Cubs Minor League Wrap - July 20

by Josh Timmers on Jul 20, 2009 11:06 PM CDT in Minor Leagues

Logan Watkins was named Northwest League Player of the Week.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were smote by the Omaha Royals, 7-2.

J.R. Mathes got knocked around for five runs on eight hits. His start only lasted three innings. He didn't strike out anyone and walked one. He also hit a batter in a rough night all around.

DH Jason Dubois provided all the Cubs offense with a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Dubois was 1 for 2 with two walks. Second baseman Nate Spears entered the game in the fifth inning as a pinch hitter and still went 3 for 3 with a double. Spears is hitting .390 for the month of July. Of course, his OBP for the month is only .395, which is really weird because drawing walks has always been a part of Spears' game.

Tennessee Smokies

Had the day off.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs beat the St. Lucie Mets, 5-2 in 11 innings.

Ryan Searle has gotten his season back on track in July after a bad May and a terrible June. Tonight he went six innings and only allowed one unearned run. He gave up three hits and a walk while striking out three.

Reliever David Cales improved his record to 3-0 with 1.1 innings of relief without allowing a hit or a walk. (One batter did reach on an error and went to third on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 11th.) Cales struck out two.

The D-Cubs banged out 13 hits tonight, led by third baseman Marwin Gonzalez who was 3 for 5 with the go-ahead RBI triple in the top of the 11th. Gonzalez only had the one RBI and he also crossed the plate once.

Shortstop Starlin Castro, third baseman Josh Vitters and center fielder Brandon Guyer were all 2 for 5. Vitters added a triple, a stolen base and run scored. Guyer stole two bases, walked once and had one RBI and one run scored.

Left fielder Tony Campana was 2 for 6 with a run scored and an RBI.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs were cut down by the Clinton Lumber Kings, 6-0.

Aaron Shafer started and took the loss tonight. although he didn't pitch poorly at all. Shafer allowed three runs on five hits over six innings, and one of the runs was unearned. Shafer walked two and struck out five.

Center fielder David Macias was 1 for 2 with two walks.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks topped the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 4-3.

Dionis Nunez picked up his second save tonight 2.1 perfect innings of relief. Nunez struck out three.

Shortstop Hak-Ju Lee continues to tear up the NWL with a 2 for 4 night. Lee scored twice and stole his 13th base of the season.

Center fielder Brett Jackson went 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI. Third baseman Greg Rohan had two doubles in a 2 for 4 game. He scored once.

AZL Cubs

Did not play.

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Comments

Noticed that Robinson Chrinos walked 5 times in the game tonight

And none of them were intentional. I can’t remember the last time a guy walked 4 times in a game let alone 5. I still don’t know what to make of his turnaround. He is not young for the league but anyone who puts up an almost 1.000 OPS catches people’s attention. It seems like since they put him at catcher he seems to have started to actually hit. I wonder how his defense is?!?! Maybe he is the next Fox or Hoffpauir- an older guy who can eventually fill a small role on a big league club.

by CA Cub Fan on Jul 21, 2009 12:05 AM CDT reply actions

I missed that

and thank you for calling attention to it.

For those who don’t know, Chirinos was a failed middle infielder who made it as high as Tennessee but was converted to catching last season in an attempt to salvage his career. That means he’s 25 and in high-A. He’s always been able to draw a walk (not five in a game, that’s a fluke) but he’s hitting for power this year as well—famously he had the two grand slams in the one game and then followed it up the next day with two homers.

I’d like to say that catching has given him some insight into pitching that has improved his hitting, but until he does something at AA or above, I think a more likely explanation is that he’s an old veteran dominating inferior competition. One poster who saw him play last week said that he showed some great defense behind the plate, so that’s encouraging. I suppose he’s gone from non-prospect to marginal prospect this season.

by Josh Timmers on Jul 21, 2009 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree with much of what you say.

Although I would like to see them bump him up to AA to see what if anything he can do. I guess they don’t want to take ABs away from Castillo which may be why they haven’t.

by CA Cub Fan on Jul 21, 2009 1:50 PM CDT reply actions