Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 24

More goings on in Rookie Ball tonight. And the Boise Hawks moved into first place. (OK, they're 2-0 in the second half. Still counts as first place.)

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were not OK against the Oklahoma City RedHawks (Astros), 15-9. (Wait. Didn't they just leave Albuquerque?)

Starter Rodrigo Lopez went 3.2 innings and allowed eight runs on eight hits. He walked four and struck out three.

Still, Lopez did not take the loss. That went to Ryan Rowland-Smith, who relieved Lopez in the fourth inning. Rowland-Smith allowed two runners inherited from Lopez to score, then he stayed in the game and allowed three runs on two hits over 1.2 innings. (In fairness, two of Rowland-Smith's runs scored after he exited and was relieved by Jay Jackson.) Rowland-Smith walked two, hit one batter and struck out two.

Marcus Hatley made his first appearance in Triple-A and he got knocked around for three runs over only one inning. Hatley gave up three hits and walked two. He struck out two in the one inning he pitched.

Center fielder Brett Jackson hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning; his fourteenth on the season. Jackson was 1 for 4 with a walk.

Catcher Welington Castillo went 3 for 5 with a double. Castillo scored two runs and knocked one home. Right fielder Dave Sappelt was 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. Sappelt scored twice. Third baseman Diory Hernandez went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He had one RBI and one run scored.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies eclipsed the Jacksonville Suns (Marlins), 9-2.

Strong start tonight for Eric Jokisch, who improved his record to 6-2 in Tennessee and 9-6 overall. Jokisch pitched five innings and allowed one run on four hits. He walked two and struck out eight.

The Smokies had three home runs tonight. The first was a solo home run in the third inning by shortstop Junior Lake. It was his fifth home run this season. Lake went 2 for 5 with a double. He had two total RBI.

The second home run was hit with a man on by catcher Mike Brenly. It was also Brenly's fifth home run this season. Brenly went 1 for 5 with two runs batted in and two runs scored.

Third baseman Greg Rohan hit the final home run of the night, a solo blast in the top of the ninth inning. The home run was Rohan's fourteenth of the season and second for the Smokies. Rohan was 2 for 4 with a double and he scored twice.

Right fielder Mike Burgess was 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored. Left fielder Nelson Perez was 3 for 4 with a double and a stolen base. He had one RBI and he scored once.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs speared the Brevard County Manatees (Brewers), 4-3.

Starter Matt Loosen picked up the win after throwing six innings and giving up two runs on three hits. Loosen walked three and struck out eight.

A.J. Morris pitched the final two innings for his first save of the year. Morris allowed a run on two hits. He walked one and struck out three.

Right fielder Rubi Silva was 2 for 4 with a triple and two runs batted in.

Peoria Chiefs

Second-to-last scheduled off-day of the year. They'll take on Cedar Rapids at home tomorrow.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks put the Yakima Bears (Diamondbacks) into hibernation, 2-1.

Starter Ian Dickson completely shut the Bears down with six innings of no-hit baseball. Honesty compels me to say that there were two balls in the sixth inning ruled as "errors" on shortstop Stephen Bruno that probably should have ruled hits. The official scorer also called a clear hit in the eighth inning an "error" until the next batter hit a clean single to left field that had to be ruled a hit, so the scorer reversed themselves on the earlier error in the eighth and ruled it a hit. Horrible home-town scoring in Boise tonight.

Still those two "errors" in the sixth were the only two baserunners Dickson allowed in six innings. He struck out four.

Michael Hamann entered the game with one out in the ninth inning and retired the only two batters he faced for his first career save. Hamann struck out the final batter.

First baseman Dan Vogelbach was 2 for 4 with a line-drive double that just missed leaving the park in his first game for Boise.

Third baseman Jeimer Candelario was also 2 for 4. He doubled home Bruno in the third inning and then scored on an error to account for both Boise runs.

AZL Cubs

Beat the Indians, 9-2.

Jorge Soler was 2 for 4 with a two-run home run. First baseman Ben Carhart also hit his first professional home run. He was 2 for 4 and also doubled.