Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 19

So it’s a bittersweet goodbye to Ricky Tyler Thomas, who was having a breakout year and sported the funkiest glasses in the Midwest League. Here’s Thomas’ goodbye to the Cubs organization.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs split a doubleheader with the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals), losing game one 4-1 and winning the second one 3-0. The win in game two snapped a ten-game losing streak against Memphis.

Eddie Butler started game one and took the loss. Butler allowed two runs, but only one earned, on four hits over five innings. Butler struck out one and did not walk anyone. He did hit two batters, however

Ryan Court went 2 for 2 with a walk in game one.

In game two, Casey Coleman dominated the Redbirds for six scoreless innings, allowing only four hits. Coleman struck out three and walked just one. He also doubled home the first run of the game in the third inning.

Dillon Maples got the save. He faced four batters in the seventh inning and struck out all four of them. (The first one reached on a wild pitch.)

Court made the score 2-0 on his eighth home run of the year in the fifth inning. Court went 2 for 3 and also scored on the Coleman double.

Mark Zagunis made it 3-0 with a solo home run in the sixth. It was his fourth home run of the year. Zagunis was 1 for 3.

Be sure to check out this Iowa double play in game one.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were swept by the Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers), 2-1 and 4-1.

In game one, starter Keegan Thompson dominated the Shuckers for five scoreless innings. Thompson gave up just two hits, one walk and one hit batsman. Thompson struck out five.

Jake Stinnett pitched the bottom of the sixth and blew the save with a two-run home run to Jake Gatewood. Stinnett gave up two runs on two hits in one inning. He struck out one and walked no one.

Second baseman Trent Giambrone hit his 16th home run in the third inning for the Smokies only run in game one. Giambrone went 1 for 2 with a walk.

James Bukelew started game two and took the loss after giving up three runs on four hits over 4.2 innings. Two of those hits were home runs, accounting for three runs. Bukelew walked one and struck out three.

First baseman Yasiel Balaguert went 2 for 3 with an RBI double in game two.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were overridden by the Potomac Nationals, 6-3.

Rollie Lacy started and was tagged for five runs on seven hits in just four innings. In keeping with the theme of the night, two of those seven hits were home runs, accounting for four of the five runs. Lacy walked three and struck out three.

First baseman Jared Young hit a solo home run in the sixth inning. It was Young’s 12th this season and second for the Pelicans. He was 1 for 4.

DH Tyler Alamo went 2 for 4 and scored one run.

Third baseman Wladimir Galindo went 2 for 4 with a double and one RBI.

Second baseman Andruw Monasterio went 2 for 3 and scored once. Monasterio was also hit by a pitch.

Center fielder Roberto Caro went 2 for 5 with a double.

Despite ten hits, the Pelicans only managed two runs because they went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

Highlights:

The winning pitcher for Potomac was Joan Baez. When you get beat a 77-year-old folk singer, it might be time to do something different.

(Obviously it was not the Joan Baez. That was a joke. You have to say that these days.)

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs brought the Quad Cities River Bandits (Astros) to justice, 5-2.

Starter Javier Assad allowed two runs on five hits over four innings. Assad struck out eight (!) and walked three (not as good).

Garrett Kelly relieved Assad and got the win with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. Kelly gave up just one hit. He struck out two, walked one and hit one batter.

Brian Glowicki was perfect over two innings for his 15th save. Glowicki struck out two.

First baseman Austin Upshaw provided two insurance runs when he deposited a baseball into the Mississippi River in the eighth inning. (That’s a cool feature of the Quad Cities’ park. It’s not as cool when it floods.) It was Upshaw’s first South Bend home run and third on the year. Upshaw went 1 for 3 with a walk.

Eugene Emeralds

The Eugene Emeralds cleaned up the Tri-City Dust Devils (Padres), 7-3.

Zach Mort started and gave up only one hit over three scoreless innings. He struck out four and walked just one.

Jeffrey Passantino got the win because Mort didn’t go five, but he actually let the Dust Devils back in the game after allowing three runs on five hits over four innings. Passantino did strike out four and only walk one.

First baseman Tyler Durna went 2 for 2 with two RBI.

Left fielder Nelson Velazquez went 2 for 4 with a two-run double in the fifth inning. Velazquez also scored one run.

AZL Cubs

Cubs 1 beat the White Sox 9-2.

Cubs 2 beat the Reds, 4-3.