Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: August 18

I normally don’t do a recap of the Cubs’ Dominican Summer League teams, but the Cubs Red DSL team made national news today. Cubs Red beat Pirates Black 2-0 and three pitchers combined for a seven-inning no-hitter. But what is even more remarkable is that Cubs Red didn’t have a hit either! The Cubs Red team scored two runs in the first inning on two walks and two throwing errors. So both teams had a no-hitter in this game, although for the Cubs it was only seven innings and the Pirates pitchers only tossed six.

Here’s the box score for that game.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs shut out Indianapolis (Pirates), 3-0.

Javier Assad picked up his first career Triple-A win with six scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and a walk. Assad struck out six.

Jonathan Holder threw two-thirds of an inning and allowed a hit and a walk. He struck out one before he was replaced by Cam Sanders. Sanders pitched the next 1.1 innings and retired all four batters he faced. He struck out two of them.

Jeremiah Estrada pitched the ninth inning and not only completed the shutout, he picked up his first ever Triple-A save. Estrada gave up a leadoff single in the ninth, but then retired the next three batters in order. He struck out two.

Catcher John Hicks hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, his 13th this year. Hicks went 1 for 4.

Third baseman David Bote singled home center fielder Darius Hill with the first run of the game in the third inning. Bote was 1 for 4 and Hill went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were forced to kneel by the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 6-4.

Starter Riley Thompson took the loss after he surrendered three runs on five hits over 3.2 innings. Thompson walked three and struck out two.

Left fielder Cole Roederer and right fielder Yonathan Perlaza hit back-to-back solo home runs in the top of the ninth inning to make the final score close. It was Roederer’s second home run this year and Perlaza’s 21st.

Roederer went 1 for 4 and Perlaza went 1 for 5.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs shot down the Beloit Sky Carp (Marlins), 6-1.

Starter Porter Hodge had some control issues, but he managed to limit the damage to no runs because he only allowed just one hit over five innings. On the downside, he walked six and hit one batter while striking out four. That was 81 pitchers for Hodge and 43 were strikes.

Catcher Pablo Aliendo hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. It was Aliendo’s sixth home run this season. Aliendo was 1 for 4.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong went 2 for 3 and was hit by a pitch. He also circled the bases and scored to lead off the third inning on a triple and a throwing error.

Here’s Aliendo’s home run.

Here’s PCA’s Little-League home run. Be sure to check out the slide at the plate.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were fowl against the Down East Wood Ducks (Rangers), 12-4.

Sam Thoreson made his first appearance for Myrtle Beach this season and did not make it out of the first inning. Thoreson allowed five runs on three hits and a walk over a third of an inning. Only two of the five runs were earned, as Thoreson and catcher Ethan Hearn both committed errors in the inning. Thoreson struck out one.

First baseman Felix Stevens hit a two-run home run for the Pelicans in the top of the first, his 11th this season. Things went downhill from there as the Wood Ducks scored 12 unanswered runs until the Pelicans scored once in the eighth and ninth innings.

Stevens was 1 for 4.

Parker Chavers hit a solo home run in the eighth inning. It was Chavers’ second home run this season. He went 2 for 4 and scored twice.

DH Moises Ballesteros was 1 for 3 with a double and a walk. He scored once. Now you know all four hits for the Birds tonight.

ACL Cubs

Losing to the Reds, 6-5 in the sixth inning.