Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 9

Before we get to the scores, I have a brief announcement. There will be no Minor League Wrap Tuesday night because there will be no minor league games. Major League Baseball wants nothing to distract from the All-Star Game, so they ask for the minor leagues to take the day off. Although the Texas League and the South Atlantic League play anyway, none of the leagues with Cubs farm teams are active tomorrow.

So I'm going to take a short vacation to San Diego tomorrow. I got tickets to the All-Star Game at Petco tomorrow so I'm going to be in the front row for all the festivities. What? The All-Star Game is in Kansas City, not San Diego? So these tickets I bought on ebay? Crap.

Seriously, I am taking a brief trip down to San Diego and I'll be coming home Wednesday night, so the Wrap for Wednesday likely won't be up until Thursday morning.

Iowa Cubs

Started their All-Star break today. You can catch Josh Vitters playing for the PCL in the Triple-A All-Star Game Wednesday night on the MLB Network.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies blinded the Chattanooga Lookouts (Dodgers), 4-3.

It was a great start tonight for winning pitcher Dallas Beeler, who threw seven shutout innings, allowing only four hits. He did not walk anyone and struck out five. He did hit one batter.

Fireman Frank Batista entered the game with two on, one out and runners on first and third. He got the first batter he faced, Pedro Baez, to hit an easy double-play ground ball to shortstop Junior Lake. But Lake fumbled the ball, allowing a run to score and failing to record any out. But then with two on, one out and a one run lead, Batista struck out the next batter and got a ground out to first to end the game and collect his sixteenth save.

Second baseman Logan Watkins was 2 for 4 with a double and a triple. The double scored two and he later scored himself on a Justin Bour double as part of a four-run third inning.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs were dropped by the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 5-4.

The road back from Tommy John Surgery has not been smooth for Robert Whitenack, and tonight he took the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits over only 2.1 innings. Whitenack walked three and struck out one.

Shortstop Arismendy Alcantara went 4 for 5 and he scored a run. Left fielder John Andreoli was 2 for 3 with two walks and was caught stealing twice. First baseman Rebel Ridling was 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored twice.

Peoria Chiefs

The Peoria Chiefs allowed three runs in the bottom of the ninth and were shucked by the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Angels), 4-3.

Stater Michael Jensen pitched five innings and allowed a run on four hits. He walked one and struck out three.

Luis Liria entered the game in the bottom of the ninth and loaded the bases with three walks. So with the bases loaded, two outs and a two-run lead for Peoria, Liria worked a 2-2 count on Kernels hitter Eric Stamets when the umpires called a rain delay. So after a thirty-two minute rain delay, Liria returned to the mound and threw one pitch: a bases-clearing walk-off double. It was Liria's third loss of the season. He did not have a strikeout.

Shortstop Javier Baez hit a solo home run in the fourth inning. Unlike the rest of Baez's home runs, this one just barely cleared the wall. In fact, it bounced on and over the wall. Baez was 2 for 4. He has six home runs this season.

Third baseman Wes Darvill also hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth. It was his second home run this season. Darvill went 2 for 4 with a double and he scored twice.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks were slammed by the Yakima Bears (Diamondbacks), 10-4.

Starting pitcher Felix Pena went four innings and allowed a run on three hits. He walked two and struck out one.

Willengton Cruz relieved Pena with a 2-0 lead and took the loss. He pitched the fifth inning and to the first three batters of the sixth, when he loaded the bases with a lead-off triple a hit by pitch and a walk. All three of those runners would come around to score. Cruz pitched 1+ inning and allowed four runs on two hits, two walks and a hit batsman. He did not have a strike out.

First baseman Rock Shoulders hit a solo home run in the ninth inning, his second on the season. Shoulders was 1 for 4.

Center fielder Trey Martin went 3 for 4 with a run scored. Catcher Willson Contreras went 2 for 4.

AZL Cubs

The first of two scheduled days off.