Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: April 13

A Cubs minor league third baseman hit two home runs today. Call him up.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs won their third straight game by calming the New Orleans Zephyrs (Marlins), 4-1.

Yoanner Negrin was pretty good over the first 4.2 innings, giving up only one unearned run on five hits. He struck out five and walked no one, although he did hit one batter.

Gonzalez Germen got the win in relief of Negrin. German faced four batters and retired them all, two of them by strikeout.

James Russell made his return to the Cubs organization a successful one by pitching two perfect innings. He struck out one.

Joe Ortiz pitched the ninth and got his first save of the season. He gave up a leadoff single, but nothing else. He did not record a strike out.

First baseman Mike Baxter was 2 for 2 with a double. He walked twice. He scored one run and had one RBI.

Catcher Rafael Lopez was 2 for 4 with a double. He scored twice. Left fielder Junior Lake was 2 for 5 with a run scored and a stolen base.

Third baseman Kris Bryant was 3 for 5 with a stolen base. Looks like a future leadoff hitter.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies took the five-game series with the Mississippi Braves by downing the Braves, 10-4.

"Fireman" Frank Batista made his first start since he was in Peoria in 2010 and he was pretty good. Batista gave up just one run on three hits over six innings. Batista struck out three and walked no one in his first win of the season.

Third baseman Christian Villanueva cranked two home runs in the afternoon face-off. Villanueva hit his first one with the bases empty in the sixth inning and his second one came with a man on in the eighth. Villanueva was 2 for 3 with two walks. He scored three times and had those three RBI.

Center fielder Albert Almora was 2 for 6 with a first-inning double and an RBI single in the six-run second inning. Almora scored once and had an outfield assist.

First baseman Daniel Vogelbach was 2 for 3 with two doubles and two walks. He scored one run.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Pelicans have the honor of the first rain-out of the season. It seems like the rain clouds followed the Cubs up from Daytona. They'll play a doubleheader tomorrow.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were eaten by the Dayton Dragons (Reds), 6-1.

Starter Trevor Clifton didn't make it out of the first inning after allowing two hits and four walks in two-thirds of an inning. Clifton allowed three runs, all earned. He did strike out one batter.

Jordan Minch looked solid over 3.1 innings of relief. He gave up one unearned run on three hits and no walks. Minch struck out two.

First baseman Cael Brockmeyer was 2 for 4 with the lone RBI, a double in the first inning which drove in second baseman Chesny Young. Young was 2 for 4 as well.

The game went downhill right after that and the Cubs never recovered.