Cubs Minor League Wrap: June 7

As I watch the White Sox/Blue Jays game, I see that Orlando Hudson forgot how many outs there were. Will the Chicago newspapers tomorrow demand he be benched or traded?

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs silenced the Nashville Sounds (Brewers), 5-4.

Chris Volstad started tonight and he wasn't bad. Volstad did allow four runs over seven innings, but one of the runs was unearned. Volstad gave up eight hits, including a two-run home run, but he did not walk anyone and he struck out seven.

Volstad was relieved by Jeff Beliveau, who got the win after the I-Cubs took the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Beliveau allowed one hit in his one scoreless inning. He did not have a walk or a strikeout.

Scott Maine allowed a two-out walk, but nothing else as he got his fourth save. Maine did not have a strikeout.

Left fielder Ty Wright hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to put the I-Cubs on top. It was his fourth Iowa home run. Wright was 1 for 3.

Third baseman Josh Vitters went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Vitters scored twice and had an RBI.

Right fielder Dave Sappelt was 2 for 4 and batted in one run.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies trailed 7-1 after four and a half innings, but roared back to chop the Mississippi Braves, 8-7.

Dae-Eun Rhee had a rough start. He went five innings and allowed seven runs on nine hits. Most of the runs scored in a five-run fifth inning. The other two runs he allowed were unearned.

Casey Harman, Brian Schlitter and Alberto Cabrera didn't allow another hit the rest of the way. Schlitter threw two perfect innings and Cabrera threw one, getting his second win of the year. Cabrera had one strikeout.

Second baseman Logan Watkins ended the game in the bottom of the ninth with a bases-loaded walk off single that scored Jim Adduci. Watkins was 2 for 4 with two walks. He scored three times and just had the one game-winning RBI. Adduci was 0 for 1 with four walks and a stolen base. He scored twice.

Center fielder Jae-Hoon Ha was 3 for 5. He had one RBI and crossed home plate twice. Shortstop Junior Lake went 3 for 3 with a walk and a sac fly. He had two total RBI.

Third baseman Matt Cerda was 3 for 5.

The Smokies had 14 hits tonight, all singles. They also walked eight times.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs were rained out. They'll play a double-header tomorrow.

The Cubs have been in Daytona for a long time and I think they should stay a long time. Relationships like that are important. But if they are ever forced to move, folks, the California League never gets rained out. I can't understand why any team not in the Pacific or Mountain Time Zone avoids the Cal League like the plague.

I guess I sort of get it. The West Coast teams snap up the best franchises and the two that are left are Bakersfield and Lancaster (or High Desert). None of those locations are ideal, for different reasons. But a team could try to snag one of the other franchises away.

Peoria Chiefs

The Peoria Chiefs boiled and buttered the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Angels), 2-0.

The Chiefs pitching staff is on a roll right now, recording their third straight shutout. Tonight's heroes included starter Michael Jensen, who allowed only one hit over seven innings. Jensen walked three and struck out seven.

Felix Pena and Hunter Cervenka finished the Kernels off with two scoreless innings apiece. Pena allowed two hits, but did not walk anyone and struck out five. Cervenka had two perfect innings, striking out two. It was his first save in the Cub organization.

The Kernels may have only had three hits, but the Chiefs only managed two hits. The difference was they turned those two hits into two runs. Center fielder Taiwan Easterling was 1 for 3 with an RBI single that scored Zeke DeVoss, who lead off the game with a walk and went to second on a bad throw to first. Easterling later walked and scored in the eighth inning on an Anthony Giansanti double. That's all the offense the Chiefs had or needed.