Cubs Minor League Wrap: June 8

One Cougar, all alone

Calls two Cougars on the phone

Three Cougars at the door

bring along another four

Five Cougars come overdressed

Six Cougars show up with a guest (Ian Stewart)

Seven Cougars arrive with a sack

Eight Cougars sneak in the back

Nine Cougars go to work

ALL THE COUGARS GO BERSERK!

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs swept a split double-header 8-5 and 5-4 from the Round Rock Express (Rangers). Both games were a full nine innings long. Technically they were eight and a half because the home team won both games.

Game one was all about first baseman Ian Stewart, who hit three home runs and had all eight RBI. Stewart hit his first home run in the second inning with two men on. He second came in the fourth with a man on and he hit his final three-run blast in the eighth inning. Stewart now has four home runs on the season. He was 3 for 4.

Starter Nick Struck gave up four runs on seven hits over 6.2 innings. Struck walked four and struck out two.

Alex Burnett relieved Struck and blew the save when he allowed two inherited runners to score in the seventh inning and one of his own in the eighth. Burnett allowed the one run on three hits over 1.1 innings. He struck out one and didn't walk anyone. He ended up getting his first win when Stewart hit his third home run.

Casey Coleman pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his second save. Coleman gave up one bunt single, but faced the minimum when he induced a double-play ground ball to end the game. Coleman did not have a strike out.

Second baseman Brett Lillibridge was 2 for 4 with a double. He and Stewart accounted for five of Iowa's six hits in game one.

Barrett Loux came off the DL to start game two, but was limited to only 39 pitches. Loux allowed one run on two hits over three innings. Loux struck out two and didn't walk anyone.

Jeffry Antigua got the win because Loux didn't go five innings. Antigua pitched 2.2 innings and gave up two runs on three hits. Antigua walked two and struck out three.

Hisanori Takahashi started the ninth inning but got into trouble and gave up a run after third baseman Junior Lake made two errors in the inning. So Brian Schlitter had to come in and get the final out for his first Iowa save and third overall this season. Takahashi allowed one unearned run on one two hits over 1.2 innings. He didn't walk anyone and struck out two. Schlitter allowed one hit in his third of an inning.

Left fielder Brent Lillibridge gave Iowa the lead in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run home run, his fifth this season. Lillibridge was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Lake may have had a bad game, or at least a bad inning, with the glove, but with the bat he was 3 for 4 with two doubles and a stolen base. He scored twice.

Outfielder Darnell McDonald was 2 for 4 with two runs batted in. Stewart was 0 for 4 in game two, in case you were wondering.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies fell to the Mobile BayBears (Diamondbacks), 3-2 in ten innings.

Kyle Hendricks turned in a typical Hendricks start, allowing one run on four hits over six innings. Hendricks walked two and struck out six. The game lowered Hendricks ERA on the season to 2.14.

Kevin Rhoderick entered the game to start the bottom of the tenth and got the loss when he hit a batter with the bases loaded to force in the winning run. Rhoderick allowed a lead-off double and a bunt single to put runners on the corners. After Rhoderick got a ground out that kept the winning run from scoring, he intentionally walked the bases loaded before the game-ending hit-by-pitch. That's why managers need to reconsider always walking the bases loaded in those situations.

Catcher Rafael Lopez was responsible for both Smokies runs when he hit his fourth home run in the seventh inning. Lopez was 2 for 4.

Third baseman Christian Villanueva went 2 for 4 with a double.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs game was rained out. They'll try to play a double-header tomorrow against Brevard County.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars went berserk against the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), 15-1.

Starting pitcher Michael Heesch improved his record to 3-4 after allowing only one run on eight hits over 6.1 inning. Heesch allowed eight hits. He walked one and struck out three.

Of course, he could have allowed eleven runs and still gotten the win.

The Cougars offense exploded today, with all but one hitter reaching base twice and all but one Cougar had an extra base hit.

Third baseman Jeimer Candelario got the show started in the second inning with a solo home run, his second blast of the season. Candelario would go 3 for 4 with two walks. He scored two runs.

The next run came in the third inning off the bat of second baseman Gioskar Amaya, who hit his second home run of the year with the bases empty. Amaya went 1 for 5 with a walk and two runs scored.

One inning later, first baseman Dan Vogelbach hit his tenth home run, also with the bases empty. Vogelbach was 1 for 6.

Finally, the string of home runs in consecutive innings finished up in the fifth inning when center fielder Albert Almora cranked his first home run of the year with two men on. Almora went 4 for 5 with four RBI and two runs scored.

Catcher Willson Contreras went 2 for 6 with a double. He scored one run and knocked two home. Left fielder Oliver Zapata went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored twice and had two RBI. Shortstop Marco Hernandez had a double and two walks in a 2 for 3 game. Hernandez scored twice and had two knocked in.

Right fielder Reggie Golden was 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored twice. DH Rock Shoulders went 1 for 5 with a double and a walk. He scored one run and had two batted in,

(Apologies to Sandra Boynton and Hippos Go Berserk.)