Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: August 22

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs shut out the San Antonio Missions (Brewers), 1-0.

Starter Matt Swarmer allowed a one-out single in the second inning. That would be the only hit the I-Cubs pitching staff would allow in this game. Swarmer got the win with six innings. He walked two and struck out six.

Brad Wieck pitched two-thirds of an inning and then James Norwood pitched the next 1.1 innings. The save went to Dillon Maples, who retired the side in order in the ninth, striking out two.

Phillip Evans doubled in the fourth inning and Robel Garcia singled him home for the only run of the game. Evans was 1 for 3 and Garcia was 2 for 3.

Memphis won, so Iowa’s magic number is now five with 11 games to play. Four of those games are the final series of the year, at home against Memphis.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies unconditionally accepted the surrender of the Jackson Generals (Diamondbacks), 8-2.

Erick Leal got the win after allowing just one run on four his over six innings. Leal struck out four and walked no one.

Oscar De La Cruz got what turned out to be an easy save after the Smokies scored fiver runs in the bottom of the eighth. De La Cruz faced four batters and retired all of them. He struck out three of them.

Ben Zobrist played the entire game at second base and was 1 for 2 with a double and three walks. Zobrist scored twice in his latest rehab assignment.

Shortstop Nico Hoerner went 2 for 5 with a double. Hoerner scored twice and had two runs batted in.

Catcher Tyler Payne had a pair of doubles in a 2 for 4 game. Payne scored one run.

Third baseman Zack Short was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans reeled in the Carolina Mudcats (Brewers), 5-2.

Starter Brendan Little limited the damages from six walks and allowed just two runs on three hits over six innings. Little struck out six as well as he collected his second win.

Jesus Camargo went the rest of the way for a three-inning save. Camargo gave up just one hit and one walk and no runs. He did hit two batters. Camargo struck out one.

First baseman Luke Reynolds had a big day with a two-run double and an RBI triple. Reynolds was 2 for 3 with a walk and the three RBI.

Catcher Miguel Amaya was 2 for 4 and scored once.

Fayetteville was rained out, so the Pelicans pull to within half a game of a playoff spot.

Highlights:

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs wrenched the Lansing Lugnuts (Blue Jays), 8-1.

Riley Thompson dominated the Lugnuts, shutting them out on three hits over five innings. Thompson walked two and struck out three as he improved his record to 8-5.

Center fielder Cole Roederer connected for two home runs tonight. The first was a two-run home run that was a part of a five-run first inning for South Bend. The second one was a solo home run in the seventh. Roederer now has nine home runs this year. He was 2 for 3 with a walk.

First baseman Jake Slaughter hit a solo home run in the fifth inning. This was his first South Bend home run and fourth of the year. Slaughter was 2 for 4.

Left fielder Darius Hill went 2 for 3 with a walk. He scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch.

South Bend reduced their magic number for clinching a second-half wild card berth to seven.

Highlights:

Here’s an postgame interview with Roederer. His parents had come in from Southern California for this game.

Eugene Emeralds

The Eugene Emeralds were jumped over by the Hillsboro Hops (Diamondbacks), 3-2 in ten innings.

Josh Burgmann allowed just one hit and no runs over the first three innings. Burgmann struck out three and walked no one.

The Ems had a 2-1 lead going into the top of the ninth, but an error by third baseman Josue Huma led to an unearned run off of Tanner Dalton and sent the game into extra innings. Anueris Rosario pitched the top of the tenth and got the loss. He allowed one unearned run on one hit and one walk. He struck out one.

First baseman Ryan Reynolds doubled and scored in the second inning of this game, ending a 21-inning scoreless streak by the Ems. Reynolds was 1 for 4.

Left fielder Edmond Americaan went 3 for 4 with a double. He scored the other run inthe seventh inning.

AZL Cubs

Cubs 1 lost to Athletics Green, 12-11.

Cubs 2 lost to Giants Orange, 8-5.

With the win, Giants Orange clinch the second-half title in their division, eliminating Cubs 2. However, because Giants Orange have won both halves with a ridiculous 42-11 overall record this year, Cubs 2 still hold a one-game lead over Athletics Gold for a wild card spot with three games to go.