Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: April 19

Here are the times of tonight’s games:

Iowa: 2:11

Tennessee: 2:10

South Bend: 2:02

Myrtle Beach 2:18

There was some complaining by some Pelicans hitters about some automatic strikes called against them and Reginald Preciado was rung up on an auto third strike. But otherwise, the games are really moving.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs silenced the Louisville Bats (Reds), 7-2.

Robert Gsellman kept the Bats off-balance with four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. He struck out one and walked one.

The win went to Eric Stout because Gsellman didn’t go five innings. Stout pitched three innings allowing just one hit and no runs. He struck out five and walked one.

The I-Cubs hit four home runs tonight and left fielder Jared Young hit two of them. His first came in the fourth inning with the bases empty and the second one came in the fifth with a man on. Young now has five home runs this year. He was 3 for 5 with four runs batted in.

Center fielder Brennen Davis went back-to-back with young in the fourth inning, his second blast of the season. (I believe they’re both opposite field home runs as well.) Davis went 2 for 5.

In his first game back in Iowa, first baseman Alfonso Rivas hit a solo home run in the eighth. He was 1 for 4 with a walk.

Shortstop Ildemaro Vargas was 3 for 5 with an RBI double in the top of the ninth. He scored twice.

Right fielder Donnie Dewees was 2 for 4.

Here are the back-to-back home runs in the fourth by Young and Davis.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were tossed out by the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 4-1.

Javier Assad only gave up two hits, but they were both solo home runs so he got the loss. Assad went five innings and gave up just the two runs. He struck out three and walked one.

The Smokies managed to load the bases with no one out in the bottom of the ninth, but strikeouts by Andy Weber and Nelson Maldonado followed by a fly out by Yonathan Perlaza ended the threat and the game.

Center fielder Nelson Velazquez had a double and a triple in a 2 for 4 night.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs gutted the Beloit Sky Carp (Marlins), 3-0.

Starter Chris Clarke gave up just two singles, and those were the only two hits the Sky Carp got tonight. Clarke went five innings. He struck out four and walked no one. It was his first professional win.

Max Bain pitched the next three innings. He walked two and struck out three.

Hunter Bigge retired the side in order in the ninth for the save. He struck out two.

South Bend took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when second baseman Fabian Pertuz doubled and right fielder Alexander Canario singled him home.

Pertuz went 2 for 4 and had an RBI single in the ninth. Canario was 1 for 4.

Third baseman Luis Verdugo went 2 for 3 and scored on Pertuz’s single.

Update: We’ve got highlights!

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans ran aground against the Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles), 8-3.

It was not a good day for Pelicans starter Luis Devers, who got torched for seven runs on five hits in two-thirds of an inning. Only four of the runs were earned thanks to three errors—two by third baseman James Triantos and one by Devers himself. Devers walked two and struck out no one.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong will never forget his first professional home run. It was a two-run inside-the-park home run in the seventh. The ball rolled up against the wall in right center and the center fielder threw his hands up as if it were stuck. But the umpires disagreed and Crow-Armstrong scooted across the plate. (He could have jogged, but PCA doesn’t do that.)

Crow-Armstrong was 2 for 4

The Pelicans other run came on a home run by catcher Ethan Hearn. It was also his first of the year and Hearn also went 1 for 4.

Right fielder Kevin Alcantara was 2 for 4.

Here’s Crow-Armstrong’s home run. See for yourself.