Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: September 7

Good news down on the farm, at least.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs evened up their best-of-five series with a 5-4 win in 11 innings over the Round Rock Express (Astros). The series is now tied at two wins a piece.

The Express broke out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning thanks to three singles and an error off of starting pitcher Matt Swarmer. But other than that, Swarmer was excellent tonight, allowing just two runs, one earned, on four hits over six innings. Swarmer walked one and struck out four.

Iowa tied the game up in the fifth inning after center fielder Johnny Field doubled home Zack Short and then Donnie Dewees tripled home Field. That chased Round Rock starter Cristian Javier, who had been mowing down Iowa previous to that. The I-Cubs struck out nine times in 4.1 innings off of Javier.

Iowa took the lead when Jim Adduci led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a solo home run. The next batter, Trent Giambrone, walked and was doubled home by Jhonny Pereda.

The I-Cubs were still leading 4-2 in the top of the eighth inning when Alex Wilson gave up singles to the first four batters of the inning. That tied up the game 4-4. But with nobody out, runners on the corners and the game tied, manager Marty Pevey called Randy Rosario from the pen. Rosario got out of the eighth with no further runs scoring and then went on to pitch a scoreless ninth.

The score was still tied going to the bottom of the 11th inning when Express reliever Ralph Garza, pitching his fourth inning of relief, walked three of the first four runners of the inning. With one out and the bases loaded, Phillip Evans hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to force a game five.

Dillon Maples pitched the top of the 11th and got the win. Maples struck out three and hit one batter.

Dewees was 2 for 5 with the triple and a walk.

Iowa only had eight hits in this game, although they walked nine times. Iowa also struck out 18 times.

All four of the games in this series were decided by one run. Three of them went extra innings and all three were won by the home team with a walkoff RBI.

The two teams will decide the series in Des Moines on Sunday, starting at 12:38. Trevor Clifton is scheduled to start for Iowa.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs won the first game of the best-of-three East Division title series, 6-4 over the Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers).

South Bend jumped out to a 4-0 lead thanks to four runs on five singles in the bottom of the second inning. Meanwhile, Cam Sanders kept the Loons in check, allowing just one run on two hits over four innings. The one major blemish on Sanders’ night was a solo home run in the third inning to Jair Camargo, which made it 4-1. Sanders did walk five batters while striking out three.

Ivan Medina relieved Sanders in the fifth inning and pitched a scoreless inning, but then got in trouble in the sixth inning. Medina let the first three batters of the sixth inning reach on a single, a walk and an RBI single that made it 4-2. Then after a strikeout, an error by shortstop Andy Weber made it 4-3. But Medina retired the next two batters with no more runs scoring.

Medina’s final line was two runs, one earned, on two hits over two innings. He walked one and struck out one.

South Bend reclaimed their three-run lead with back-to-back two-out RBI singles in the bottom of the sixth inning by Nelson Maldonado and Jake Slaughter.

Riley McCauley relieved Medina in the seventh inning and was greeted with a solo home run by Leonel Valera, the first batter he faced. But that would turn out to be the last run of the game. Brian Glowicki came on the pitch the final 1.2 innings and he allowed just one hit—a two out single in the top of the ninth. Glowicki struck out three while collecting the save.

Left fielder Brennen Davis was 2 for 3 with two walks. Davis had one run batted in and one run scored.

Slaughter was 2 for 4 with the RBI.

Shortstop Andy Weber went 2 for 4 with a walk and two RBI. He scored one run.

Weber also did this:

We have full highlights as well:

So South Bend has two chances to win the best-of-three series at Great Lakes, starting on Sunday at 6:05 Eastern time.