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One of the hardest things in the world to do is keep a straight face after your five-year old kid steals a Fresno pepper from your garden and takes a big bite out of it. You know she's in pain and she's crying, but man, it's funny. (I then took a bite then to show her that it was going to be OK.)
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs silenced the Nashville Sounds (Brewers), 6-2.
Most of the good work tonight was done by starter Chris Rusin, who just dominated Nashville for eight innings. He allowed one run in the first inning and then nothing else through eight. At one point he retired 13 batters in a row. He allowed six total hits. Rusin struck out eight and didn't walk anyone.
Shortstop Edwin Maysonet hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning. It was his fifth home run this year. Maysonet was 1 for 3 with a sacrifice fly.
One inning later, first baseman Brent Lillibridge hit a solo home run, his fourth. Lillibridge went 2 for 4.
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies edged the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 3-2.
Starter Kyle Hendricks improved his record to 6-2 with 6.2 innings, giving up two runs on six hits. Hendricks walked two and struck out six.
Frank Batista entered the game with two out in the eight and men on first and second. He surrendered a single to the first batter he faced, but center fielder Rubi Silva gunned the runner down at the plate. He then had a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his seventh save. Batista did not strike anyone out.
Third baseman Christian Villanueva doubled and tripled in a 2 for 4 game. He scored one run.
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs damned the Tampa Yankees, 6-4 in eleven innings on a walk-off home run by Javier Baez.
Starter Austin Kirk pitched five innings and allowed three runs on seven hits. He walked four and struck out three.
Frank Del Valle pitched the tenth and eleventh innings without allowing a run for his third win. Del Valle gave up two hits, he walked two and struck out one.
Baez's two-run home run in the eleventh was his seventh of the season. Baez was 2 for 6.
Daytona was lucky to get to extra innings as they trailed by a run with no one on and two out in the ninth. But first baseman Dustin Geiger reached on a strikeout and a wild pitch. On the next two plays, the Yankees third baseman and shortstop both made bad throws to first base and pinch-runner Taiwan Easterling scored thanks to the two errors.
Left fielder John Andreoli was 2 for 6 and scored on the Baez home run.
With the win, Daytona went over .500 at 25-24.
Kane County Cougars
The Kane County Cougars were robbed by the Quad City River Bandits (Astros), 7-5 in a game that was called after five and a half innings because of rain. I guess you could say Mother Nature robbed them too.
It was a rough start for Dillon Maples, who was pulled after walking the first three batters of the fourth inning. In 3+ innings, he allowed seven runs on four hits, including one home run. Maples walked five and struck out five.
First baseman Daniel Vogelbach hit a three-run home run in the top of the fifth inning to get the Cougars back into the game. He was 1 for 3.
Center fielder Oliver Zapata was 2 for 3 and scored twice.