Eleven years ago, back in the draft of 2000, the Chicago Cubs chose Lou Montanez with the third pick. Montanez will finally make his Chicago Cub debut tomorrow. He did make a detour to the Baltimore Orioles where he played in parts of three seasons.
And before you go blasting the Cubs for making an awful pick, Montanez will only be the fifth player currently still active in the majors from the first round (non-supplemental) of that 2000 draft. The other four are Adrian Gonzalez, who went number one, Chase Utley, Adam Wainwright and Sean Burnett. It was a terrible draft year.
Not counting Iowa, the other Cubs farm teams haven't lost since Thursday.
I had more dental work done today, so I'm not responsible if the write-up looks like my three-year old typed it up.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs were hit with the death ray of the Las Vegas 51s (Blue Jays), 10-5.
Austin Bibens-Dirkx started and took the loss after getting hit for eight runs on ten hits over only 3.1 innings. Bibens-Dirkx walked three and struck out two.
The Iowa Cubs hit three home runs tonight. Right fielder Tyler Colvin hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning. Colvin went 2 for 4.
Three batters later, first baseman Bryan LaHair hit a two-run home run, his 11th this season. LaHair was 1 for 4.
Finally, third baseman Marquez Smith clubbed a two-run shot in the sixth. It was his fourth home run this year. Overall for the night, Smith was 1 for 2 with two walks. He scored twice and had the two RBI.
Third baseman Scott Moore was 2 for 4.
Tennessee Smokies
The Smokies topped the Mobile BayBears (Diamondbacks), 6-5 completing a five-game sweep of Mobile and winning their seventh in a row.
Trey McNutt started and pitched five innings, allowing four runs on five hits. One of the four runs was unearned. McNutt walked one and struck out four.
Jeff Beliveau collected the win in relief. He gave up one hit but no runs over 1.1 innings of work.
Chris Carpenter pitched the ninth inning and got an interesting first save of the season. He struck out the first two batters he faced, but then allowed a single to Ollie Linton. Linton promptly stole second base and then tried to steal third on a pitched that got past the catcher and went to the backstop. Linton didn't stop at third base and headed for home where he was thrown out for the final out of the game.
Catcher Luis Flores hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, his second on the season. Flores went 2 for 2 with two walks. He scored twice and had two RBI.
Rebel Ridling also homered with a man on in the sixth inning. It was his eighth home run. Ridling was 1 for 4.
Shortstop Marwin Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with a double. D.J. LeMahieu was 2 for 4 and scored once.
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs won their sixth game in a row, 8-3 over the St. Lucie Mets. Daytona has a best-in-baseball record of 33-12.
Aaron Kurcz started and allowed only one run on two hits over four innings. Kurcz only walked one and struck out five. He was removed from the game because he was on a pitch count.
Because Kurcz didn't go five innings, the win went to Eduardo Figueroa, who pitched 2.2 innings and allowed two runs on three hits. He didn't walk anyone and he struck out four.
The D-Cubs hit three home runs tonight. The first one was a three-run bomb by right fielder Michael Burgess in the first inning. Burgess now has eight home runs this year. Burgess went 1 for 4.
The second home run was by first baseman Justin Bour with a man on in the third inning. Bour was 3 for 4 tonight with two RBI and two runs scored. He now has eleven home runs this year.
The final home run was hit by DH Jake Opitz with the bases empty in the seventh inning. It was his second home run this season. Opitz went 1 for 4.
Third baseman Matt Cerda was 2 for 5 with one RBI and one run scored. Center fielder Rubi Silva had two doubles in a 2 for 4 night. He scored one run.
Peoria Chiefs
The Chiefs finished off a four-game sweep of the Clinton LumberKings (Mariners), 9-4.
Starting pitcher Dallas Beeler was perfect through four innings tonight, but the wheels came off in the fifth as he allowed three runs while getting only one out. His final line for the night was 4.1 innings pitched with three runs on four hits, including a two-run home run. Beeler didn't walk anyone and struck out two.
Alvaro Sosa got the win with two perfect innings of relief. Sosa struck out two.
Right fielder Anthony Giansanti hit a two-run home run as part of a four-run seventh inning for the Chiefs. It was his fourth home run. Giansanti was 1 for 4.
Center fielder Matt Szczur went 3 for 5 with a stolen base. He scored three times. Second baseman Eliot Soto went 3 for 5 with a double. He scored three times and had two RBI.
First baseman Ryan Cuneo was 2 for 5 with three RBI. He scored once. Third baseman Greg Rohan went 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.