Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: September 2

Congratulations to Albert Almora, your choice for the BCB Minor League Player of the Month for August! We'll have a vote for the pitcher of the month tomorrow, and next week we'll do the Player and Pitcher of the Year awards.

Also congratulations to Carlos Pimentel, who was named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year. That's like the Triple-A Cy Young Award. So congratulations to Pimentel.

Also a few moves in the minor league system today. Gleyber Torres and Jeffrey Baez were promoted to Myrtle Beach as they will get in a few more games this season since the Pelicans are going to the postseason. Kevin Brown leaves the Pelicans for Iowa and Carlos Penalver goes to Tennessee. Jordan Hankins moves down to South Bend. Daniel Spingola joins South Bend from the Arizona League team whose season ended yesterday.

Also, Brian Schlitter cleared waivers and rejoined the I-Cubs. Fernando Cruz leaves the Smokies for Iowa and Michael Wagner goes the other way.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were run over by the Oklahoma City Dodgers, 11-3.

Starter Fernando Cruz, called up because of last night's carnage, had a very rough introduction to Triple-A. Cruz pitched four innings and was hammered for ten runs on ten hits, three of which were home runs. Cruz walked two and struck out two.

Catcher Taylor Davis was 3 for 5 with a double and a walk. Davis had one RBI and scored one run.

Left fielder Emilio Bonifacio was 2 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.

With the win, Oklahoma City clinched a division title and Iowa was eliminated from playoff consideration.

Tennessee Smokies

Off day as they travel for their first ever series in Biloxi. They'll take on the Shuckers in a five-game series to finish the season. The Smokies were eliminated a couple games ago.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans vetoed the Potomac Nationals, 4-2.

Jonathan Martinez came off the disabled list and tossed six scoreless innings while picking up his ninth win of the year. Martinez allowed four hits, issued three walks and struck out two.

After Michael Heesch allowed two runs in the eighth inning, David Berg had to come into the game and get the final out of the ninth. He stayed in the game and picked up his fifth save of the season and fourth with Myrtle Beach. Berg allowed one hit in his 1.1 innings. He struck out one and walked no one.

The Pelicans didn't have a hit before one out in the sixth inning when Mark Zagunis singled.  Two batters later, catcher Victor Caratini broke a scoreless tie with a two-run double, scoring Zagunis and Chesny Young, who had reached on an error. The next batter, first baseman Jason Vosler, singled Caratini home. Zagunis, Caratini and Vosler were all 1 for 4.

Center fielder Jeffrey Baez tripled and scored in the seventh inning in his High-A debut. Baez was 1 for 4.  Shortstop Gleyber Torres was 0 for 2 with a walk in his Pelicans debut.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were slain by the Dayton Dragons (Reds), 10-1.

Starter James Norwood took the loss. Norwood pitched 5.1 innings and allowed four runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out two.

First baseman GIoskar Amaya was 2 for 4 with two doubles. Left fielder Charcer Burks was 2 for 4 and scored the lone South Bend run.

With the loss, South Bend was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

Eugene Emeralds

The Eugene Emeralds lost to the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Giants), 3-2.

Starter Oscar De La Cruz has been the Ems ace all season long, and tonight he allowed only one run on three hits over six innings. De La Cruz struck out four and walked no one.

Tyler Peitzmeier relieved De La Cruz in the seventh inning and took the loss after he gave up a two-run home run to the Northwest League's leading slugger, Christopher Shaw. Peitzmeier allowed two runs on two hits in only a third of an inning.

Shortstop Andrew Ely was 3 for 4 with a double. Center fielder Donnie Dewees was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI single in the second inning. Dewees also walked once.

Despite the loss, the Ems maintained a one-game lead over Hillsboro for the second-half title and a playoff berth with four games to go, three of which are in Hillsboro starting on Friday. The Ems can still make the playoffs if they don't win the division. Basically, they would then need to finish with a better overall record than Salem-Keizer and currently the Ems have a one-game lead over S-K there.