Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: May 18

Jason Heyward played seven innings tonight in right field for South Bend.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs zapped the Las Vegas 51s (Mets), 6-5.

Other than the first inning solo home run allowed to Amed Rosario, I-Cubs starter Seth Frankoff was pretty terrific tonight. Frankoff gave up just the one run on six hits over 5.1 innings. Frankoff walked one and struck out seven.

Felix Pena, on the other hand, had some issues in the bottom of the seventh inning, turning a 2-1 Iowa lead into a 5-2 lead for the 51s. Pena allowed four runs on six hits over 1.2 innings. He walked two and struck out one. For his efforts, Pena got the win when Iowa struck back with four runs of their own in the top of the eighth.

Justin Grimm pitched a scoreless ninth and got the win. Grimm did allow one single and he walked one. Grimm struck out two.

Left fielder Mark Zagunis was 2 for 3 and he walked twice. Zagunis also scored twice.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies defenestrated the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 2-1.

Starter Jen-Ho Tseng gave up just one unearned run over six innings (although it was his own error that led to the unearned run). Tseng earned his fourth win after giving up just four hits, striking out four and walking two.

Andury Acevedo pitched the ninth inning and got the save. He gave up a leadoff single, but nothing else. Acevedo did not have a strikeout.

Left fielder Jeffrey Baez walked to lead off the game, stole second and scored the first run on an error. Baez was 1 for 3 with two walks.

Shortstop Andrew Ely was 2 for 3. He doubled and scored the other run in the fifth inning.

Right fielder Yasiel Balaguert was 2 for 5. Third baseman Jason Vosler went 2 for 4 with a double.

The win, combined with a loss by Chattanooga, but the Smokies in first place in their division all by themselves for the first time with a record of 24-17.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans beat the Buies Creek Astros, 7-1.

Justin Steele started and got the win after allowing just one run on six hits over six innings. Steele walked two and struck out six.

DH Tyler Alamo homered for the second-straight night when he connected with a man on in the second inning. That gave the Pelicans a 2-1 lead that they would never relinquish. It was his sixth home run this season. Alamo was 2 for 4 and he scored twice.

First baseman Matt Rose hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning, his seventh this year. Rose was 2 for 3.

Highlights:

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were hammered by the Lansing Lugnuts (Blue Jays), 5-1.

Dylan Cease started this game but exited in the second inning when he injured his right ankle covering third base. Cease took the loss after giving up two runs on two hits over 1.2 innings Cease struck out four and walked one.

However . . .

So that’s good news.

It was open season on South Bend pitchers tonight as reliever Chad Hockin had to exit in the ninth inning when he was hit by a comebacker. (Not in the head but in the leg, thankfully) The next pitcher, Pedro Silverio, also got hit in the leg with a comebacker, but he waved off the trainers and stayed in the game.

Lansing’s starting pitcher, Patrick Murphy, retired the first 16 Cubs he faced until Vimael Machin doubled with one out in the sixth. A rehabbing Jason Heyward then singled him home. Machin was 1 for 2 with a walk and Heyward was 1 for 3.