Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: June 16

Happy Father’s Day to all you fathers out there. I guess that includes me as well.

Congratulations to catcher Tyler Payne, who was named to the Carolina League All-Star Game on Tuesday.

The All-Star Break starts tomorrow for Tennessee, Myrtle Beach and South Bend.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs declawed the Sacramento River Cats (Giants), 1-0.

Starter Alec Mills allowed just three hits, all singles, over six innings. He walked three and struck out five.

Tony Barnette pitched a perfect seventh inning and got the win. He did not record a strikeout.

Danny Hultzen made his season debut in the eighth inning. Hultzen faced four batters. He gave up a single, got a fly out, struck out a batter and then hit a batter before exiting for Dakota Mekkes. Mekkes struck out the first batter he faced to end the threat in the eighth. He then pitched the ninth and got the save. The final line on Mekkes was no runs on no hits and one walk over 1.1 innings. He struck out three.

Trent Giambrone homered in his third-straight game for the only run of this game. The blast came with one out in the top of the eighth. It was GIambrone’s 13th home run of the year. He was 1 for 4.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies reeled in the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Twins), 3-2.

Luis Lugo started and got the win after allowing two runs on four hits over 6.1 innings. He walked two and struck out four.

Tommy Nance was perfect over the final 1.2 innings for the save. Nance did not have a strikeout.

DH Johnny Pereda was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI single in the fourth inning.

First baseman Gioskar Amaya went 2 for 3.

Roberto Caro had a two-run double in the seventh inning that gave the Smokies a 3-0 lead. Caro was 1 for 5.

The Smokies finished the first half with a 33-36 record. They finished fourth in the Southern League North Division.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were whittled away by the Down East Wood Ducks (Rangers), 5-4 in 11 innings.

Eric Leal gave up two runs on two hits over 2.2 innings. Leal walked three and struck out six.

Yet another Cubs farm team ran out of pitchers in the 11th inning, so Tyler Payne had to pitch the 11th and he got the loss after allowing one run on two hits in an inning of work. The run was unearned. Payne struck out two and did not walk anyone.

More importantly to Payne, he hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning, his fourth on the season. Payne went 2 for 5 with three total RBI.

Center fielder Jimmy Herron was 2 for 3 with two walks and one run batted in.

The Pelicans finished the first half with a 21-46 record, good enough for last place in the Carolina League Southern Division. They finished 27.5 games behind first-place Down East.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs rode the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers), 4-3.

Peyton Remy started and pitched five scoreless innings. He gave up just two hits. He struck out two and walked no one.

Jose Albertos faced three batters and allowed a single and walked two before leaving with an injury. The trainer appeared to be looking at his middle finger on his right hand, so it might just have been a blister or something similar. Jack Patterson then entered the game with the bases-loaded and no one out. Patterson allowed all three runners to score, although a throwing error by catcher Gustavo Polanco played a big role in that. Patterson’s final line looks perfect—one inning, no runs, no hits, no error. He struck out two. He aloso got the win when South Bend came back with two runs in the top of the eighth.

Ethan Roberts got the save. He allowed one hit but no runs over 1.1 innings. He struck out one and walked no one.

Polanco redeemed himself with a single in the top of the seventh that scored Levi Jordan and gave South Bend the lead back. Polanco and Jordan were both 1 for 4. Jordan stole a base to set up that RBI.

Right fielder Brennan Davis went 2 for 4 with a double and he scored once.

DH Jonathan Sierra was 2 for 3 with a sacrifice fly.

South Bend finished the first half with a record of 37-31, which put them in fourth place in the Midwest League Eastern Division. They were just 2.5 games out of a wild card playoff position.

Eugene Emeralds

The Eugene Emeralds were shut out for the second-straight night, 4-0 by the Hillsboro Hops (Diamondbacks).

Starter Yunior Perez took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits over three innings. He walked two and struck out three.

The Ems had three hits tonight and two of them were doubles by DH Yonathan Perlaza. Perlaza went 2 for 3 with a walk.