Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 20

Big win in extra innings for Peoria tonight. That's about all the good news I have for you.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were detonated by the Albuquerque Isotopes (Dodgers), 10-7.

Chris Rusin had the unenviable task of starting in Albuquerque and got hit for six runs over five innings. He allowed eight hits, two of which were home runs. He walked three and struck out two.

Michael Bowden got the loss when he gave up a three-run walkoff home run with two out in the ninth to Jerry Sands. It was Sands's second home run of the game. Bowden pitched 1.2 innings and gave up two hits and a walk. He struck out one.

Center fielder Brett Jackson led off the game with his thirteenth home run of the season. Jackson went 2 for 4 with a sacrifice fly.

Second baseman Adrian Cardenas went 2 for 4 with two doubles. He scored two runs. Catcher Brian Esposito was 3 for 4 with a double and he scored two runs of his own.

Third baseman Josh Vitters went 2 for 4 with a double. He scored once and had one RBI. First baseman Blake Lalli went 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs batted in.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies lost to the Chattanooga Lookouts (Dodgers), 4-1 in a game that ended in the eighth inning because of rain.

Starting pitcher Dae-Eun Rhee pitched well, but he made one mistake and it was crushed for a two-run home run in the fifth inning by Matt Wallach. Rhee pitched six innings and gave up three runs, two earned, on two hits. He walked one and struck out two.

First baseman Justin Bour was 2 for 4 with the lone Smokies RBI.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs were hammered by the Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins), 12-8.

Starter Robert Whitenack was not on his game tonight. He faced seven batters and failed to retire any of them before exiting. Whitenack was charged with six runs on five hits and two walks. The one run that scored after he left the game was unearned.

Frank Del Valle relieved Whitenack and kept the D-Cubs in the game for a while with four shutout innings, allowing only one hit. He walked one and struck out one. But Daytona fell way behind when Ryan Searle gave up three runs in an inning and Jeff Lorick allowed three more runs in two innings of relief.

Daytona scored four in the top of the ninth to make a blowout look respectable. Center fielder Rubi Silva went 4 for 5 with a triple. He scored two runs and knocked two home. Right fielder Elieser Bonne was 3 for 4 with three runs batted in.

First baseman Rebel Ridling had two doubles in a 2 for 4 game. He scored twice. Second baseman Ronald Torreyes went 2 for 4 with a double. He had one RBI and scored once in that four-run ninth.

Peoria Chiefs

The Peoria Chiefs surfed the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers), 9-6 in 11 innings.

Starting pitcher Michael Jensen went six innings tonight and gave up two runs on three hits. One of the three runs was unearned. Jensen walked two and struck out five.

Justin Berg continued his comeback from Tommy John Surgery, but he struggled as he allowed three runs, two earned, in 2.1 innings. Berg gave up five hits.

Jeffry Antigua got the win after he pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. Antigua only gave up one hit. He did not walk anyone and he struck out three.

Dustin Geiger hit a solo home run in the top of the second, his ninth of the season. Geiger was 2 for 5 and scored two runs.

It was a game of highs and lows tonight for center fielder Taiwan Easterling He hit his fourth home run of the season in the third with two out and the bases empty. He also doubled and walked in a 2 for 3 game. But Easterling also made two errors when he just dropped two fly balls and missed another one when he crashed into the wall in the sixth inning on a ball that ended up as a triple. Easterling stayed in the game for one inning after that, but eventually had to exit.

Easterling also stole two bases before the injury.

Easterling wasn't the only Chief who had trouble in the field as Peoria made six errors tonight. Second baseman Zeke DeVoss made two of them, and he only entered the game as a replacement for Easterling in the seventh inning.

Outfielder Pin-Chieh Chen went 3 for 6 with a double. He scored once and had two batted in. DH Bijan Rademacher was 2 for 2 with a walk. He scored twice and had an RBI. Catcher Yaniel Cabezas went 2 for 5 with two runs batted in, including the go-ahead single in the eleventh. He later scored in that inning.

Shortstop Javier Baez went 1 for 6 with a stolen base to extend his hitting streak to fifteen games. He score one run.

Boise Hawks

Felix Pena pitched the first four innings and allowed two runs on two hits. Pena walked two Emeralds and struck out three.

Rafael Diplan got the loss after he gave up three runs in the seventh inning, the only one he pitched. Two of the three runs Diplan allowed were unearned. He gave up two hits and he walked two. He did not have a strikeout.

AZL Cubs

Day off.