Minor League Wrap--April 11

This really should be a fan post unto itself, but honestly, even I get sick of seeing Mordecai Brown up there in all those fanposts, so I'm just adding it at the top of this one.

We always knew that Doug Glanville was a better human being than he was a ballplayer.  A smarter one too.  So if you want a very insightful and intelligent look at the world of being a ballplayer and how that's getting Roger Clemens into a ton of trouble right now, check out Glanville's column in the New York Times today.  Go ahead.  I'll still be here when you get back.  It's better than anything I'm going to write.

OK, you back?  Good, you didn't miss anything.

Iowa Cubs

The I-Cubs were supposed to play in Nashville tonight, but were rained out.  They'll play a double header tomorrow.

Tennessee Smokies

If it was raining in Nashville, what do you think the odds were that it was raining  in Knoxville?  Yup.  Rained out.

Daytona Cubs

The D-Cubs took out the Vero Beach Devil Rays tonight, 5-2.

Alex Maestri got his first win ever as a starting pitcher by tossing five shutout innings. He pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the second inning by getting a pair of ground balls. The first was a comebacker to the mound that retired the runner at home and the second was a 5-4-3 double play.  Maestri allowed only two hits and three walks, the walks being the big blemish on the evening.  Maestri struck out two.

Ryan Meyers relieved Maestri in the sixth inning and retired no one, allowing two walks and a hit.  But Jody Davis called in Dumas Garcia from the pen and Garcia proceeded to get out of the second bases-loaded, no-out jam of the evening by striking out the next three batters.  Garcia's final line on the night is 2.1 innings pitched, one hit, one run and those three strikeouts.

Casey Lambert gave up one run in 1.2 innings to record his third save of the season.

Several D-Cubs had good nights.  Second baseman Tony Thomas continued his hitting, going 2 for 5 with a run scored.  His double-play partner, shortstop Darwin Barney had two doubles in three at bats.  He knocked two runs in and drew a walk as well.  First baseman Steve Clevenger went 3 for 4 with a double.  Right fielder Jim Adduci went 2 for 4 with a triple, a run scored and 2 RBI.  Catcher Mark Reed went 2 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Peoria Chiefs

A seven-run fourth inning, marked by two Chief errors, doomed our Midwest League heroes as they lost to the Kane County Cougars, 10-3.

Starter Alberto Cabrera got knocked around in his 3.2 innings of work.  The six hits and two walks he allowed led to eight runs,  four of which were earned. Cabrera struck out three.

Reliever Hung-Wen Chen gave up his first run of the year, after allowing three hits and a walk in 2.1 innings of work.  Blake Parker threw two scoreless innings and Marcos Mateo gave up a run in the only inning he worked.

The game-winning home run that catcher Josh Donaldson hit last night seems to have broken him out of his slump.  Donaldson went 3 for 4 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI.  Right fielder Cliff Andersen went 2 for 4 and also hit two doubles.  Center fielder Drew Rundle went 1 for 4 with a double and a stolen base.

The two errors the Chiefs committed in the seven-run fourth (by Jovan Rosa and Nate Sampson) were the only two by the Chiefs in the game.  I guess that's progress.