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I know I said the Cubs minor league system was down, but I really expected them to be better than this. At least we have South Bend.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs were drummed out by the Nashville Sounds (Athletics), 6-0.
All six runs were allowed by starter Jen-Ho Tseng, who put the I-Cubs in an early hole when he gave up three runs in the first inning. Tseng pitched 5.1 inning and surrendered 12 hits. Five of the six runs Tseng allowed were earned. Tseng’s one bright spot was that he struck out six and walked just one.
Catcher Taylor Davis was 2 for 3.
It’s the second-straight night the I-Cubs were shut out in Nashville.
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies lost their home opener to the Jackson Generals (Diamondbacks), 6-4.
Smokies starter Trevor Clifton retired the first 12 batters he faced and then the wheels came off in a five-run fifth inning. Clifton got the loss after allowing five runs on four hits over 4.2 innings. Clifton struck out three and walked two.
The Smokies hit three solo home runs today. The first was third baseman Jason Vosler’s second home run of the season in the fourth inning that broke a scoreless tie. Vosler went 2 for 4 with two total RBI.
In the fifth inning, shortstop Zack Short connected for his first blast of the season. Short was 3 for 5 with a double.
Second baseman Carlos Penalver hit his first home run this year in the seventh inning. Penalver was 1 for 3.
The Smokies went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position today.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were blanked by the Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox), 9-0.
Starter Keegan Thompson took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits over 4.1 innings. Thompson struck out three and walked one.
Dash starter Dane Dunning had a no-hitter going against the Pelicans until it was broken by a Chris Pieters single in the seventh inning. The Pelicans only had three hits today.
The Pelicans fell to 1-6 on the season.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs blew a one-run lead with two outs in the top of the ninth, but scored in the bottom of the inning to beat the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays), 6-5.
Jose Albertos only pitched the first inning, allowing two runs on one hit and two walks. He struck out one and had three wild pitches. He exited after the first inning because he had thrown 30 pitches in the inning, not because of any injury.
Rollie Lacy pitched four solid innings of relief, but didn’t get the win because of the blown save in the ninth. Lacy allowed one run on three hits over four innings. He struck out two and walked one.
Ben Hecht blew the save in the ninth inning, but got the win when South Bend scored in the bottom of the inning. To be fair to Hecht, the tying run scored on a throwing error by first baseman Jared Young. Hecht pitched two innings and allowed the one unearned run on two hits. He walked two and struck out one.
The winning run scored when left fielder Chris Singleton reached on an error to lead off the inning. Then Yeiler Peguero tried to bunt him over to second base and not only did that but he reached first on a bunt single. A sac bunt and an intentional walk brought catcher Michael Cruz to bat with the bases loaded and one out. Cruz hit a grounder to second base that the Hot Rods tried to turn a double play on, but they really had no chance at it (or a chance to throw out the speedy Singleton going home) and the Cubs had a walk-off win.
Singleton was 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored twice and had one RBI.
Peguero went 3 for 4 with a sac fly and two total RBI.
Cruz was 1 for 5 and scored once.
With the win, South Bend goes to 4-2, which is as many wins as the other three Cubs minor league affiliates have combined. (Iowa with two, Tennessee and Myrtle Beach each have one.)