Cubs Minor League Wrap: August 3

Your choice for the BCB Minor League Player of the Month is Kyle Hendricks of the Tennessee Smokies! The "official" Cubs designation went to Matt Loosen (second place here), so congratulations to both of those players.

It was a serious Cubs versus Mariners day today.

Iowa Cubs

The miserable road trip continues as Iowa lost their ninth straight game, 5-0 to the Tacoma Raniers (Mariners).

Starter Brooks Raley took the loss after he allowed four runs, two earned, on eight hits over five innings. Raley struck out three and didn't walk anyone.

Catcher Luis Flores was 2 for 3.

The nightmarish start to the Cubs career of third baseman Mike Olt continued, as he was 0 for 4 and made an error. At least he didn't strike out.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were stopped by the Jacksonville Suns (Marlins), 4-3. It was Jacksonville's ninth straight win.

Dae-Eun Rhee got his first loss of the season when he surrendered four runs over the first 5.1 innings. Rhee allowed four hits. He walked three, hit a batter and struck out three.

Shortstop Javier Baez was 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored once. That honestly makes me happier than a 1 for 4 with three strikeouts and a home run, although today maybe that home run would have won the game.

Daytona Cubs

Rained out again. They'll try to play a double-header tomorrow, but there's a 30% chance of more rain in Volusia County.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars hit three home runs as they usurped the Clinton LumberKings (Mariners), 6-1.

Starling Peralta got his first win of the season with five shutout innings. He allowed five hits and two walks while striking out four.

Michael Hamann threw two innings of scoreless relief in a non-save situation, extending his scoreless streak in Kane County to 11 innings. He allowed only an unearned run in Boise, so he has an ERA of 0.00 after 18.2 inings this season. Hamann allowed one hit. He did not issue a walk and struck out two.

Boise only managed five hits in this game, but three of them left the yard. The first home run came off the bat of catcher Willson Contreras with a man on to give KC a 2-0 lead. It was his tenth home run of the season. Contreras was 1 for 4.

Two batters later, second baseman Giuseppe Papaccio hit his first home run as a professional to make it 3-0. Papaccio was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Shortstop Marco Hernandez clubbed his third home run of the season in the third inning with a man on to make it 6-0 Kane County. Hernandez was also 1 for 4.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks split a double-header with the Everett AquaSox (Mariners), winning game one 4-0 and dropping the nightcap 3-1.

Dillon Maples started game one and improved his record to 3-0 with five scoreless innings. Maples allowed only two hits. He walked one and struck out one.

Boise managed to score four runs despite only getting four hits. Third baseman Kris Bryant was 1 for 2 with a walk. He scored one run and had an RBI.

Center fielder Kevin Encarnacion was 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.

In the second game, Michael Wagner made his first professional start and got the loss after he allowed three runs on four hits over 2.2 innings. Two of the three runs were unearned, however. He struck out three and walked only one.

Juan Paniagua's first game after being demoted from Kane County was a good one. He threw 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. His control was much improved as he struck out two and walked only one. He was sitting 94-95 on the stadium gun and he hit 96 once.

Boise's only run came on a monster blast by Kris Bryant, who was the DH in game two. The ball hit the scoreboard in left-center field. It was his third home run this year. Bryant was 1 for 3.

AZL Cubs

Off day.