Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 4

Happy Fourth of July! That’s a photo of AT&T Park. There was a better one of fireworks at Guaranteed Rate Field, but Al told me a few years ago he gets complaints if we put up White Sox photos. Sheesh.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs snapped their six-game losing streak by silencing the Nashville Sounds (Athletics), 6-2.

Alec Mills started and got his fourth win of the year after allowing two runs on six hits over six innings. Mills struck out five and walked no one.

Iowa took the lead for good on a three-run home run by third baseman Jason Vosler in the fifth inning. (He hit it off former Cub Eric Jokisch) It was Vosler’s 15th home run of the year and third for the I-Cubs. He was 1 for 5.

Second baseman Chesny Young was 3 for 5 with one run batted in and one run scored.

Right fielder Jacob Hannemann was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies lost a wild one to the Jackson Generals (Diamondbacks), 9-8 in 12 innings.

Michael Rucker pitched the first four innings and he allowed two runs, both unearned, on six hits. He struck out five and walked three.

The Smokies ran out of players in this game in the 11th inning so outfielder Jeffrey Baez came in to pitch and reliever Wyatt Short went out to play left field. Baez did well in the tenth, retiring the side in order and keeping that runner on second from advancing. But after the Smokies scored twice in the top of the 12th, Baez got hammered for three runs and the loss in the bottom of the 12th.

You really shouldn’t care what Baez’s pitching line was, but he did hit a two-run home run in the second inning, his seventh of the season. Baez was 1 for 5. I guess I should at least mention that he was hitting 89 mph on the stadium gun. So maybe it’s something to think about.

Charcer Burks was 1 for 3 with two walks and he was hit by a pitch. He scored once.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans fizzled out against the Buies Creek Astros, 4-3.

Starter Erick Leal was terrific tonight, giving up just one hit and no runs over five innings. Leal walked one and struck out two.

After Manuel Rondon pitched two scoreless innings, Casey Bloomquist broke the Pelicans streak of 28 scoreless innings when he gave up a run in the eighth inning. But the real issue was the Bloomquist stayed in the game and allowed three more runs in the bottom of the ninth.

The final line on Bloomquist was four runs on five hits over 1.2 innings. He walked three and struck out one.

Third baseman P.J. Higgins was 2 for 4 with a double. He had an RBI single in the fourth inning and he scored after the double in the second.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were run over by the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays), 5-2.

Brendan King faced the minimum over the first three innings thanks to two double plays, but his luck ran out in the fourth inning and he took the loss. The final line on King was three runs on four hits over four innings. King walked one and struck out two.

DH Christian Donahue went 1 for 3 with a double and one run scored.

Eugene Emeralds

The Eugene Emeralds were blasted by the Boise Hawks (Rockies), 11-2.

Eury Ramos started and got hammered for seven runs on seven hits over just three innings and the first three batters of the fourth. Ramos walked three and struck out just one.

Left fielder Kwang-Min Kwon was 2 for 4 and scored once.

Second baseman Luis Diaz was 2 for 5 with an RBI.

AZL Cubs

Cubs 1 were off.

Cubs 2 beat the Diamondbacks, 8-6.

Fidel Mejia was 4 for 4 with two doubles.