Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: June 20

We're going to start with Myrtle Beach tonight because . . .

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans split a doubleheader with the Lynchburg Hillcats (Indians), losing game one 2-0 and winning the second one 5-4 in eight innings. However, because the Salem Red Sox had lost earlier in the day, the Pelicans had clinched the first-half division title even before they finished the doubleheader. But even had Salem won, the Pelicans win in game two would have clinched the title anyway.

In game one, Jen-Ho Tseng started and took the loss after he went five innings and surrendered two runs on seven hits. He walked four and struck out two.

Catcher Victor Caratini was 1 for 2 with a double and a walk.

Jonathan Martinez started game two and had some control issues. He pitched three innings and to one batter in the fourth. Martinez gave up three runs on three hits and five walks. He struck out four.

Juan Paniagua pitched a perfect top of the eighth inning for his third win. He struck out two.

The Pelicans won on a walkoff single in the bottom of the eighth by Jeimer Candelario, scoring Pin-Chieh Chen from third. Candelario was 1 for 2 with two walks and two runs scored. Chen was 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.

Second baseman Daniel Lockhart was 2 for 3 with a run batted in.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were shut out by the Round Rock Express (Rangers), 1-0.

Dallas Beeler started this game and pitched 1.1 innings before the rains came and delayed the game for two hours and 40 minutes. Beeler gave up one hit and one walk, but no runs. He struck out three.

Armando Rivero took the loss after giving up one run on two hits in his two innings of work. Rivero struck out one and walked no one.

Iowa managed four hits in this game, all singles. Matt Szczur was 1 for 2 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies burned the Mississippi Braves, 11-2.

Ivan Pineyro started and cruised to an easy win after tossing six shutout innings. Pineyro gave up three hits. He struck out four and walked nobody.

The Smokies put this game away with an eight-run sixth inning. However, the scoring in that inning started out in the weirdest way possible. With Albert Almora on third and Jacob Hanneman on first, Stephen Bruno hit the ball over the right field wall for what should have been a three-run home run. But for some reason, Hannemann thought the ball was caught (the ball easily cleared the fence) and returned to first base. Bruno was rounding the bag on his home run trot, passed Hannemann going back to first and was called out. So Bruno was credited with only a two-run single instead of a home run. But the Smokies went on to score six more runs in that inning so it didn't matter except to Bruno's statistics.

Anyway, Hannemann and Bruno were both 2 for 5. Almora had a pinch-hit single to lead off the sixth and got to bat a second time in the inning and hit a three-run triple. He was 2 for 2 with a stolen base.

Coming to bat right after the Bruno fiasco, Bijan Rademacher hit his third home run of the season. Rademacher was 2 for 5 with a double and two runs scored.

Mike Olt was in Tennessee on a rehab assignment and tripled high off the wall after Rademacher's home run. Olt was 2 for 4 with a double and the triple. He scored twice.

None of this overshadows Billy McKinney, who doubled, homered and singled in his first three at-bats to extend his streak to ten straight times reaching base before he flied out in his last time up. McKinney was 3 for 4 with three RBI and two runs scored. McKinney's home run was his sixth this season and second for the Smokies

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs broke the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers), 3-2.

Erick Leal pitched the first six innings of the game and the only runs he allowed came on a two-run home run in the sixth. The final line on Leal was six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. He struck out four and walked two.

James Farris pitched a scoreless ninth for his ninth save. He gave up one hit. He struck out one and walked no one.

Shortstop Gleyber Torres went 2 for 4. First baseman Cael Brockmeyer was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Second baseman Andrew Ely was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Eugene Emeralds

The Eugene Emeralds lost to the Everett AquaSox (Mariners), 10-4.

The Ems started Oscar De La Cruz tonight and he took the loss after allowing three runs, two earned on four hits over four innings. De La Cruz walked four and struck out six.

Dillon Maples allowed four runs, all unearned, in the two innings he worked. He gave up four hits. But all I care about is that he didn't walk anyone. Maples struck out two.

Jae-Hoon Ha gave up two runs on four hits over one inning in his debut as a pitcher. One of the runs was unearned and he did strike out two while walking one.

Center fielder Ian Happ hit his first professional home run in the fourth inning off of a rehabbing Hisashi Iwakuma. Happ was 1 for 4 with a walk.

DH Justin Marra was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. Second baseman Frandy Delarosa was 2 for 5 with a double.

Arizona Cubs

Lost to the Brewers, 4-0.