hits in the ninth, but no runs and picked up his 14th save.
Jacob Hannemann (1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored) worked a walk to start the game and stole second with Albert Almora Jr. (0-for-4 with a RBI) at the plate. Willson Contreras (1-for-3 with a walk, a RBI and a run scored) singled in Hannemann after Almora Jr. lined out to third. In the eighth it was Bryant Flete (1-for-4 with a run scored) that started the rally. Flete singled to center and moved to second on a sac bunt. Hannemann singled to left. Bryant held at third. Hannemann stole second.
Albert Almora Jr. put the ball in play and his ground out to third allowed Flete to score the go-ahead run. Willson Contreras walked. Jacob Rogers (2-for-4 with a RBI) singled in Hannemann. Billy McKinney (1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a RBI) doubled to right, Contreras scored the third run of the inning.
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Triple-A – Iowa Cubs (52-46)
The I-Cubs were blanked Wednesday night 4-0 by Round Rock. Iowa managed seven hits and received the best start of the season from Frank Batista at the Triple-A level. But the I-Cubs were 0-for-7 with RISP and left six men on base.
Batista lasted only three innings (78 pitches, 44 strikes) but allowed only one run, a solo homer, and four total hits. Batista walked three and struck out one. Jeffry Antigua completed four scoreless innings. Joe Ortiz was charged with three unearned runs on two hits in two innings.
Matt Szczur (1-for-3 with a double), Mike Baxter (1-for-4), Junior Lake (1-for-4), Christian Villanueva (1-for-4), Mike Olt (1-for-4), Rubi Silva (1-for-3) and Jonathan Mota (1-for-3) collected the seven hits.
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Iowa ended up on the wrong end of a 3-2 game on Thursday as Round Rock made it two in a row over the I-Cubs. Felipe Paulino pitched into the seventh inning and took the loss due to his own miscue. With the game tied at two in the seventh, Paulino issued a leadoff walk and a pickoff throw to first base allowed Michael Choice to advance all the way to third. Chris Gimenez singled in the would be game winner.
Paulino was charged with three runs, two earned, on six hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Ben Rowen complete 1 2/3 innings without allowing a hit while striking out two. Brian Schlitter pitched the ninth to keep it a one-run game. Schlitter gave up a hit, walked two and struck out two.
Iowa scored their runs in the third inning and tied the game at two. Matt Szczur (3-for-4 with a walk and a run scored) singled with one out and scored on a Mike Baxter (2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI) home run, his first in the Cubs’ organization.
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Arizona Rookie League – AZL Cubs (13-11)
The AZL Cubs got back in the win column Tuesday with an 8-1 victory over the AZL Indians. The Cubs pounded out 14 hits and scored eight times with only one extra basehit. Robert Garcia (2-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored) and Michael Foster (3-for-3 with two walks) had excellent nights at the plate while Carlos Sepulveda (2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored) and Jose Paniagua (1-for-5 with two RBI) helped deliver the runs.
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News and Notes
The I-Cubs activated OF Adron Chambers from the disabled list. INF Sutton Whiting was promoted from Eugene Emeralds to Myrtle Beach. Joey Martarano left Eugene to return to Boise to prepare for football season.
RHP Austin Reed announced his retirement from baseball. Reed was selected in the 12th round of the 2010 draft and is the younger brother of RHP Addison Reed (White Sox, Diamondbacks).