Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: May 25

It appears that infielder Sergio Alcantara is heading to Pittsburgh as he was pulled from tonight’s Iowa Cubs game shortly after Nico Hoerner went down with an injury.

Huge brawl in South Bend tonight.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were convicted of heresy by the St. Paul Saints (Twins), 17-6.

Rough start tonight for Cory Abbott, who got knocked around for ten runs on seven hits in just four innings. Two of those hits were three-run home runs. Five of the ten runs Abbott were unearned. Abbott struck out seven and walked five.

Iowa scored five runs in the ninth inning to make this game a little more respectable. Catcher Jose Lobaton was 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored once and drove home one run.

Center fielder Ian Miller went 2 for 4 with an RBI double in the ninth. He later scored that inning.

Alcantara doubled in his only trip to the plate before being removed. He’s hitting .346/.485/.500 for Iowa.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were spotted by the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 4-0.

Erich Uelmen started and took the loss. Uelmen gave up all four runs on seven hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out three.

Catcher Miguel Amaya had been struggling after his earlier hot start, but tonight he was 1 for 3 with a double and a walk.

The Smokies had six hits tonight.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs trailed the Ft. Wayne TinCaps (Padres), 7-0 in the fourth inning. But they scored six runs in the sixth inning and six more in the eighth to beat the TinCaps 12-10.

Max Bain did not make it out of the first inning. The South Bend starter was rocked for five runs on three hits over just two-thirds of an inning. One of those three hits was a two-run home run and another one was a three-run home run. Bain walked two and struck out one.

The win went to Samuel Reyes who entered the game in the eighth inning when Brandon Hughes was ejected. (More on that later) Reyes gave up one run on two hits over 1.2 innings. Reyes struck out three and walked no one.

This game was marred by a bench-clearing brawl in the top of the eighth inning. Somebody on Ft. Wayne (likely pitcher Sam Williams) said something to the normally easy-going Delvin ZInn at the end of the seventh inning that got Zinn very angry. Then when Hughes struck out Kelvin Melean, the leadoff batter in the top of the eighth, Melean started barking something at Hughes. Cubs catcher Jake Washer told Melean to go sit down and Melean pushed Washer. That’s when the punches started flying.

Hughes, Washer and South Bend manager Michael Ryan were ejected. Melean appears to be the only player ejected on Ft. Wayne. But fines and suspensions for both teams are coming.

Anyway, center fielder Brennen Davis hit his second home run of the season in the sixth inning with a man on. Davis also doubled in the eighth. He was 2 for 5 and scored twice.

Right fielder Nelson Velazquez connected for his second home run later in the sixth inning. His also came with a man on. Velazquez was 1 for 3 with a bases-loaded walk in the eighth. He scored twice and had the three runs batted in.

Zinn had three hits tonight, going 3 for 5 with a two-run double in the eighth. He scored one run.

Third baseman Jake Washer was 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored. He also drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth.

Non-fighting highlights:

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans bleached the Salem Red Sox, 5-3.

Richard Gallardo gave up three runs on six hits over the first 4.2 innings. He walked one and struck out two.

Jose Albertos faced seven batters in relief and retired all seven of them to get the win. Albertos struck out three.

Bailey Reid pitched the final two innings and got the save. He allowed two hits, but no runs. He struck out two and walked no one.

First baseman Matt Mervis tacked on an insurance run with a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning. It was his second of the season. Mervis was 2 for 5 and scored twice.

Left fielder Yohendrick Pinango went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He also stole one base and scored a run.

DH Pablo Aliendo was 2 for 4 with a go-ahead two-run double in the fifth inning.

Right fielder Jacob Wetzel went 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI single in the fifth. He later scored on Aliendo’s double.

Center fielder Edmond Americaan was 2 for 5 with a stolen base and one run scored.