Cubs Minor League Wrap: August 28

Tonight I spent the evening at the Fresno Grizzlies game as I figured I was running out of chances to see a minor league ball game before the season ended. I particularly wanted to see Trevor Bauer pitch for Reno, and I managed to get seats right behind home plate. Bauer got in trouble early, giving up a run in the first inning, but then settled down and retired ten straight batters. In the fifth, he gave up a towering home run to deep center field on an 0-2 count to, of all people, Boof Bonser. It was Bonser's first professional home run and it was crushed.

Sometimes you just have to laugh, and I did.

In case anyone cares, the Grizzlies won the game in the 12th inning on a Brett Pill walk-off home run, his second home run of the game.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs lost to the Nashville Sounds (Brewers), 7-3.

Starter Horacio Ramirez pitched 4.2 innings and allowed seven runs on nine hits, including a pair of three-run home runs. Ramirez walked two and struck out one.

Second baseman Alfredo Amezaga hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning. It was his sixth of the season. Amezaga was 2 for 4 and had all three Iowa runs batted in.

Shortstop Matt Tolbert was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Center fielder Tony Campana went 2 for 4 with a stolen base and a caught stealing.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies kept their thin post-season hopes alive with a 6-5 dusting of the Mobile BayBears (Diamondbacks) in ten innings on a walk-off home run by Logan Watkins.

Austin Kirk allowed a run in each of the first three innings, two of which came from two solo home runs. But then he shut down Mobile for the next four innings. Kirk pitched seven innings and gave up three runs, two earned on seven hits. He walked one and struck out one.

Frank Batista blew the save in the ninth inning when he gave up a home run to the first batter he faced. He then retired the next six batters over the next two innings and got the win when Wakins homered. Batista did not have a strike out.

Watkins' solo home run in the bottom of the tenth was his seventh of the season. He was 2 for 4 with a walk.

If Bob was in a good mood in the booth tonight, it was probably because catcher Michael Brenly had a big game for the Smokies. Brenly was 3 for 4 and hit a solo home run in the third inning. Brenly scored twice.

Third baseman Matthew Cerda was 2 for 4. He batted one run in and scored once.

Daytona Cubs

Unplayable field from Hurricane Isaac. Only a 30% chance of rain tomorrow.

Peoria Chiefs

The Peoria Chiefs got bitten by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 4-1.

Ben Wells started and tossed two shutout innings. He surrendered two hits and walked one. He did not have a strike out.

Wells was followed by Willengton Cruz, who pitched his best game for the Chiefs since April. Cruz went five innings and gave up only one run on three hits. Cruz fanned four and didn't walk anybody.

Justin Berg relieved Cruz in the eighth inning and got into real trouble in the ninth. Berg took the loss after he gave up three runs on three hits over 1.1 innings. One of the three runs was unearned. Berg walked one and struck out two.

The Chiefs only had four hits, all singles. Right fielder Jorge Soler was 0 for 2 with two walks, which upped his Peoria walk total to five. Soler scored the lone Chiefs run.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks squeezed the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) dry, 7-3.

Pierce Johnson pitched the first two innings and he gave up one unearned run on three hits. Johnson walked one and struck out three.

Brian Smith was awarded the win because Johnson didn't go five innings. Smith threw 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. He gave up four hits and walked two while striking out three.

Rafael Diplan was summoned from the bullpen with the bases loaded and two out in the eighth inning. He got a pop out to himself to end the threat and then pitched the ninth inning for his first save, since he entered the game with the tying run on deck. Diplan did give up an unearned run in the ninth inning on one hit. He didn't walk anyone and struck out two.

The Hawks put this game away with a five-run second inning which put the Hawks up 7-1. They hit two home runs in the second. Second baseman Gioskar Amaya hit the first one, which came with two men on. It was his eighth blast of the year. Amaya was 1 for 5.

Two batters later, third baseman Jeimer Candelario hit his first home run since July 16 with Stephen Bruno on first base. It was Candelario's sixth home run of the season. He was 1 for 4 with a walk and he scored twice.

DH Bruno went 3 for 5 with a double. Right fielder Willson Contreras went 2 for 4 with a two-run double in the first inning. Finally, shortstop Marco Hernandez was 2 for 4.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Diamondbacks, 6-4.

Garrett Schlecht was 4 for 4 with a double and a triple.