Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: May 18

Baseball America updated their top 30 Cubs prospects earlier today. (BA sub. req.) As you might imagine from just 35 games, there isn’t a whole lot of difference between this list and the preseason list.

The major changes are:

• Seiya Suzuki enters the list at number 2. After tonight, he’s off the list as he lost his rookie eligibility.
• BA finally dropped Brailyn Marquez to number 8 (from number 3). They’ve been more patient with his health issues than I have been.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cristian Hernandez swap spots. PCA is now number 3 (and number 2 now that Suzuki is gone) and Hernandez drops to number 4.
• Caleb Kilian and Jordan Wicks essentially swap spots. Kilian is now number 5 and Wicks in number 6.
• Reggie Preciado drops from 14 to 24.
• Alfonso Rivas jumps from 26 to 16. He’ll drop off the list with 18 more trips to the plate.
• Christopher Morel jumps from 29 to 17, which is closer to where I had him in the preseason.

The three day games today were all Cubs victories and the one loss was a night game. Which just goes to show that the Cubs should play in the sunshine.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs boarded and seized the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 8-1.

Luke Farrell gave up a home run to the first hitter of the game, Will Benson, but it was all Iowa after that. Farrell allowed just one run on two hits over five innings, He walked two and struck out four. Farrell improved his record to 2-0.

Erich Uelmen had two scoreless innings of relief while Brendon Little and Ben Leeper each tossed one inning.

Third baseman Robel Garcia continues to punish International League pitchers. Garcia hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, his tenth on the year and seventh in his last ten games. Garcia also cracked a bases-loaded, two-run double in the fifth inning. His final line was 3 for 5 with the three RBI and two runs scored.

Left fielder Narciso Crook tacked on an insurance run with a solo home run in the eighth, his second of the season. That was Crook’s only at-bat of the game.

Catcher P.J. Higgins hit a two-run single in the fifth and an RBI double in the seventh. Higgins was 2 for 4 with the three runs driven in.

Shortstop Dixon Machado went 2 for 4 with a walk and one run scored.

Clint Frazier played five innings in left field on a rehab assignment and went 1 for 3 with one run scored and one run driven in.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were spotted by the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 6-5 in ten innings.

Javier Assad threw the first five innings for the Smokies and gave up four runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out four.

Dalton Stambaugh pitched the next four innings without allowing a hit. He did give up a run in the eighth inning, however, thanks to two walks, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly. The final line on Stambaugh was one run on no hits over four innings. He walked three and struck out five.

Eury Ramos pitched the top of the tenth inning and got the loss when he surrendered a two-out RBI single, scoring the automatic runner. Ramos’ line was one unearned run on one hit over one inning. He struck out two and walked no one.

Four of the Smokies five runs came on three home runs. The first one was a solo blast by DH Bryce Ball in the bottom of the second. It was Ball’s sixth home run this year. He was 1 for 4 with a walk.

The second home run was another solo shot by left fielder Darius Hill in the third inning. It was his fifth this year. Hill had a big game, going 3 for 4 with a double, the home run and a walk. He scored twice.

Finally, center fielder Alexander Canario hit his first Double-A home run to center field in the fifth inning. He has eight total home runs this year. Canario went 1 for 5.

Third baseman Levi Jordan had the other RBI (and only other Smokies’ hit) when he tied the game with a single with two out in the ninth. Jordan went 1 for 4 with a walk.

Midwest League Player of the Week Matt Mervis went 0 for 4 with a walk in his Double-A debut.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs skinned the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 8-2.

Starter Daniel Palencia tossed three perfect innings. Nine up, nine down. Four strikeouts.

The Timber Rattlers were certainly glad to see Riley Martin take over, but Martin got the win after giving up just two runs on two hits over four innings. Martin struck out six and walked one.

The walk, the two hits and the runs all came in the fifth inning, and those were the only baserunners that Wisconsin would get today. Eduarniel Nunez pitched two perfect innings to finish out the game, striking out three.

Left fielder Jordan Nwogu went 2 for 3 with a walk and a sacrifice fly. Nwogu had three total runs batted in. He also stole one base.

Second baseman Yeison Santana was 2 for 4 with a steal. He scored twice.

First baseman Grayson Byrd played in his first game of the season and in the fourth inning, he opened the scoring with an RBI double. Byrd was 1 for 5 and also scored a run.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans turned the lights out on the Columbia Fireflies (Royals), 13-2.

Pelicans starter Porter Hodge threw the first 3.2 innings and allowed two runs in the bottom of the first inning, all after two were out. After that, the Fireflies got nothing. Hodge surrendered four hits. He walked two and struck out five.

The win went to Luis A. Rodriguez, who relieved Hodge and pitched the next 3.1 innings. Rodriguez allowed just one hit and two walks. He struck out four.

First baseman Felix Stevens tied the game up with a two-run home run in the fourth inning. It was Stevens’s second home run on the year. Stevens was 1 for 5 with a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning that gave him three total RBI.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was 3 for 6 with a double and a steal. He scored twice.

Second baseman Juan Mora was also 3 for 6 (all singles though). Mora scored three runs and had two RBI.

Third baseman James Triantos went 2 for 5. He scored two times and drove in two.

Shortstop Kevin Made went 2 for 4 with two walks and two runs scored. Very good to see two walks out of the free-swinging Made.

Left fielder Ezequiel Pagan went 2 for 6 and scored once.

All nine players in the Pelicans starting lineup had at least one hit.

Here’s Stevens’s home run. He’s a bad man when he connects.