Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: April 16

A quick update. Shortstop Kevin Made has been added to the Pelicans roster. Felix Stevens has been place in the injured list.

Sunday’s Iowa Cubs game at home against Toledo has already been postponed. The two teams will play a doubleheader on August 3.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs snuck past the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers), 3-2 in ten innings.

Matt Dermody got the emergency start as Mark Leiter Jr. was promoted to Chicago. Dermody gave up two runs on six hits over 4.2 innings. He walked two and struck out two.

The Iowa bullpen kept Toledo from scoring the rest of the game. Conner Menez relieved Dermody and went 2.1 innings, giving up just one hit. He struck out two and walked no one.

Cayne Ueckert threw the next 1.2 innings and surrendered just one hit and one walk. He struck out one.

Finally, Erich Uelmen got the win after relieving Ueckert in the ninth and then pitching a scoreless tenth. He did walk two batters over 1.1 innings, but gave up no hits. Uelmen struck out one.

Donnie Dewees hit the walk-off single in the bottom of the tenth, scoring automatic runner Ildemaro Vargas from third. Dewees’ game-winning hit probably would have been a double had Vargas not been on third already. Dewees went 3 for 5 and scored once.

First baseman Jared Young went 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI single in the third inning,

DH John Hicks went 2 for 4.

Center fielder Brennen Davis was 1 for 5 with an opposite field double. He also hit a deep fly in the tenth that moved Vargas over to third base to set up Dewees’ game-wining hit.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were butter than the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays), 5-3.

Riley Thompson allowed one mistake—a solo home run to Curtis Mead with two outs in the bottom of the first. Otherwise, he retired the other nine batters he faced in his three innings of work and he struck out eight of them.

Kyle Johnson, whom the Cubs signed out of independent ball in March, threw his first game in organized baseball since 2018. He pitched the final 2.1 innings and got the save. He allowed just one baserunner, a leadoff walk in the ninth, and promptly erased him with a double-play. Johnson struck out three.

Center fielder Christopher Morel had a big night, including his first home run of the season. It was a two-run shot in the seventh inning. Morel was 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored twice and had those two runs batted in.

Morel led off the game with that double and scored when the next batter, shortstop Luis Vazquez, tripled him home. Unfortunately, the next three Smokies hitters stranded him on third. Vazquez went 2 for 4 with a walk.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were boiled by the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres), 6-0.

Starting pitcher Kohl Franklin didn’t make it out of the first inning, getting pulled after 34 pitches. Franklin allowed two runs on two hits and three walks over two-thirds of an inning. Franklin struck out two.

South Bend had two hits in this game, both singles.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans stung the Augusta GreenJackets (Braves), 5-4.

Richard Gallardo put the Pelicans in a hole early as he gave up three runs in the first inning and another one in the third. Gallardo’s final line was four runs on five hits over 3.2 innings. He struck out four and walked two.

Chase Watkins kept the Pelicans in the game with 3.1 innings of scoreless ball. He allowed two hits and one walk while striking out five.

Tyler Santana went the final two innings and got the win. Santana allowed no runs on two hits and two walks. He struck out two.

Third baseman James Triantos hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning, scoring Yeison Santana. Triantos went 2 for 5 with one run scored and one run batted in.

Second baseman Santana went 1 for 2 with two walks. He scored twice.

Center fielder Kevin Alcantara had his first big game in Low-A, coming just a home run short of the cycle. He was 3 for 4 with a double and a triple. Alcantara drove in two runs with the triple and then scored after than on a Peter Matt sacrifice fly.

DH Ezequiel Pagan was 2 for 4 with a walk and one run scored.