Cubs Minor League Wrap: June 6

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs climbed to the summit of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Rockies), 2-1.

Chris Rusin allowed a solo home run in the second inning tonight. Other than that, he was close to perfect. Rusin went eight innings and allowed just the one run on six hits. He struck out two and did not walk a batter as he improved his record to 4-7.

Blake Parker pitched the ninth inning and got his 12th save. Parker allowed a lead-off single, but that runner was promptly thrown out stealing. He walked the next batter but then struck out the next two hitters to end the game.

Both of Iowa's runs came on an opposite field home run in the second inning by shortstop Javier Baez. It was his eighth home run of the season. He also just missed a second opposite field home run in the seventh inning, but it bounced high off the wall and he had to settle for a double. Baez was 2 for 4.

Second baseman Arismendy Alcantara was 2 for 4 and was on base when Baez hit the home run.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies blocked out the Jacksonville Suns (Marlins), 4-0.

Recently-demoted Eduardo Figueroa pitched the first 3.1 innings and allowed three hits. He walked one and struck out one. In the third inning, he hit a solo home run that gave Tennessee a 1-0 lead.

P.J. Francescon got the win because Figueroa didn't go five innings. Francescon deserved it though as he allowed only one hit in 2.2 innings. He walked one and struck out three.

Second baseman Elliot Soto was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Third baseman Kris Bryant went 1 for 4 with a double, a walk and a run scored. Please no one panic about this slump. He's only 2 for 11 in his last three games.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs scored seven runs in the seventh inning to hammer the Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins), 10-7.

Starter Tayler Scott allowed three runs on three hits, including a solo home run, in 5.2 innings. He walked two and struck out six.

Stephen Perakslis got the final out of the sixth inning, but got into real trouble in the seventh. He gave up four runs on one hit and three walks over one inning.

Michael Jensen took the win with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. He did allowed four hits, however. Jensen walked two and struck out two.

Dan Vogelbach gave Daytona an early lead with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first. It was Vogelbach's fifth home run this season. Vogelbach was 2 for 4 with four RBI and two run scored.

Catcher Willson Contreras was 2 for 4 with two doubles. One of the doubles drove in two runs in that seven-run seventh. Contreras later scored that inning.

Kane County Cougars

Celebrate! The Kane County Cougars clinched a playoff berth with a 12-5 drubbing of the Clinton LumberKings (Mariners).

Starter Daury Torrez allowed four runs on nine hits over five innings. He struck out five and walked no one.

Jose Arias relieved Torrez and threw two pitches before exiting with an apparent arm injury.

So Zak Hermans has to enter the game with a 2-0 count and he gives up a solo home run to Corey Simpson, who had earlier homered off of Torrez. After that, Hermans was pretty good and he got his second win of the season.. He pitched three innings and allowed one run on three hits. He had neither a strikeout of a walk.

Third baseman Jordan Hankins went nuts today, going 5 for 5 with a double. He scored once and had two RBI.

Shortstop Carlos Penalver was 3 for 5 and scored three runs. Penalver also stole a base. Second baseman Danny Lockhart went 2 for 3 with two walks and an RBI.

Left fielder Shawon Dunston was 2 for 4 with a double, a walk and three stolen bases. Dunston scored three runs and drove in two.

The Shawon-O-Meter 2.0: .256 and rising.