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The Smokies announced today that Matt Garza is scheduled for a rehab start at Smokies Park on Wednesday.
Rock Shoulders was named the Midwest League Offensive Player of the Week. Congrats to the Rock.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs plucked the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals), 5-2.
Starter Brooks Raley evened up his record at 2-2 with his second straight win. Raley gave up two runs on five hits over 5.1 innings. He walked two and struck out three.
Blake Parker walked two batters in the ninth, but managed to escape with his second save of the season. Parker did not give up a hit and struck out two.
First baseman Brad Nelson hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to give Iowa a 5-1 lead. It was Nelson's third home run this year. He was 2 for 4.
Center fielder Brian Bogusevic was 2 for 4 with a double. He scored on Nelson's home run and had an RBI single in the first inning.
Second baseman Logan Watkins went 1 for 3 with a double and two walks. He stole a base and scored once.
Third baseman Ian Stewart played the whole game and was 1 for 3 with a double and a sacrifice fly. He scored one run and had two RBI.
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies burned the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays), 8-3.
Eric Jokisch threw the first 6.1 innings and got the win after giving up three runs on eight hits. Two of the three runs were unearned. He walked two and struck out three as he improved his record to 3-0.
Eight of the nine Smokies starters had at least one hit, but only shortstop Arismendy Alcantara had two. He went 2 for 4 with his fourth home run of the year when he sliced a high fly ball over the right field wall for a solo home run in the seventh inning. Alcantara scored twice and had two RBI. He also stole two bases tonight, which gives him ten already on the young season without having been caught.
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs broke a four-game losing streak by grounding the Dunedin Blue Jays, 7-4.
Austin Kirk got off to a great start in this game, striking out seven batters in the first three innings. He wasn't as good after that and exited after allowing a two-run home run in the sixth. His final line on the night was 5+ innings, allowing four runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out eight.
Hunter Cervenka collected his first save of the year. He pitched the final 2.2 innings and permitted only one baserunner on a walk. He struck out two.
Shortstop Javier Baez was 3 for 5 and he doubled and scored in the seventh inning. Baez scored twice and had one RBI.
First baseman Dustin Geiger went 3 for 5 with three runs batted in.
Kane County Cougars
The Kane County Cougars were extinguished by the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals), 9-6.
Michael Heesch got the Cougars off to a good start when he allowed only two runs on five hits over six innings. Heesch walked two and struck out five.
Things fell apart for the Cougars in the seventh when the Chiefs exploded for five runs in the top of the inning off reliever Brian Smith. Only one of the five runs were earned, however, after a Gioskar Amaya error. Smith lasted two-thirds of an inning and gave up three hits and two walks. He struck out one.
First baseman Daniel Vogelbach hit his second home run with the bases empty in the bottom of the seventh inning. Vogelbach was 2 for 4 with two total RBI.
Amaya had a better day at the plate, going 2 for 5 and he scored a run. Left fielder Pin-Chieh Chen was 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He scored once.
Shortstop Marco Hernandez had a pair of doubles in a 2 for 4 game. He had two RBI.
The Chiefs wanted nothing to do with the Midwest League's leading hitter, DH Rock Shoulders. Shoulders went 0 for 2 with three walks. He scored one run.