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Minor League Wrap--July 31, 2007

I must say, it was interesting when Billy Martin found our manager Lou Piniella and Thurmon Munson together in George Steinbrenner's shower on The Bronx is Burning tonight.  Hey, they were young and it was just a little experimentation, right?

Just a half game out of the Wild Card after tonight.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs fell to the Salt Lake Bees, 8-5.

Our old buddy Alfred Mathes got tagged for five runs on eleven hits and three walks in 5.2 innings of work.  Mathes struck out three.  But more troubling, Billy Petrick got knocked around too.  Petrick only recorded two outs while giving up five hits and three runs.

Geovany Soto hit his 17th home run tonight, part of a 2 for 5 night that also included a double and two RBI.  Shortstop Joe Simokaitis went 3 for 4 with his first PCL home run, a two-run blast in the second inning.

Tennessee Smokies

Kerry Wood threw what is expected to be his last rehab start in a 5-2 Smokies victory over the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx.

Wood walked the first batter he faced in relief of Ryan O'Malley, but then proceeded to retire the next five batters.  He struck out one Diamond Jaxx batter.  

O'Malley pitched well too, going 6.1 innings, giving up only two runs on five hits and two walks.  O'Malley struck out six.

Tyler Colvin hit his fourth home run in AA in a 1 for 3 night.  Shortstop Robinson Chirinos hit a two-run triple in one of his four at-bats on the evening.

And can I just say how happy I am that the Cubs changed their AA affiliate this year?  I think my hands would fall off if I had to type "West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx" every night.

Daytona Cubs

Rained out, along with pretty much the entire Florida State League. Only Sarasota got their game in.

Peoria Chiefs

Starter Jake Renshaw had a rough night as the Chiefs fell to the West Michigan Whitecaps 7-3.

Renshaw didn't make it out of the fourth inning.  He gave up seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and two walks in 3.2 innings.  He gave up two home runs and had a wild pitch.  He struck out two.

Relievers Michael Bartek and Jayson Ruhlman then combined to allow only one hit the rest of the way.

Right fielder Jim Adduci went 2 for 4.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks lost a sloppy one to the Tri-City Dust Devils, 14-10.

Starter Julio Castillo gave up eight runs in 1.2 innings of work.  Only two of them were earned, however, as shortstop Dylan "Hands of Stone" Johnston made another two errors tonight.  Between Peoria and Boise, Johnston has now made 40 errors in 83 games.  He's not a shortstop, Oneri.

The good pitching news is that Mark Pawelek threw 2.1 innings of shutout ball, giving up only one hit while striking out three.

Center fielder Jonathan Wyatt continued his hot July with a 3 for 4 night that included a double and a walk.  Left fielder Ty Wright went 2 for 5 with a grand slam in the fifth inning.  Wright had a big six RBI on the evening.

First baseman Marc Sawyer went 3 for 5 with two RBI and right fielder Kyler Burke went 2 for 5 with his fifth home run in the NWL.  Second baseman Tony Thomas also homered.

AZL Cubs

Beat the AZL Rangers, 3-1.

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