Congratulations to Dan Vogelbach, your choice for the BCB Minor League Player of the Month! There were several good candidates this month, so I know the choice wasn't easy. You still have time to vote for the Minor League Pitcher of the Month.
Andres Santiago has been reassigned from Iowa to Tennessee.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs were beaten by the Oklahoma City Dodgers, 4-1.
Tsuyoshi Wada started tonight on a rehab start and looked much better than he has looked, allowing just two unearned runs on two hits over seven innings. Wada struck out five and walked only one. He threw 78 pitches, 53 for strikes.
Iowa's only run came in the seventh inning when Rubi Silva led off the inning with a double and Arismendy Alcantara singled him home with one out. Silva was 2 for 4 and Alcantara was 2 for 3 with two walks and a stolen base.
Tennessee Smokies
A massive Kyle Schwarber home run to right field in the top of the tenth gave the Tennessee Smokies a 6-5 win over the Birmingham Barons (White Sox)
Starter Corey Black pitched 5.2 innings and gave up four runs, three of which were earned, on six hits. That's not that impressive, but Black did strike out a whopping ten Barons and walked only two.
P.J. Francescon blew the save in the bottom of the ninth and it looked like he'd surrender the lead again in the bottom of the tenth when he put runners on first and third with only one out. But he got Jeremy Farrell to hit into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play to claim his first win of the year. Francescon pitched 2.1 innings and allowed the one run on four hits. He struck out one and did not walk anyone.
Schwarber's mammoth home run was his fifth of the season. He was 1 for 5 tonight. I hate to mention the Baron's were 4 for 5 stealing bases and Schwarber made a throwing error on a steal attempt as well.
In the fifth inning, right fielder Bijan Rademacher hit a three-run home run to tie the game at 4-4. It was Rademacher's second home run this year and he was 1 for 4.
Your player of the month, first baseman Dan Vogelbach was 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI triple. Vogelbach scored after the double.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans housebroke the Lynchburg Hillcats (Indians), 5-4.
Paul Blackburn pitched the first five innings and got his second win after allowing just one run on five hits. He struck out two and walked one.
Gerardo Concepcion was good for two innings of scoreless relief, but then he started the eighth inning and failed to record an out. His final line was 2+ innings, allowing three runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out six.
Jasvir Rakkar pitched a perfect ninth inning for his second save. He did not have a strikeout.
Left fielder Mark Zagunis hit a solo home run in the third inning to tie the score at 1-1. It was Zagunis' first home run this season. He was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base in tonight's game.
The Pelicans won tonight behind a four run fourth inning. The big blow in that rally was a two-run double by shortstop Carlos Penalver. Penalver was also 1 for 3 with a walk.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs won their fourth straight game by scrubbing the Ft. Wayne TinCaps (Padres), 5-4.
Trevor Clifton started and allowed three runs on only three hits over five innings. One of the hits was a solo home run and two of the runs were unearned. Clifton walked two and struck out three.
Tyler Ihrig got the win in relief after the SB Cubs scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to take the lead. Ihrig threw three innings and allowed one run on four hits. He neither walked nor struck any batters out.
James Farris struck out all three batters he faced in the top of the ninth for his first save.
Right fielder Yasiel Balaguert came to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth and South Bend trailing 4-2. Balaguert cleared the bases with a three-run double to give South Bend the lead. Balaguert was 1 for 4 on the night.
Second baseman Chesny Young had two RBI singles and a walk in a 2 for 3 game. He scored one the Balaguert double.
Cael Brockmeyer was 2 for 4 and also scored on Balaguert's double.