Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 7

Good news for the Tennessee Smokies’ Jake Slaughter, who was named Southern League Player of the Week.

Can’t quite say that everyone won, but it’s close.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs downed Indianapolis (Pirates), 6-3.

Starter Cam Sanders got his first career Triple-A win by tossing five innings and giving up two runs on just three hits. Sanders walked three and struck out three.

Daniel Norris pitched one scoreless inning in a rehab assignment. Norris allowed one hit, but he walked no one and struck out one.

Shortstop Dixon Machado went 4 for 5. He scored once and drove in one.

Center fielder Greg Deichmann was 2 for 4 and scored one run.

Third baseman Trent Giambrone was 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.

Nick Madrigal played five innings at second base. He went 1 for 3. He had an RBI groundout in the third and singled and scored in the fifth.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies usurped the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 7-2.

Chris Clarke was strong with five scoreless innings tonight and just four hits. He struck out three and walked one as he collected his third win.

Danis Correa entered the game with runners on the corners and two out in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Smokies ahead 5-1. Correa got out of that jam and then pitched the ninth inning to get a save. His final line was one run on one hit over 1.1 innings. Correa walked one and struck out two.

Right fielder Alexander Canario connected with the bases empty in the third inning for his 18th home run this season. It was his 11th homer with the Smokies. Canario also had an RBI double in the top of the ninth. He was 2 for 5 with the two RBI and two runs scored.

Catcher Bryce Windham hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, his third of the season. Windham went 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.

DH Bryce Ball hit a pair of doubles in a 3 for 5 evening. Ball scored once and had one run batted in.

First baseman Matt Mervis was 3 for 5 with two RBI and one run scored.

South Bend Cubs

Owen Caissie hit a walk-off grand slam as the the South Bend Cubs skinned the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 8-6.

Kohl Franklin pitched the first four innings and gave up two runs on two hits. One of the two runs was unearned. Franklin struck out six and walked two. He also hit one batter.

Zac Leigh threw the final 2.2 innings without allowing a run and got the win. Leigh gave up just one hit. He struck out two and walked no one.

Caissie came to bat with the bases-loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth and South Bend trailing 6-4. His seventh home run of the year ended the game. Caissie went 2 for 4 with a walk.

Left fielder Yohendrick Pinango was 3 for 5 with an RBI double in the seventh. Pinango scored twice.

Third baseman Luis Verdugo went 2 for 3 with a walk and one run scored.

DH Caleb Knight was 2 for 4 with a huge walk to load the bases in the bottom of the ninth. He also had an RBI single in the first inning.

Here’s Caissie’s walk-off.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Pelicans were leading the Columbia Fireflies (Royals), 4-1 in the top of the fifth when the rains came. They will finish the game tomorrow (Friday) followed by a seven-inning nightcap.

ACL Cubs

Tied with the Guardians, 3-3 in the 7th inning.