Wow. We had over 100 comments in yesterday's wrap. I don't know if that's a record or not, but last season a normal night had comments in the teens. Sure, some of that was a result of a long Ted Lilly discussion, but I'm noticing more people seem to be interested in the farm system this year. That makes me very happy.
I mentioned this on Twitter, but Cubs top pitching prospect Trey McNutt is expected to only miss one start with a blister.
The Daytona Cubs are just red-hot right now, and there's one outfielder who's seems to be starting his own space program in Florida with the number of moonshots he is hitting.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs duked it out with the Albuquerque Isotopes, but fell in ten innings, 6-5.
Ramon Ortiz made his Cub debut and he was pretty darn good, especially for a game in Albuquerque. Ortiz shut down the Isotopes for five scoreless innings before giving up a two-run home run to Jerry Sands in the sixth inning. Overall Ortiz pitched 5.2 innings and allowed two runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out seven.
Scott Maine was in trouble both innings he pitched. He got out of a bases-loaded one out jam in the ninth to send the game into extra innings, but after the I-Cubs took the lead in the top of the tenth, he allowed two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the loss. Maine's final line was 1.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks. Maine struck out one Isotope.
Center fielder Tony Campana was 3 for 6 with a double and two RBI. One was an RBI single that gave the I-Cubs the lead in the top of the tenth.
Right fielder Fernando Perez was 2 for 5 with a walk and a stolen base. He scored once.
Shortstop Jonathan Mota hit a solo home run in the seventh inning. Mota was 1 for 5.
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies lost to the Chattanooga Lookouts, 6-5 in a game halted by rain after five and a half innings.
Starter Brooks Raley got hit hard tonight. He only went 3.2 innings and gave up six runs on eight hits. One of the runs was unearned. Raley walked three and struck out two.
All of the Smokies runs scored by a home run. Shortstop Ryan Flaherty, third baseman Josh Vitters and catcher Steve Clevenger all went 1 for 3 with a home run. Flahery and Vitters' home runs were both two runs home runs and their first of the season. Clevenger's solo home run was back-to-back with Vitters in the fourth inning. It was his second home run of the season.
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs improved their record to 5-0 with a 6-5 thrashing of the Clearwater Threshers.
Zachary Rosscup had an effective Cub debut tonight. He gave up two runs on five hits in his five inning start. Rosscup walked only one and struck out five.
Brett Ebinger finished out the game and got the win. He gave up three runs on five hits over four innings, although only one of the runs was earned. Ebinger walked one and fanned three.
Left fielder Michael Burgess, whom we got from Washington for Tom Gorzelanny, hit two titanic home runs tonight that according to the radio broadcast, both went at least 400 feet. Burgess now has four home runs in the first five games. Burgess was 3 for 5 with five RBI.
Center fielder Jae-Hoon Ha went 2 for 5 with a double.
Peoria Chiefs
The Chiefs got stung by the Burlington Bees, 4-2.
Graham Hicks started and had some major problems finding the plate. Hicks lasted four innings and allowed three runs on three hits, but he walked six and struck out no one. Only one of the three runs he allowed was earned.
Tonight's three Chiefs pitchers, Hicks, Juan Serrano and Marcus Hatley all failed to strike out a batter. It's the first time the Chiefs failed to strike out an opposing batter since 2006.
Center fielder Matt Szczur was 2 for 4 and scored once.