Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 1

Holy cow what a day and night I had. Actually, what a week. I won’t bore you with the detail, but I will say the fact this recap posted a lot later than normal was not my fault.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were cut down to size by the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 13-4.

I-Cubs starter Cam Sanders got through the first two innings without much difficulty. The third inning was an entirely different story. Sanders gave up six runs and only retired one batter before he was pulled for reliever Blake Whitney. The final line on Sanders was six runs on six hits over 2.1 innings. He walked three, hit one batter and struck out just one.

Left fielder Jackson Frazier hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to make the final score a tiny bit less embarrassing. It was Frazier’s first home run this year. He was 1 for 4.

Right fielder Darius Hill went 2 for 4 with an RBI double in the fourth inning.

DH Seiya Suzuki went 1 for 3 with a walk.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were knocked down to earth by the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 7-5.

Chris Clarke kept the Trash Pandas off the scoreboard for five innings, but the third time through the order in the sixth inning did not go nearly as well. Clarke gave up five runs in the sixth inning before exiting with one out. Clarke ended up being charged with five runs on nine hits over 5.1 innings. He struck out four and walked no one, although he did hit one batter.

The Smokies came back and tied the game in the bottom of the seventh, but Bryan King came on to pitch the eighth and failed to retire a batter. King took the loss after surrendering two runs on two hits and two walks.

Second baseman Jake Slaughter hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. It was his tenth home run for the Smokies and his 13th overall. Slaughter went 2 for 4 with a walk.

First baseman Matt Mervis tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run of his own. Mervis now has 19 home runs this season and 12 with the Smokies. Mervis went 2 for 4 and was hit by a pitch.

Center fielder Cole Roederer was 2 for 4 with a double and one run scored.

Left fielder Bradlee Beesley hit a two-run double in the second inning. He went 2 for 5.

Here’s Beesley’s double.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs stuffed the Beloit Sky Carp (Marlins), 8-5. The win was South Bend’s ninth-straight victory.

Starter Joe Nahas went five innings and gave up four runs on four hits. One of the four runs was unearned. Nahas walked three and struck out two.

The win went to Adam Laskey in relief. Laskey allowed a solo home run to the first batter he faced. But he stayed in the game and finished by allowing one run on two hits over 1.2 innings. He walked two and struck out no one.

Hunter Bigge faced four batters in the ninth inning and he struck out two of them, but he walked two of them, so Sheldon Reed came in to get the save. Reed struck out the only batter he faced.

Bigge gave up no runs on no hits over two innings. He struck out three and walked three.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was 4 for 5 with a double and a triple. Crow-Armstrong scored three times and had two RBI.

Right fielder Owen Caissie was 2 for 4 with a double. He had one run batted in and scored once.

Second baseman Yeison Santana went 2 for 5 with an RBI single and a run scored.

Santana also made this play on defense.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans edged the Charleston RiverDogs (Rays), 4-3 in 11 innings.

Luke Little gave up two runs in the first inning. He pitched two innings and allowed the two runs on two hits. He struck out six and walked three.

Tyler Santana was impressive in relief (or really as a team-starter). He went six innings and allowed one unearned run on four hits. Santana struck out four and walked one.

Tanner Jesson-Dalton then pitched two scoreless innings and Alfredo Zarraga pitched the top of the 11th and got the win. Zarraga retired all three batters he faced, one by strikeout.

After the RiverDogs failed to score in the top of the 11th, second baseman Josue Huma singled home automatic runner Felix Stevens with the winning run. Huma went 3 for 6.

Shortstop Kevin Made crushed a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning clean out of the ballpark. It was Made’s seventh home run this year and third in the past four games. Made was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Right fielder Jacob Wetzel tied the game with a solo home run in the third inning, his third. Wetzel was 1 for 5.

Third baseman James Triantos tied the game up again with a solo home run in the eighth. It was his third home run of 2022. Triantos went 1 for 4 and he was hit by a pitch.

Highlights:

ACL Cubs

Lost to the Padres, 9-8 in eight innings.

The big news here is that Miguel Amaya played in his first game after Tommy John surgery. He was the DH and he went 0 for 3 with a strikeout, but the good news is that he played.

Catcher Moises Ballesteros hit two home runs and shortstop Cristian Hernandez hit one. If the name Ballesteros is unfamiliar to you, you’re probably going to be hearing a lot about it in the future in this space.