Cubs Minor League Playoff Wrap: September 4

Congratulations to Kyle Schwarber and Pierce Johnson, who were your choices for the Cubs Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for August. Your choices agree with the Cubs "official" choices, so it's a double win for those two.

I'll announce the winners of the Player and Pitcher of the Year tomorrow. So be sure to vote if you haven't yet.

Finally, it was announced today that Bijan Rademacher has been added to the roster of the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League. A well-deserved honor.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs lost the first game of the best-of-five series to the Ft. Myers Miracle (Twins), 5-1.

Juan Paniagua started and took the loss. He went three innings and allowed two runs on five hits. One of the two runs was unearned. Paniagua walked three and struck out three.

Left fielder Bijan Rademacher stayed hot, going 3 for 3 and scoring a run.

Second baseman Gioskar Amaya was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.

The two teams will play again tomorrow at 6:05 Central in Ft. Myers at JetBlue Park, the spring training home of the Red Sox.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars skinned the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 4-3 in 13 innings. The Cougars win the best-of-three series two games to none.

Starter Duane Underwood didn't make it out of the fourth inning. Underwood allowed three runs on five hits, including a home run, over 3.2 innings. Underwood walked three and struck out three.

After that, the Cougars bullpen tossed nine scoreless innings. Michael Heesch didn't allow a hit over 2.1 innings, although he did walk two and he did strike out two. James Pugliese allowed two hits and one walk over two innings. Pugliese struck out two.

Then Jasvir Rakkar was very impressive over 3.2 innings. Rakkar allowed one hit and one walk while striking out six.

Francisco Carrillo entered the game when Rakkar walked a batter with two outs in the top of the 12th. Carrillo then walked the bases loaded, but got out of the inning with a ground out. Then he pitched a scoreless 13th inning, giving up one hit and getting the win. Carrillo did not have a strikeout.

The Cougars scored a run in the bottom of the first inning when Chesny Young and Jeimer Candelario hit back-to-back doubles.

The Cougars didn't score again until the eighth inning when Mike Olt smashed a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth. The winning run in the 13th came when Candelario singled home Trey Martin, who had led off the inning with a single and reached third on a bunt and an error.

Candelario was 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored. He walked twice and was hit by a pitch. Young was 1 for 5 with two walks.

Left fielder Shawon Dunston was 2 for 5 and was hit by a pitch. He stole two bases. Center fielder Trey Martin was 2 for 5 with two walks and a steal. He did admire what he thought was a game-winning home run in the 11th that bounced off the top of the wall. He was thrown out going into second base on the play.

Mike Olt was 2 for 4 with a double and the home run. He'll be taken off the disabled list and called up to Chicago tomorrow.

A quick word about Olt. Some in the Brewers organization were reportedly complaining that Olt played in these two games. But Olt was legitimately coming off an injury and the Cubs, like any other organization, wanted him to get some at-bats in before getting activated. There were no other games that Olt could have been guaranteed to get the two games in to get him back into game shape. This happens all the time. There was nothing nefarious about it. In fact, with the game on the line in the bottom of the ninth, the Cougars pinch-hit for Olt because he had gotten the four ABs in that they felt he needed.

Second, if it was Aramis Ramirez who needed to get some ABs in before coming off the disabled list, the Brewers would have put him in the lineup without question. They'd be negligent if they didn't.

Finally, this is Mike Olt we're talking about. For all the Brewers complaining about a "major leaguer" playing in these games, Olt was playing in Iowa when he got injured. The Brewers really ought to be more worried about their nine-game losing streak in the majors.

Anyway, the Cougars will play the winner of the Cedar Rapids/Burlington series on Saturday. Without Mike Olt.