Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: August 20

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were beaten by the St. Paul Saints (Twins), 7-4.

It was a bullpen game for the I-Cubs tonight and Dillon Maples made his first professional start. It did not go well as Maples walked three and gave up a sacrifice fly before exiting. The other two batters he walked would score after Blake Whitney entered the game. Maples took the loss after being charged with three runs on no hits and three walks in one-third of an inning.

Ethan Roberts pitched two perfect innings of relief in this game, striking out one. That one was a rehabbing Byron Buxton.

Left fielder Nick Martini hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, his eleventh of 2021. Martini was 1 for 4.

The other three runs by the I-Cubs came on a three-run home run in the top of the ninth by third baseman Levi Jordan. It was Jordan’s seventh home run this year and second with Iowa. Jordan also went 1 for 4.

Shortstop Abiatal Avelino was 2 for 4 and scored on Jordan’s home run.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies defenestrated the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 3-2.

Starter Caleb Killian picked up his first win in the Cubs organization with a strong outing, allowing just one run on three hits over five innings. The one run came on a third inning home run. Killian struck out five and did not walk anyone.

Garrett Kelly got a two-inning save. He gave up two hits to lead off the top of the ninth to put runners on the corners, but no runs thanks to two strikeouts and a dramatic play at the plate. Kelly struck out five and walked no one.

Center fielder Nelson Velazquez put the Smokies up early with an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. Velazquez went 2 for 4 with a double.

After a DJ Artis single made it 2-0 in the second, first baseman Nelson Maldonado doubled him home to make it 3-0. Artis was 1 for 3 and Maldonado went 2 for 4. Maldonado also scored on Velazquez’s single in the first inning.

Shortstop Andy Weber was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. He scored one run.

Here’s how the game ended on a caught stealing home.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs got swept in a doubleheader by the Quad Cities River Bandits (Royals), losing the finish of yesterday’s game 12-8 and dropping the second game 6-5 in eight innings.

Alexander Vizcaíno started this game yesterday and took the loss after he allowed two runs on two hits and a walk over 2.1 innings. He struck out five.

Vizcaíno left this game yesterday with two on and one out in the third inning. Jose Albertos faced two batters and retired the first on a fly out and then walked the second batter to load the bases. After that, the game was suspended with the bases loaded, two outs and the game still scoreless. Matteo Bocchi came on to pitch today and the first batter he faced, Michael Massey, hit a grand slam. The River Bandits never lost that lead.

Left fielder Yonathan Perlaza hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning and a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth for four total RBI. He was 2 for 5 and scored twice.

Shortstop Luis Vazquez hit his first home run of the year with the bases empty in the seventh inning. Vazquez went 2 for 4 and scored two times.

Right fielder Alexander Canario was 3 for 5 with a double. Canario scored one run and had one run batted in.

DH Bryce Ball was 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He had one run batted in.

Center fielder Edmond Americaan was 2 for 4 and scored once.

Chris Clarke started game two and allowed four runs on eight hits over six innings. One of the runs allowed was unearned. Clarke struck out five and walked one.

Burl Carraway got a tough loss in this one. After retiring the side in order in the seventh inning, he walked the leadoff batter in the eighth. A bunt moved the automatic runner on second and the other runner to second and third and a sacrifice fly gave the River Bandits a one-run lead. But it looked like he got out of the jam when he induced an easy popup between the right fielder Canario and second baseman Liam Spence. But Canario and Spence just looked at each other as the ball dropped between them for an RBI single.

The final line on Carraway was two runs, one earned, on one really unfair hit over two innings. Carraway struck out three and walked one.

Left fielder Bradley Beesley cracked a two-run home run in the sixth inning, his fifth this season and fourth with South Bend. Beesley was 1 for 4.

Catcher Harrison Wenson got an RBI the hard way in game two: He was hit in the helmet with a fastball with the bases loaded. He stayed in the game to run, but was pulled before the next inning. Wenson went 0 for 2.

This throw by Canario was slightly off-line and allowed the first of two runs in the top of the eighth in game two. But it’s pretty incredible it was even close.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans split a doubleheader with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros), winning the continuation of yesterday’s game 5-3 and losing the regularly-scheduled game 3-1.

Manuel Espinoza pitched one inning before the rains came yesterday. Espinoza gave up two runs on three hits. He struck out two and walked no one.

The win in game one went to Dalton Stambaugh, who did not allow a run or a hit over 3.2 innings of relief. Stambaugh did walk one and he struck out three.

Gabriel Jaramillo pitched the bottom of the ninth and got the save. He issued a one-out walk, but no other baserunners. Jaramillo struck out the other three batters he faced.

DH Jacob Wetzel had a two-run double yesterday in the second inning. He finished the game 1 for 3 with a walk. Wetzel also scored a run in the second when right fielder Yohendrick Pinango doubled him home. Pinango was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Center fielder Ezequiel Pagan was 2 for 5 with a double and one run scored.

Third baseman Kevin Made was 2 for 5.

First baseman Jonathan Sierra went 1 for 2 with a double and three walks. He scored twice.

In game two, Jose Miguel Gonzalez surrendered two runs on five hits over the first four innings and took the loss. Gonzalez walked three and struck out four.

Left fielder Yohendrick Pinango provided all the offense in game two, going 2 for 2 with a solo home run in the fifth inning. It was Pinango’s fourth home run this year.

Here’s Pinango’s home run.

ACL Cubs

Beat the Diamondbacks, 4-0.