Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 3

Congratulations to Austin Kirk, who was your choice for the BCB Minor League Pitcher of the Month for June!

I decided to go to the ball game tonight. May not have been the best idea. Three weeks ago my four year-old daughter saw a fireworks show after the graduation ceremonies at the high school next door to my house. She bugged us for a week to see fireworks again. So we took her to the Visalia Rawhide game with patriotic fireworks after the show. She screamed through the whole thing and buried her face into her mother's chest.

Anyway, that's why I'm late tonight. I also didn't listen to any of the radio calls tonight.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were pitch perfect against the Nashville Sounds (Brewers), 3-2.

Randy Wells pitched the first five innings and got the win. He allowed only one run on three hits. Wells walked two and struck out four. Wells improved his record to 3-2.

Michael Bowden entered the game in the ninth inning and picked up his first save of the season. He allowed a two-out walk, but no other baserunners in his inning of work. Bowden struck out two.

First baseman Josh Vitters went 1 for 3 with a walk and a sacrifice fly. The hit was an RBI single in the fifth inning, giving him two RBI on the night.

Second baseman Adrian Cardenas was 1 for 3 with a double and two walks.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were spotted by the Chattanooga Lookouts (Dodgers), 11-6.

Trey McNutt pitched the first four innings and to one batter of the fifth. He allowed two runs on seven hits. McNutt walked three and struck out four.

The Smokies led the Lookouts 6-0 after two and a half innings, but then the offense stalled and the bullpen couldn't hold the lead. Kevin Rhoderick took the loss after getting hit hard for five runs on four hits over just two-thirds of an inning. Two of the five runs were unearned. Rhoderick walked two and struck out one.

Right fielder Michael Burgess was 2 for 4 with a bases-loaded triple in the first inning. He had four total RBI and he scored once.

Second baseman Logan Watkins was 2 for 5 with a triple and a run scored.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs were left on the tarmac by the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 9-8.

Austin Kirk's first start of July didn't pick up where June left off, as he took his second loss of the season. Kirk allowed five runs on six hits over four innings. Kirk walked four and struck out three.

Daytona fell behind 9-2 but almost came all the way back with a six-run eighth inning. Right fielder Elieser Bonne and center fielder Rubi Silva both tripled in that inning. Bonne was 2 for 5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Silva went 3 for 5 with two batted in and one run scored.

Left fielder John Andreoli was 2 for 4 with a walk and his lead-leading 28th stolen base. (Of course, if he was playing in one of the other High-A leagues, the California League, he'd be 72 steals behind Billy Hamilton.) Andreoli scored once and had one RBI.

First baseman Rebel Ridling went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He had one run batted in.

Peoria Chiefs

The Peoria Chiefs dropped their seventh straight game, 4-1 to the Kane County Cougars (Royals).

Knuckleballer Joe Zeller made his first appearance in Peoria and his first start of the year tonight. He didn't do poorly, but he still got tagged with the loss. Zeller went five innings and allowed two runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out one.

Right fielder Yasiel Balaguert went 1 for 3 with a double. He scored the only Chiefs run of the game on a double-play hit into by Pin-Chieh Chen.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks were blown away by the Tri-City Dust Devils (Rockies), 6-4.

Ian Dickson started and was pulled after only one inning in which he allowed two runs on three hits. Dickson walked two and struck out one. I do not know why Dickson exited after an inning. It was Dickson's first loss of the season.

Rafael Diplan threw three shutout innings in relief of Dickson, allowing only one hit. He neither walked nor struck anyone out.

The Hawks were trailing 6-1 going into the top of the ninth, but they loaded the bases with nobody out, scored one run on a passed ball and two more on a double by Rock Shoulders to make it 6-4. But with a man on second and nobody out, Xavier Batista, Shawon Dunston and Chadd Krist each represented the tying run and each one was retired, ending the game.

Third baseman Jeimer Candelario was 2 for 3 with a walk and scored a run in the ninth inning. He also had one RBI in the top of the first.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Brewers, 8-7.

Izaac Garsez was 4 for 5 with his first professional home run.