Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 21

This was a few days ago, but first-round pick Nico Hoerner will be shut down for the rest of the season with a strained elbow. The Cubs are hopeful that he will play in the instructional league after the season. Hoerner’s first pro season was short, but it was very impressive.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were blanked by the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Marlins), 1-0.

Trevor Clifton got the hard luck loss despite giving up just one run on four hits over 5.2 innings. Clifton did walk four while striking out three.

Right fielder Mark Zagunis went 2 for 3 with a double.

Shortstop Ryan Court extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a 2 for 4 effort.

Tennesse Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies lost to the Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers), 4-1.

Matt Swarmer gave up all four runs on five hits over six innings. On the positive side, he struck out seven and didn’t walk anyone.

The Smokies only run came on a fifth-inning home run by right fielder Eddy Martinez. It was his second home run in as many nights and his eighth of the season. Martinez went 1 for 3 with a walk.

Center fielder Wynton Bernard went 2 for 4 with a stolen base.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were shut out by the Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox), 6-0.

Cory Abbott didn’t pitch poorly, but he got tagged with the loss anyway. Abbott went five inning and allowed five runs, but only two of the five runs were earned. All five runs came in the fifth inning, so he was off to a good start. Abbott surrendered seven hits and didn’t walk anyone, although he did hit two batters. Abbott struck out three.

Center fielder Roberto Caro went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk.

I don’t know why you’d want to watch them, but here are the highlights. I suppose Andruw Jones threw the first pitch, which is nice.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to cage the Kane County Cougars (Diamondbacks), 4-2.

Ryan Williams had an interesting week. First, the 2015 Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year was promoted from Eugene (where he was unofficially rehabbing after missing most of 2017 with a rotator cuff injury) to Myrtle Beach. Then before he pitched for the Pelicans, he was demoted to South Bend.

So in his first start for South Bend since 2015, Williams allowed just one run on four hits over 5.1 innings. He struck out five and walked three.

The win went to Jake Steffens, who pitched the other 3.2 innings tonight. Steffens allowed just one unearned run on three hits. He struck out one and walked nobody.

Third baseman Austin Filiere tied the game up in the top of the ninth with a bases-loaded walk and then shortstop Rafael Narea gave the Cubs the lead with a two-run single. Filiere went 1 for 3 with a double and the walk and Narea was 1 for 4.

Catcher Miguel Amaya went 2 for 4 with a double. He also scored from third in the seventh inning on a foul pop, which the third baseman caught and fell into the third base dugout.

Eugene Emeralds

The Eugene Emeralds vacuumed up the Tri-City Dust Devils (Padres), 2-1 in ten innings.

The Ems pitchers allowed just two hits and one run tonight, so I wish I could report some good news on starter Jose Albertos, who pitched two innings without allowing a hit or a run. He struck out two. That’s good news, right? Why ruin that by telling you how many he walked? (OK, OK. It was five.)

Both hits and the one run came in the fifth inning off Yan De La Cruz. He threw three innings and struck out two and did not walk anyone.

Eugenio Palma was terrific in picking up the win after pitching the final three innings. He retired all nine batters he faced and the runner on second in the tenth never left second base. Palma struck out four.

Right fielder Jonathan Sierra hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, his second on the season. Sierra went 3 for 4 and also doubled.

Catcher Erick Gonzalez singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth. He was 1 for 4.

AZL Cubs

Cubs 1 beat the Rangers, 5-4.

Cubs 2 were off.