Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: August 6

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were egged by the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers), 6-0.

Javier Assad allowed just two hits over the first 5.1 innings. Unfortunately, they were both solo home runs—one in the fifth inning and one in the sixth. Assad’s final line was two runs on two hits. He struck out eight and walked just one.

First baseman Matt Mervis was 2 for 4.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies burned the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 5-3.

I think we can call Ben Brown’s Cubs and Double-A debut a success. Brown surrendered just one run on four hits over five innings. He struck out nine and walked two.

Hunter Bigge got the win in his Double-A debut after bailing out Ben Hecht, who had allowed two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Bigge entered the game with the score tied 3-3, runners on second and third and one out. He struck out the first batter he faced, hit the second one and then struck out the third and final batter to end the inning and his night.

Danis Correa pitched the bottom of the ninth and got the save. He faced the minimum three batters and struck out all three of them.

Third baseman Chase Strumpf gave the Smokies the lead in the top of the ninth with a two-run home run, his 17th this season. Strumpf went 1 for 4.

Earlier in the third inning, shortstop Luis Vazquez gave the Smokies a 1-0 lead with a solo home run. It was Vazquez’s eighth home run of 2022. He went 2 for 3 and scored twice.

First baseman Bryce Ball had a two-run single in the sixth inning and scored on Strumpf’s home run in the ninth. He was 1 for 3 with a walk.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs split a doubleheader with the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres), winning game one 6-3 and dropping the nightcap 1-0.

Kohl Franklin started game one and allowed three runs on two hits over three innings. Walks were Franklin’s big problem as he issued five of them while walking three.

Riley Martin pitched the next three innings and got the win. Martin gave up just three hits and no runs. He struck out four and walked just one.

Eduarniel Nunez threw a 1-2-3 ninth for the save. He struck out two of the three hitters.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was 3 for 5 with a two-run single in the fourth and a run scored in game one.

Shortstop Kevin Made was 2 for 3 with a walk. He singled home one run in the fifth inning.

In game two, Richard Gallardo surrendered just one run on four hits over 5.2 innings, but that was enough for the loss. Gallardo walked three and struck out two.

South Bend had just three hits in game two. First baseman B.J. Murray Jr. was 2 for 3.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans got clawed by the Lynchburg Hillcats (Guardians), 10-3.

Starter Luis Angel Rodriguez allowed two runs on four hits over 5.1 innings. Rodriguez struck out eight and walked just one.

The wheels fell off this game in the sixth inning when the Hillcats scored eight times. One of those runs was charged to Rodriguez, who left after allowing a one-out single. But Jose Romero’s second game with the Pelicans did not go any better than the first one did. Romero was hammered for six runs (and one inherited runner) on three hits, two walks and a hit batsman over a third of an inning. He did not record a strikeout.

First baseman Felix Stevens is tearing things up in August. Tonight he was 2 for 3 with a double and a solo home run in the eighth inning, his tenth. Stevens also walked once and had two total runs batted in.

Left fielder Parker Chavers was 2 for 4 and drove in the other Pelicans run with a single in the fourth inning.

Highlights, such as they are:

ACL Cubs

Beat the Athletics, 2-1.