Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 3

You can still vote for the Minor League Player of the Month, which accidentally ran at 3 am this morning rather than 3 pm this afternoon. My fault.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs delayed the Round Rock Express (Rangers), 12-7.

Starter Aaron Brooks turned in the textbook “quality start” when he went six innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. All three runs scored on a pair of home runs. Brooks struck out four and walked three.

Right fielder John Andreoli gave the I-Cubs some insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning with a two-run home run, his seventh of the season. Andreoli was 2 for 4 with a walk and three RBI. He scored twice.

Catcher Ali Solis hit a big three-run double in the fifth inning. Solis 3 for 5 and scored two runs.

Third baseman Chesny Young was 3 for 5 with a double and a stolen base. He scored three times and drove in one.

Shortstop Elliot Soto was 2 for 4 with a double, a triple and three RBI. Center fielder Jacob Hannemann went 2 for 5 and he scored once. First baseman Chris Dominguez was 2 for 5 with two RBI. He also scored one run.

On the Kyle Schwarber report, he was 0 for 4 with a walk and two strikeouts.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were extinguished from the Jackson Generals (Diamondbacks), 4-1.

Jen-Ho Tseng started and took the loss. Tseng allowed four runs on six hits over 6.2 innings. But the good news here is that he struck out ten batters and walked only one.

The Smokies only managed four hits and their only run scored on an error. Second baseman David Bote was 1 for 2 with two walks.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans sawed off the Down East Wood Ducks (Rangers), 11-7 in 11 innings.

Thomas Hatch turned in another solid start as he continues to improve since Memorial Day. Hatch gave up just one run on a first inning home run. He went five innings, allowed five hits and struck out five. Hatch walked two batters.

The Woodies (yeah, that’s what they’re called) tied it in bottom of the eighth inning when Pedro Araujo entered the game with the bases loaded and Myrtle Beach leading 7-3. He gave up a game-tying grand slam. Araujo then loaded the bases with one out in the ninth when he was relieved by Scott Effross. Effross pitched out of that jam and went the final 2.2 innings to get the win. Effoss allowed just one baserunner, a two-out single in the bottom of the 11th. Effross struck out two.

Left fielder Eloy Jimenez broke the 7-7 tie in the top of the 11th with a two-run home run, his eighth of the season. Jimenez went 4 for 6 and scored three times.

Later in the 11th, third baseman Jesse Hodges hit another two-run home run, his seventh this year. Hodges earlier hit a three-run triple in the seventh inning. He was 2 for 6 with the five RBI. He scored twice.

First baseman Matt Rose came a single short of the cycle as he went 3 for 5 with a double, a triple and a three-run home run in the fifth inning. It was Rose’s 13th home run. He did walk once, so he sort of hit for a cycle, but the walk was intentional so not really. Rose scored twice.

Second baseman Trent Giambrone was 3 for 6 with a double and three runs scored. Connor Myers was 2 for 6 with a double and one run batted in.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were unhinged against the Lansing Lugnuts (Blue Jays), 8-2.

South Bend starter Erling Moreno allowed four runs over five innings to take the loss. However, only two of the four runs were earned. Moreno gave up six hits and he had some control issues as he walked six as well. Moreno also had four wild pitches. He struck out five.

Jason Heyward played six innings in right field in a rehab appearance and went 2 for 3 and he scored once. He hit the ball hard the one time the Lugnuts retired him as well.

Second baseman Austin Upshaw, a 13th round pick last month, makes his MLW debut in his second game for South Bend. He was 2 for 4 with a double.

Eugene Emeralds

The Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays), 7-2.

Javier Assad stared and took the loss after allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits over just four innings. Assad struck out three and walked two.

The Ems had just six hits in this game, all singles. Aramis Ademan was 1 for 5 with a two-run single in the fifth inning that accounted for all of Eugene’s runs.

AZL Cubs

Beat the Rangers, 7-6.

D.J. Wilson hit two home runs in this game in a rehab appearance.

Jose Albertos gave up four runs in 4.1 innings in his start.