Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 26

It’s been reported that Rollie Lacy is one of the players heading to Texas for Cole Hamels. Lacy was the Cubs 11th-round pick last summer out of Creighton. Lacy has a “heavy” fastball that normally sits in the high-80s but he can sometimes show a bit more than that. But despite the below-average velocity, he gets good sinking movement on it and is an extreme ground ball pitcher. He also has a slider and a changeup, both of which are just OK but the slider maybe could be more. Lacy has struck out more than a batter an inning in his minor league career, including this season.

After only pitching 29.1 innings last season and most of them in Arizona, Lacy started this year in South Bend where he was one of the better pitchers of the first half. He started the season in the bullpen and moved to the rotation in early May. The highlight of the summer was combined no-hitter against Ft. Wayne on June 6. Lacy threw the first seven innings and Ben Hecht finished off the final two.

Lacy had a 2.02 ERA in South Bend before a July promotion to High-A Myrtle Beach. He made two starts for the Pelicans. The first one was very good. The second one wasn’t.

Player To Be Named Later is not someone I’m familiar with. I have been through the desert on a horse with no name, however.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were swept by the Fresno Grizzlies (Astros), 5-4 in ten innings.

Starter Jen-Ho Tseng allowed three runs on four hits over six innings. The big blow was a two-run home run by A.J. Reed in the sixth. The other run Tseng allowed was unearned. Tseng struck out four, walked one and hit one batter.

The loss went to Craig Brooks, who after clearing the bases in the tenth on a fielder’s choice ground out and a caught stealing, walked a batter and then gave up a walk-off double. The final line on Brooks was one run on one hit over 1.2 innings. He walked one and struck out one.

Third baseman Jason Vosler went 3 for 5 with a double. He drove in one run and scored one run.

Second baseman Stephen Bruno was 3 for 5.

DH Bijan Rademacher was 2 for 4.

Shortstop Ryan Court doubled home Mark Zagunis in the sixth inning to extend his hitting streak to 20 games. Court was 1 for 4 with a walk. He score one run.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies stopped the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 7-3. The win snapped the Smokies nine-game losing streak.

Matt Swarmer started and got the win. He gave up two runs over 5.2 innings and both runs came on a home run by Luis Alexander Basabe in the sixth inning. Swarmer allowed six hits, he walked one and struck out five.

Shortstop Zack Short went 2 for 4 with two doubles and a walks. Short scored twice.

First baseman Yasiel Balaguert went 3 for 5 with a double and two RBI.

Catcher P.J. Higgins was 2 for 5. He scored one run and drove home one.

Center fielder Connor Myers went 3 for 5 with a triple. Myers scored twice and had one RBI.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans fell short to the Carolina Mudcats (Brewers), 1-0.

Manuel Rondon got the emergency start when Lacy was scratched and allowed just two hits over four innings. Unfortunately, one of the two hits was a home run by Weston Wilson, which accounted for the only run of the game. Rondon walked two and struck out one.

DH Wladimir Galindo went 2 for 4 with a double.

Third baseman Yeiler Peguero was 2 for 4.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were wrenched by the Lansing Lugnuts (Blue Jays), 2-1.

Starter Javier Assad was strong tonight, going five innings without allowing a run. Assad gave up three hits. He walked one and struck out three.

Manuel Rodriguez relieved Assad in the sixth inning and took the loss. Rodriguez allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning. He struck out two, of course.

Shortstop Delvin Zinn was 3 for 4.

Eugene Emeralds

The Eugene Emeralds stopped the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Giants), 3-2.

The Ems had a no-hitter in this game broken up in the seventh inning on a two-run home run by David Villar off reliever Stephen Ridlings. Ridlings would end up getting the win after allowing two runs on one hit over two innings. He walked one and struck out four.

Paul Richan was perfect over the first three innings, striking out four.

Casey Ryan threw the next three innings. He didn’t walk anyone either, but he did hit one batter and struck out one.

Yan De La Cruz got the save. He allowed three hits but no runs over the final two innings. De La Cruz struck out three and walked no one.

For those who don’t want to add, that’s 12 strikeouts and only one walk.

Center fielder Fernando Kelli singled home the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh. Kelli was 2 for 3 with two RBI. He also stole two bases.

Left fielder Nelson Velazquez went 2 for 4 with an RBI.

AZL Cubs

Cubs 1 beat the Angels 5-4.

Cubs 2 were off.