Cubs Minor League Wrap: April 17

Two teams played afternoon games and two teams were rained out, so the wrap gets done early today. The two teams that did play today both won and they combined to draw 18 walks. The Cubs Way, indeed.

Iowa Cubs

It will come as a surprise to no one here that their game with the Nashville Sounds was rained out. They will play a double-header on June 19.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies blacked out the Huntsville Stars (Brewers), 4-1.

Really great start today by Eric Jokisch, who got his second win after pitching seven shutout innings. He allowed only three hits. Jokisch struck out seven Stars and walked none of them.

The game was scoreless until the top of the sixth inning when third baseman Christian Villanueva untied it with a three-run home run, his first of the season. Villanueva was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Shortstop Arismendy Alcantara reached base all four times he came to the plate as he went 1 for 1 with three walks. All four times he reached, he stole second base. Alcantara only scored one run on the Villanueva home run.

The Smokies drew seven walks.

Daytona Cubs

One day after getting blown out by Clearwater, the Daytona Cubs returned the favor with a 13-2 shellacking of the Threshers (Phillies).

Yao-Lin Wang made his first start of the season and it was a pretty successful one, going four innings and giving up only one run on three hits. He walked one and struck out two.

Wang was piggybacked by Austin Kirk, who pitched the final five innings for his second victory. Kirk allowed one run on a solo home run and three hits total. He walked two and struck out four.

This game was tied at 2-2 after six innings, but Daytona scored five runs in the seventh and six in the eighth to blow it wide open.

Shorstop Javier Baez hit a two-run home run in the eighth, his second home run in as many games and third on the year. Baez was 3 for 6.

Later in the eighth inning, first baseman Dustin Geiger connected for a three-run home run, which was his second of 2013. Geiger had a big day going 3 for 5 with a double and four RBI. Geiger scored twice.

Third baseman Ben Carhart was 2 for 5. He drove in two runs as well.

Daytona drew 11 walks in this game. Center fielder and leadoff hitter Zeke DeVoss was 1 for 2 with a double three walks. He also got hit by a pitch. DeVoss scored two runs and was 1 for 2 in stealing bases. Right behind him in the order was left fielder Taiwan Easterling, who went 1 for 3 with a double and three walks. Easterling scored two runs and had one RBI.

Skipping over Baez hitting third, cleanup hitter and right fielder John Andreoli was 0 for 2 with three walks. He had two runs batted in: one on a sacrifice fly and one on a bases-loaded walk. Andreoli scored once.

So all three outfielders had three walks each.

Kane County Cougars

Also rained out. I don't have a makeup date yet.

If you're frustrated about he Cougars not playing much this season, you can check out the first episode of CSN Chicago's "The Foundation" on-line series about the Kane County Cougars.