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Congratulations to LHP Brailyn Marquez, whom Baseball America named as their Cubs Minor League Player of the Year. Marquez started the season in South Bend and finished it in Myrtle Beach. Between the two levels, Marquez has gone 8-4 with a 3.11 ERA. He had 118 strikeouts and 47 walks in 92.2 innings.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs were caught hibernating by the San Antonio Missions (Brewers), 9-4.
Iowa starter Tyson Miller faced off against Missions starter Shelby Miller in this game and Tyson was the one that ended up with the loss. Tyson Miller allowed four runs on five hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out five.
Missions third baseman Travis Shaw hit a pair of three-run home runs in this game, one off of Miller and one off of Trevor Clifton.
Left fielder Robel Garcia hit a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to make this game seem closer than it was. It was Garcia’s 17th home run for Iowa and 23rd minor league home run. Garcia went 1 for 4.
Memphis won, so Iowa’s magic number is stuck on six.
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies were swept in a doubleheader by the Jackson Generals (Diamondbacks), 2-0 and 7-3.
Cory Abbott started game one yesterday and threw three innings before the rains came. Abbott gave up one hit and no runs. He walked one and struck out three.
Michael Rucker took over when play restarted today and took the loss after surrendering just one run on three hits over three innings. The one run came on a solo home run in the sixth inning. Rucker struck out four and walked one.
Third baseman Vimael Machin was 1 for 2 with two walks in game one.
Erich Uelmen started game two and was touched for three runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings. All three runs scored on two home runs. Uelmen struck out four and walked three.
Jordan Minch got hammered for four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the loss. Minch gave up the four runs on four hits and a walk over 1.1 innings. He struck out one.
Second baseman Zack Short was a perfect 3 for 3 with a double and a walk in game two. Short scored one run.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans washed the Carolina Mudcats (Brewers), 4-1.
Jeffrey Passantino came off the injured list today and got the win after allowing just one run on four hits over the first five innings. Passantino struck out five and walked no one.
Ethan Roberts pitched the final two innings without allowing a run to collect his fourth save. He allowed just one baserunner, a one-out single in the eighth. Roberts struck out three.
Right fielder Kevonte Mitchell hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to break a 1-1 tie. It was Mitchell’s 13th home run this year. Mitchell was 2 for 4.
Third baseman Jhonny Bethencourt went 3 for 3 with a double and a sacrifice fly. He scored on Mitchell’s home run.
Left fielder Grant Fennell was 2 for 4 with an RBI.
The win puts Myrtle Beach just one game behind Fayetteville for a playoff spot.
Highlights:
South Bend Cubs
Nelson Velazquez’s first home run at South Bend’s Four Winds Field was a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth as the South Bend Cubs downed the Lansing Lugnuts (Blue Jays), 3-2.
Starter Zach Mort gave up two runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings. He walked one and struck out four.
After Eugenio Palma kept Lansing from scoring for the next 2.1 innings, Brian Glowicki pitched a perfect top of the ninth and got the win. He did not have a strikeout.
Velazquez’s home run came with one out in the bottom of the ninth. It was his fifth home run this season and third with South Bend. He was 1 for 4.
Catcher Rafelin Lorenzo tripled to lead off the bottom of the eighth and scored the tying run two batters later on a double play. Lorenzo went 2 for 3.
With the win, South Bend opens up a three-game lead over Lansing for the second-half Wild Card spot in East Division.
Highlights:
Eugene Emeralds
The Eugene Emeralds were shut out by the Hillsboro Hops (Diamondbacks), 8-0. It was the second-straight game that Hillsboro has shut out the Ems.
Yovanny Cruz started and took the loss. Cruz surrendered six runs on five hits over just three innings. Cruz walked three and struck out three.
Just like in yesterday’s game, Eugene had just three hits.
AZL Cubs
Cubs 2 beat Dodgers Lasorda, 10-3.
Luis Verdugo had a three-run home run and five total RBI in this game.