Cubs Minor League Wrap: May 3

by Josh Timmers on May 3, 2011 10:04 PM CDT in Minor Leagues

This has nothing to do with the minor leagues. Write your own caption.

No surprises here, but congratulations to Tennessee Smokies pitcher Robert Whitenack, who easily won the Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Month award for April.

When Memorial Day rolls around, start nominating players for May.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were run over by the Round Rock Express (Rangers), 9-3.

Starter J.R. Mathes got rocked early and didn't make it out of the first inning. Mathes was charged with allowing seven runs on six hits and two walks over two-thirds of an inning. Hey, at least the two outs he did record were strikeouts.

Austin Bibens-Dirkx relieved Mathes and while he did allow an inherited runner, afterwards he pitched 4.1 innings without allowing a run. He gave up four hits and no walks while striking out two.

Center fielder Tony Campana was 2 for 5. He scored once. First baseman Bryan LaHair went 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored once and batted one man in.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies got mauled by the Mobile Bay Bears (Diamondbacks) 8-6.

Starter Alberto Cabrera got the loss, going five innings and allowing five runs on nine hits. One of the five runs was unearned. He walked one and struck out three.

Matt Spencer hit a pinch-hit two-run home run in the sixth inning. It was his fourth homer this year. Spencer stayed in the game and went 1 for 3.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs trounced the Tampa Yankees, 8-3.

Starter Brett Wallach was dealing tonight with what was probably his best start in the Cub organization. Wallach went six plus innings and allowed only one run on four hits. Most importantly for Wallach, he only walked two and struck out nine.

The D-Cubs cranked out 20 hits tonight. Only one of them left the yard, and that was a solo home run in the fifth inning by right fielder Nelson Perez. Perez was 2 for 5.

First baseman Justin Bour hit a double in a 3 for 6 game. He had one RBI and scored once.

Center fielder Evan Crawford went 4 for 5. Third baseman Matt Cerda went 3 for 6.

Shortstop Junior Lake went 2 for 6 with a stolen base. He also scored once and had an RBI. Left fielder David Macias was also 2 for 6 with one run scored. Catcher Michael Brenly was 2 for 4 with one run scored and two RBI.

Peoria Chiefs

The Peoria Chiefs got swarmed by the Burlington Bees, 3-2 in ten innings.

Su-Ming Jung made his season debut today and was pretty good, despite some control problems. Jung pitched four shutout innings and allowed only two hits. He walked three and hit a batter, however. He did not have a strikeout.

The Cubs were held scoreless in this game until first baseman Richard Jones homered in the top of the ninth and then took the lead on a Matt Szczur RBI single in the tenth. But Marcus Hatley blew the save and the game. He allowed two runs on three hits and a hit batsman. He only retired one batter.

Jones was 2 for 4 overall. The homer was Jones fourth this season. Catcher Micah Gibbs was 2 for 4.

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Comments

Nice to see Wallach pitching well in his last 3 starts

Gotta get something for Ted Lilly!

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)

by SackMan on May 3, 2011 10:30 PM CDT reply actions

and Theriot.

Don’t forget Theriot. heh

by timh815 on May 3, 2011 10:46 PM CDT up reply actions

The Rat?

by Mulhollandmania on May 3, 2011 11:06 PM CDT up reply actions

Big Bad Justin Bour

by Bradsbeard on May 4, 2011 12:48 AM CDT reply actions

Evan Crawford

would like everyone’s attention. Impressive run he’s on.

by Bradsbeard on May 4, 2011 1:00 AM CDT reply actions

Caption Contest

"OUCH! LOOKS LIKE BLACK IS A BAD COLOR FOR YOU!

Reaches over as if to brush something off Meals’ lapel
Meals turns his head to look
Quade jams his finger into Meals’ nose to the second knuckle, pivots and throws Wells down, like Pedro and Don from days long gone.

Nomadic baseball fan, with no agenda other than observation/conversation/mass confusion/mass consumption. And annoying 09.

Prosecutor: "Jesus Christ, did ANYBODY tell the truth to the grand jury?"
Barry Bonds: "I did."
Prosecutor: "GAH!"

by victor frankenstein on May 4, 2011 1:52 AM CDT reply actions

How David Wells managed to shoehorn his way into that is Must See TV.

Nomadic baseball fan, with no agenda other than observation/conversation/mass confusion/mass consumption. And annoying 09.

Prosecutor: "Jesus Christ, did ANYBODY tell the truth to the grand jury?"
Barry Bonds: "I did."
Prosecutor: "GAH!"

by victor frankenstein on May 4, 2011 1:53 AM CDT up reply actions

Vitters

I was disturbed by a question that Keith Law- a past supporter of JV’s- answered on Twitter about Josh’s future. Somebody asked if Vitters’ celling is still that of an ML player. Law responded that it his ceiling but his chances if reaching it are another story.

by Mmurton on May 4, 2011 8:20 AM CDT via mobile reply actions

I wonder if it has to do with his defense

because nobody should be whining about his offense yet. In the small sample size of this season, he has drastically dropped his K rate, his ISO is a very nice .229 and he has an absurd BABIP of .219. You read that right. .219. And that was actually before he went another 0-3 last night, with no K’s. Just wait until the BABIP gods come around. He’ll be fine offensively.

As I mentioned above, though, the 7 errors in 25 games on D is a little concerning, especially when everyone in the organization raved about his progress there.

by RynoRooter on May 4, 2011 9:15 AM CDT up reply actions

Vitters D

RR, you bring up an interesting point about Vitters’ D. However, I’m guessing that Law is concerned about the OBP, though your point about BABIP. Law had surprisingly good things to say about Vitters’ D in the AFL, which is probably the last time he has seen him live- save a game or two in the spring.
  Speaking to his D- probably getting way ahead of myself here- , can you imagine a scenario where Vitters gets the bat goin and is slated to replace Aram next yr at 3B with Prince playing 1B? Believe me, the likelihood of BOTH things happening is unlikely but not impossible. The result would be a pretty weak set of defensive corner IFs.
  As important as upgrading our offense will be this upcoming offseason, management( whoever it happens to be)can’t totally disregard defensive considerations.
  As much as I’m ready to be done w Aram- for a variety of reasons- it’s a little scary to think about replacing him. Would it be Vitters, DeWitt/ Baker platoon, or a non-tender type like Kouzmanoff(defensive guy), or another Garza- like trade for a David Wright? All of those scenarios carry lots of risk. I just worry that any gain from signing either a Pujols or Fielder might be negated by an offensive black hole at 3B. It really amazes me how important Vitters’ development is for the organization.

by Mmurton on May 4, 2011 10:36 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Agreed

Vitters’s development, or non-development has the biggest impact of any prospect, IMO. I think Aramis is gone after this year, no matter what, but the direction the team goes at 3B is directly tied to Vitters. They could probably get by with a Baker/Flaherty platoon there, if Vitters needed another year though. Marquez Smith could probably give a year of replacement player production too.

by RynoRooter on May 4, 2011 11:08 AM CDT up reply actions