Cubs Minor League Wrap: August 29

I just want you all to remember you heard about these guys here first. Or if you didn't hear about them here first, you've been following them here for the past couple seasons.

We're starting with Daytona tonight.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs won the second-half division title with an 8-4 win over the Tampa Yankees.

Tayler Scott started and he allowed four runs on five hits over 5.2 innings. Scott walked two and struck out one.

Gerardo Concepcion relieved Scott with two outs in the sixth and faced one batter, who flew out to right. He got the win when the D-Cubs scored four times in the bottom of the inning.

Zack Godley got a 1.1 inning save. He gave up one hit and one walk but no runs. He struck out two.

First baseman Dan Vogelbach hit a solo home run to lead off the sixth inning to give Daytona a 5-4 lead. Vogelbach was 2 for 4 with two RBI. It was his 16th home run of the season.

Later in the inning, shortstop Marco Hernandez hit a three-run home run to give Daytona a more comfortable cushion. It was Hernandez's third home run this year. He went 2 for 3 and had four RBI.

Left fielder Bijan Rademacher was 2 for 3 with a double. He scored two runs and had two RBI. Second baseman Gioskar Amaya was 2 for 4 with a double and one run scored.

DH Kyle Schwarber went 0 for 4, ending his 15 game hitting streak.

The win means that the D-Cubs will take on the Dunedin Blue Jays in a best-of-three series starting on Tuesday. The Daytona Cubs have never lost a playoff series in franchise history.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs dumped the Oklahoma City RedHawks (Astros), 5-4 in 11 innings.

Chris Rusin started this game and allowed three runs on seven hits, including a pair of solo home runs, over four innings. He walked one and struck out one. Rusin exited after a long rain delay.

Iowa took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Brian Schlitter couldn't hold the lead. Schlitter allowed one unearned run on two hits and a walk over one inning. He struck out one.

Carlos Pimentel pitched two scoreless innings in extras to get the win. He didn't allow a hit but he did walk one. Pimentel struck out one.

Shortstop Elliot Soto singled home pinch-runner David Bote to win the game in the bottom of the 11th. Soto was 1 for 3 with two walks.

First baseman Jonathan Mota was 2 for 5 with a triple and two runs scored. Left fielder Junior Lake was 2 for 4 with a walk.

The win keeps Iowa's faint post-season hopes alive. Unfortunately, Omaha won. So now Iowa must win the next three games against Oklahoma City and Omaha must lose the next three to Colorado Springs for Iowa to make the playoffs.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies snapped their seven-game losing streak by beating the Chattanooga Lookouts (Dodgers), 6-5.

Starter Corey Black struggled tonight, pitching three innings and allowing five runs on six hits, including two solo home runs. Black walked two and struck out two

Hunter Cervenka got the win with 1.2 innings of relief. He didn't allow a run but he did allow a hit and two walks. He did not have a strikeout.

Andrew McKirahan faced one batter in the ninth inning, got a ground out to second and got his tenth save and second for Iowa.

Second baseman Anthony Giansanti hit a solo home run in the second inning, his third of the season. Giansanti was 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI single that gave Tennessee the lead for good in the fifth inning.

Third baseman Christian Villanueva was a perfect 3 for 3 with two doubles and a walk. He scored twice and had two RBI.

WIth the win. the Smokies regain a tie with Chattanooga for first place in the Southern League North Division. The final three games of this season between these two teams are essentially a best-of-three playoff series.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars detasseled the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), 6-1 in a game that ended in the sixth inning because of rain.

It was a complete game win for Jonathan Martinez. He gave up one run on four hits over 5.1 innings. The only run scored on a solo home run in the second. Martinez struck out four and walked one. It was his 11th win, which is the second-best total in the Midwest League this year.

Center fielder Trey Martin hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning. It was Martin's fifth home run this year. He was 2 for 3 with two RBI.

Three batters later, third baseman Jeimer Candelario hit a two-out, two-run home run, his 11th of the year and sixth for Kane County. Candelario was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Second baseman Chesny Young was 2 for 3 with two runs scored.

The win was Kane County's 90th of the season. It also clinched the second-half division title for the Cougars, but since they won the first-half title, that didn't count for anything but pride.

The Cougars will start a best-of-three playoff series on Wednesday at either Wisconsin or Peoria. Get your playoff tickets for Thursday in Geneva. (And Friday if you think there will be a game 3)

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks lost to the Everett AquaSox (Mariners), 2-1.

Starter Erick Leal was strong tonight, allowing only one run on six hits over 5.1 innings. The only run came on a solo home run to lead off the sixth inning. Leal struck out three and walked three.

Brad Markey gave up a run in the top of the ninth to get the loss. Markey pitched two innings and allowed one run on two hits. He neither walked nor struck anyone out.

First baseman Danny Canela was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI single in the first inning.

The good news for Boise was that Hillsboro won and Salem-Keizer lost, which means that Hillsboro wins both halves of the Northwest League South Division. So Boise now has a two-game lead over Salem-Keizer for the second playoff spot. The two teams will play a three-game series in Boise starting tomorrow night. The Hawks need to win just one of those three games to make their fourth straight playoffs.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Diamondbacks, 7-6.

This ends the Cubs rookie ball team's season. They finished with a record of 22-34.