Some wild games tonight. Of course, almost every game in Albuquerque is wild. The Cubs just need a team in the Cal League so they can play in Lancaster and High Desert too.
Iowa Cubs
It's back to "Coors Field on Steroids" for the I-Cubs tonight as they got pounded by the Albuquerque Isotopes, 16-8.
Mitch Atkins drew the short straw tonight and got the start. He lasted only three innings and allowed five runs on eight hits. Atkins walked three and struck out two.
It got so bad that second baseman Nate Spears pitched the ninth. Spears gave up two solo home runs.
The I-Cubs only had two home runs tonight, both two-run homers in the sixth inning. The first one belonged to Sam Fuld, who was 1 for 6 with his second home run, both of the year and of the last three games. The second one was hit by left fielder Jason Dubois, his 11th of the season. Dubois went 3 for 5 and scored twice.
Bobby Scales was 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored once and had two RBI. Both right fielder So Taguchi and catcher Steve Clevenger went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He also scored once.
Tennesee Smokies
The Smokies were destroyed by the Mississippi Braves, 10-0.
Jay Jackson had a rough start tonight, not making it out of the third inning. Jackson allowed five runs, four of which were earned, on five hits in 2.2 innings. Jackson walked four (one was intentional), hit one and struck out two.
Left fielder Ty Wright was 3 for 4 with a double.
Daytona Cubs
Daytona is a good hitters park, but it's certainly not "Coors Field South" or anything. Still, tonight the Daytona Cubs hammered the Palm Beach Cardinals, 16-10 on fifteen singles, four walks and only one double.
James Leverton started and allowed three runs on five hits over five innings. One of the runs was unearned. Leverton walked two and struck out four.
Luke Sommer got the win with two innings of scoreless relief. Sommer didn't allow a hit or a walk and struck out three.
The Daytona assault was led by second baseman Josh Harrison who was 4 for 5 with a walk. Harrison had four RBI and scored three times.
Center fielder Brandon Guyer had the one extra base hit. Guyer went 2 for 5 with a double and two RBI and scored once. Shortstop Marwin Gonzalez was 2 for 5 with three RBI.
Third baseman Josh Vitters was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Right fielder Jonathan Wyatt went 2 for 3 with walk. Wyatt scored three times and had one RBI.
Maybe Palm Beach is finally figuring out how to slow down the D-Cubs. Two nights after stealing eight bases and the night after stealing six bases, the Daytona Cubs "only" stole five bases tonight. Wyatt, Guyer and Harrison each had one and Tony Campana had two. Camapana now has 51 steals this season. His 40 steals in the Florida State League are three steals behind the league lead, and that player has played the whole season in the FSL.
Peoria Chiefs
The Chiefs cracked the Lansing Lugnuts, 7-6 on a Jose Made "walk-off bases-loaded walk" in he bottom of the ninth.
Chris Archer started and allowed two runs on four hits in 4.2 innings. Archer had some control problems as he walked four and had a wild pitch. He struck out two.
Chris Huseby threw a perfect top of the ninth to get the win. Huseby struck out one.
Shortstop Ryan Flaherty hit his 12th home run in the third inning tonight. Flaherty was 2 for 3 with two walks. Flaherty scored four times and had the one RBI. First baseman Rebel Ridling also homered, a first inning two-run shot that was his tenth of the year. Ridling was 3 for 5 with four RBI total.
Right fielder Kyler Burke had a triple and a walk in a 2 for 4 night.
Boise Hawks
The Hawks were crushed by the Eugene Emeralds, 5-1.
"But coach, I've got a no-hitter going!" Starter Tarlandus Mitchell didn't make it out of the first inning tonight. He didn't allow a hit, but he walked five and hit one batter. That led to him being charged with allowing five runs. Mitchell also had a wild pitch. He did strike out one batter.
Shortstop Hak-Ju Lee led off the game with a double, stole third and scored the only Hawk run of the game on a Brett Jackson single. Lee was 2 for 4 total.
AZL Cubs
Second-round pick DJ LeMaheiu made his professional debut. He was 2 for 4 with a triple.