Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: September 6

It's official. The Pelicans will be the only Cubs minor league affiliate in the postseason. They will take on the Winston-Salem Dash in a best-of-three series starting on Wednesday.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs halted the Round Rock Express (Rangers), 8-5.

The Pacific Coast League's pitcher of the year, Iowa's Carlos Pimentel, took on the Rangers' Stolmy Pimentel in the "Battle of the Pimentels" tonight. Carlos allowed only one run on nine hits over five innings. Carlos struck out five and walked two.

Carlos didn't get the win, however, because James Russell blew the save when he allowed three runs, one earned, on three hits over two-thirds of an inning. Russell walked two and struck out one.

Blake Cooper would get the win after pitching 1.1 innings and allowing no runs on two hits. Cooper walked one and struck out two. Cooper did allow the two runners inherited from Russell to score, but those were the two unearned runs on an error by shortstop Ryan Dent.

Brian Schlitter bailed out Yoervis Medina in the eighth inning and then pitched the ninth for his 23rd save. Schlitter pitched 1.1 innings and allowed only one baserunner when he hit a batter to lead off the ninth. However, Schlitter erased that runner with a double play. Schlitter struck out the other two batters he faced.

Third baseman Christian Villanueva was 3 for 5 with a double and two runs scored. He had one RBI. Left fielder Emilio Bonifacio was 3 for 5 and scored a run.

Center fielder John Andreoli went 2 for 5 with a walk. Andreoli scored once and had one RBI. First baseman Taylor Davis was 2 for 4 with a walk. Davis drove in two runs and scored once.

DH Adron Chambers was 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored once and had one RBI. Ryan Dent went 2 for 4 with a walk and one run scored.

With the win, Iowa won its 80th game for only the eighth time in history and seventh as a Cubs affiliate. Unfortunately, while they are tied for the 3rd-best record in the PCL, they are only tied for the second-best record in the American North Division with Omaha, six games behind Oklahoma City.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies game was postponed because of a wet field in Biloxi. They'll try to play a doubleheader tomorrow to finish out the season. However, there is rain in the forecast tomorrow as well.

In batting title news, Chattanooga's Max Kepler went 1 for 4 to lower his batting average to .323. Willson Contreras sits at .327 with tomorrow's doubleheader to play.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans cracked the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Royals), 4-1.

Starter Daury Torrez came off the DL and won his tenth game of the season after allowing just one run on four hits over six innings. Torrez did walk three batters while striking out just one.

Jasvir Rakkar pitched the ninth inning for his 16th save. Rakkar allowed a leadoff single, but struck out the next batter and then induced a 5-4-3 double play to end the game.

First baseman Victor Caratini went 3 for 4 with two doubles. One double drove in catcher Ben Carhart in the first inning and then he later scored as part of a three-run first.

Carhart was 2 for 4 with an RBI double in the eighth inning.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were shut out by the Lake County Captains (Indians), 3-0.

Starter Tommy Thorpe took the loss after surrendering two runs on six hits over five innings. One of the hits was a solo home run to Anthony Santander, one of two Santander hit today. Thorpe walked three and struck out three.

The South Bend Cubs had three hits in this game, all singles.

Eugene Emeralds

The Eugene Emeralds season came crashing down as they were swept by the Hillsboro Hops (Diamondbacks), 3-2.

Carson Sands allowed two runs in the first inning. The second one was unearned, but only because Sands underhanded a 15-foot toss to first base five feet over first baseman Blake Headley head. The final line on Sands was two runs, one earned, on two hits. Sands walked three and struck out two.

Pedro Araujo pitched the final four innings of this game and took the loss after a wild pitch on a one-out strikeout in the eighth inning put a runner on first. The next hitter singled to put runners on the corners and then a sac fly gave Hillsboro the lead. Araujo pitched four innings and allowed the one run on two hits. He struck out four and walked no one.

Catcher Alberto Mineo walked to lead off the top of the ninth and went to second on a sacrifice bunt. But with the season on the line, center fielder Donnie Dewees hit a hard ground ball down the right field line where the Hops first baseman, who was guarding the lines, speared it and stepped on first for the second out. Then third baseman P.J. Higgins hit a hard line drive which the Hops right fielder made a terrific diving catch on to end the game and the Emeralds season.

Yeah, it was a heartbreaking loss. Especially since Salem-Keizer would go on to lose at Boise, which would have sent the Ems to the playoffs.

Mineo was 1 for 3 with a double and a run scored. Dewees was 2 for 4 with a walk and two steals. Higgins was 1 for 5 with an RBI.