Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: April 18

I’m beginning to think that the Cubs need to call up Matt Mervis, Nelson Velázquez and Christopher Morel just so that they can get some at-bats.

Iowa Cubs

Cold-ed out in Buffalo. It’s the third-straight game for Iowa that has been postponed. They’ll try to play a doubleheader on Thursday.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies blinded the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 9-5.

Ryan Jensen had his best start of the season and got his first win of the season. Jensen allowed one run on two hits over five innings. He struck out five and walked just one.

The Smokies took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong led off with his first Double-A home run. Armstrong was 2 for 4 with a walk and three runs scored. He also stole a base. It went like this.

The wild pitch wasn’t all that wild, either.

Right fielder Jordan Nwogu stayed hot with a solo home run in the fifth inning. It was his third home run of the year. Nwogu went 2 for 4 and drove in two runs.

The third solo home run by the Smokies came off the bat of third baseman BJ Murray Jr. in the sixth inning. Murray also doubled in a 2 for 4 game.

Shortstop Luis Vazquez was 2 for 3 with a walk and one run scored.

Catcher Miguel Amaya went 1 for 2 with an RBI double and was hit by a pitch twice. He scored twice.

Here’s PCA’s home run.

Here he is stealing second.

Here PCA makes a nice catch. He’s here, he’s there, he’s every-[expletive deleted]-where.

Nwogu’s home run.

Amaya’s double.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were dropped by the Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers) 6-3.

All three Cubs starters in the minors had good outings and South Bend’s Kohl Franklin was no exception. Franklin pitched 3.2 scoreless innings, giving up just three hits. He struck out six and walked two.

Joe Nahas pitched a scoreless sixth inning, but he went back out for the seventh and got knocked around. Nahas took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits and two walks over two innings. Nahas struck out one.

South Bend only managed three hits in this game, but they walked 12 times.

Shortstop Kevin Made had a two-run double in the sixth inning. He was 1 for 3 with two walks.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans made the Augusta GreenJackets (Braves) blue, 2-1 in ten innings.

Michael Arias was fantastic over the first four innings, allowing no runs on just two hits. Arias struck out eight and walked just one.

Yovanny Cabrera pitched the next three innings and gave up one run, but it was unearned. Cabrera surrendered one hit and issued one walk. He struck out three.

Angel Gonzalez pitched the next 1.2 innings without allowing a hit or a run. He did walk two while striking out five. So every batter he faced either walked or struck out.

Finally, Johzan Oquendo pitched the final 1.1 innings and got the win when the Pelicans pushed a run across in the tenth. Oquendo did walk one batter intentionally in the tenth, but was otherwise perfect. He struck out three.

The four Pelicans pitchers combined to strike out 19 GreenJackets.

With two out and runners on second and third in the bottom of the tenth, second baseman Rafael Morel hit a high-hopper to third base that he easily beat out for a walkoff infield single. Morel went 1 for 5.

The Pelicans other run came on an RBI triple in the seventh inning by third baseman Reginald Preciado. Preciado was 1 for 4.

Highlights: