Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: June 3

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were edged by the St. Paul Saints (Twins), 8-7 in ten innings.

Starter Brandon Leibrandt pitched 4.1 innings and allowed six runs on eight hits. Three of those eight hits were home runs, which explains a lot of Leibrandt’s struggles. He did strike out five and he walked no one.

Erich Uelmen came on to pitch the ninth inning looking for a save, but he gave up a two-out RBI double to tie the game and send it to extras. Uelmen went on to pitch the tenth and allowed the automatic runner to score, which earned him the loss. Uelmen gave up two runs, one earned, on one hit over two innings. Uelmen walked two and struck out two.

The final play of the game was a double play where Trent Giambrone tried to score from third on a fly ball by Darius Hill to right fielder Cole Sturgeon, but Giambrone was thrown out at the plate.

For the third-straight game and the fourth in five games, right fielder Greg Deichmann homered. This was a solo home run in the fourth inning and was his fourth on the year. Deichmann was 3 for 5 with three RBI.

Catcher John Hicks hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, his sixth of the season. Hicks was 2 for 5 with a double. He had three runs batted in and two runs scored.

DH Nelson Maldonado was 3 for 5. He scored two runs and knocked one in.

Center fielder Nelson Velazquez was 2 for 4 with a walk and one run scored. He also stole a base.

Hill didn’t quite hit the fly ball in the tenth inning far enough for a sacrifice fly, but he went 2 for 4 with two walks and a stolen base. Hill scored one run.

Here’s Deichmann’s home run.

And here’s Hicks’ home run.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies defenestrated the Birmingham Barons (White Sox) 10-5.

The Smokies scored ten runs for starter Max Bain and he cruised to his first win of the year. Bain allowed two runs on four hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out four.

After the Barons scored a run in the top of the first inning, the Smokies stormed back with four runs in the bottom of the inning. The big blow was a three-run home run by first baseman Matt Mervis. It was Mervis’ 12th home run this season and fifth in Double-A. Mervis was 2 for 4 with a walk.

The Smokies hit three three-run home runs in the first four innings. Third baseman Chase Strumpf connected with two men on in the second inning, his tenth on the season. Strumpf went 3 for 4 with four total RBI. He scored twice.

In the fourth inning, DH Bryce Ball tacked on three more runs with his seventh home run of the year. Ball went 2 for 4 with a walk and he scored three times.

Right fielder Yonathan Perlaza was 2 for 3 with two walks and a stolen base. Perlaza scored three times.

Catcher Bryce Windham was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Here’s Mervis’s home run. It bounced off the top of the wall and over.

And here’s Strumpf’s blast.

Last and probably best, here’s Ball crushing his homer.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were slain by the Dayton Dragons (Reds), 5-2.

It was another rough outing for Kohl Franklin, who is struggling after having missed the past two season. (Although honestly, the Dragons were hitting a lot of solid pitches by Franklin.) Franklin allowed four runs on three hits, including a two-run home run, over three innings. He walked one and struck out three. He also hit one batter.

Both of South Bend’s runs came on a two-run home run by DH Yohendrick Pinango in the sixth inning. It was his eighth home run of 2022. Pinango went 1 for 4.

South Bend had just three hits in this game.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Pelicans game hosting the Shorebirds was suspended in the fourth inning with Delmarva leading Myrtle Beach 5-1. They’ll try to finish the game tomorrow.