Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: April 11

The South Bend Cubs today announced that Carson Sands and Craig Brooks will be living this season at the St. Paul's Senior Living Center in South Bend. Sure, it's a sponsorship deal, but it's cool that two Cubs are going to be living in a retirement community (probably a nicer place to live than any apartment they could afford) and interacting with the residents.

Plus, they'll always be able to say "I was already living in a retirement community when I was 21."

Lots of video highlights tonight.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs won their first game of the season tonight in convincing fashion, 9-1 over the New Orleans Zephyrs. (Marlins)

Pierce Johnson started this game and was hit in his right, pitching arm with a line drive in the third inning. He finished pitching the third inning, but then he was replaced for the next inning. Johnson will go for X-Rays tomorrow, but the hope is that he'll be fine. Johnson's final line was 3 innings pitched, allowing no runs on just two hits. He did walk three (one being the first batter he faced after getting hit) and struck out five.

Felix Peña picked up for Johnson and got the win after tossing two scoreless innings. Peña gave up two hits. He struck out three and walked no one.

Third baseman Javier Baez played in this game on a rehab assignment and his third time up, he rocketed one over the left field wall, right into the face of an 18 mph wind. Baez was 1 for 3 on the night.

Catcher Willson Contreras went 4 for 5 with a double and four RBI.

Des Moines Register reporter Tommy Birch got interviews with Baez and Contreras.

Second baseman Arismendy Alcantara went 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. Alcantara scored twice and had one RBI.

First baseman Dan Vogelbach was 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. He had one run scored and one RBI. Shortstop Kristopher Negron was 2 for 3 with a sac fly. Right fielder John Andreoli was 1 for 3 with a double and two walks. Andreoli scored three times and had one RBI.

Center fielder Albert Almora was 0 for 3, but I want to mention that he walked twice (something the Cubs wanted him to do more of) and, most impressively, he scored all the way from second base on Negron's sac fly. He took advantage of the Zephyrs conceding him third base that he took home as well.

The starting pitcher for the Zephyrs was Ivan Pineyro, who was a teammate of some of these guys in Daytona or Tennessee before getting traded to Miami last summer.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were caught hibernating by the Mobile BayBears (Diamondbacks), 5-4.

Jen-Ho Tseng started this game but also had to exit after three innings when the leadoff batter in the fourth lined one off Tseng's leg for a hit. Tseng's final line was 3+ innings, allowing three hits but no runs. Tseng walked 1 and struck out four.

Corey Black took his second loss already of the young season, but this one wasn't really his fault. He allowed one unearned run when he walked a batter with two out in the eighth. He then exited for Andury Acevedo, who got a ground ball to short that Carlos Penalver misplayed into an error. Acevedo then gave up a walk and two singles to score the inherited runner and give the BayBears a lead they never relinquished.

The final line on Black was 2 innings pitched, allowing one unearned run on one hit. He struck out three and walked one.

In the first inning, second baseman Chesny Young connected with his second home run of the season already. He had hit one home run total in his first two minor league seasons combined coming into this year. Young was 2 for 4 with a walk.

And here's the Young home run.

The Smokies had 15 hits today but only 4 runs as they went 3 for 13 with runners in scoring position.

First baseman Victor Caratini was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. He scored once. Right fielder Billy McKinney went 2 for 5 with a run batted in and one run scored.

Left fielder Mark Zagunis was 3 for 4 with a double. Center fielder Bijan Rademacher was 2 for 5.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to stop the Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox), 5-4.

Jake Stinnett started this game for the Pelicans and he pitched five innings, allowing three runs, two earned on three hits. Two of the runs came on a home run in the fourth inning by Nick Basto. Stinnett walked two and struck out three.

David Berg pitched a perfect top of the ninth and got the win. He did not strike anyone out.

Second baseman Ian Happ was the big hero tonight when he came to the plate with the bases-loaded, one out and the Pelicans down by a run. He hit a ground rule double to plate two and end the game. Happ was 1 for 5.

Here's the Happ double.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs ran the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays) off the road, 7-6, when Eloy Jimenez hit a walkoff solo home run in the bottom of the ninth.

Starter Adbert Azolay pitched five innings and allowed four runs on six hits. One of the runs was unearned. Azolay did strike out five and he walked no one.

Michael Wagner gave up the tying run in the top of the ninth, but got the win because of Jimenez's heroics. Wagner pitched two innings and allowed one run on two hits. He walked two (one intentional) and struck out one.

Jimenez's home run was his only hit on the day. He was 1 for 5.

Earlier in the game, center fielder Eddy Martinez hit his first minor league home run with the bases empty in the fourth inning. Martinez was 2 for 4.

Shortstop Bryant Flete was 2 for 3 with a double and two runs scored. Left fielder Donnie Dewees went 2 for 5 with a double and two RBI.

And we have video of the Jimenez home run. It was a blast.