Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: April 23

With the Pelicans win today, all four minor league affiliates now have a winning record.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were buffaloed by the Buffalo Bison (Blue Jays), 11-6.

It was a bullpen game for the I-Cubs today and other than Nick Burdi, who threw the final 1.1 innings, the other four pitchers all allowed runs. Burdi just let two of the three runners he inherited from Ryan Borucki to score.

Rowan Wick got his first professional start and the loss. Wick gave up five runs, three earned, on two hits over 2.1 innings. Wick walked two and struck out three.

Shortstop David Bote was 3 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. He also committed a key error in the second inning that lead to two unearned runs.

First baseman Matt Mervis was 3 for 5 with a double. Mervis drove in three runs in the first two innings on a pair of singles. Mervis scored one run.

Left fielder Brennen Davis got his batting average up over .200 with a 3 for 5 game. Davis had two RBI and one stolen base.

Third baseman Jake Slaughter was 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He scored once.

Right fielder Christopher Morel went 0 for 4 with a walk, which ended his 11-game hitting streak.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies clouded the vision of the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 9-5.

Starter Ryan Jensen surrendered three runs, two earned, on seven hits over 4.1 innings. Jensen struck out seven and walked two, so that was a positive sign building off his last game, even if the overall line on Jensen wasn’t good.

Because Jensen didn’t go five innings. the win went to Ben Hecht, who threw 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. Hecht gave up one hit. He neither walked nor struck anyone out.

Shortstop Luis Vazquez hit two home runs today. The first one was a two-run home run in the first inning and the second one came with the bases empty in the fifth. Vazquez went 3 for 4 with four runs scored and the three RBI.

Second baseman Andy Weber singled to lead off the bottom of the first inning and scored one batter later on Vazquez’s first home run. Weber was 2 for 5 with two runs scored.

Right fielder Owen Caissie was 1 for 2 with three walks and a stolen base. He had two RBI—RBI single and a bases-loaded walk.

Vazquez’s first home run.

Caissie’s RBI single

Jordan Nwogu filling in for Pete Crow-Armstrong in center by doing a PCA impersonation.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs fell to the Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers), 10-8.

Kohl Franklin was cruising in this game through the first three innings, retiring the first nine batters he faced. Then he faced the Loons lineup a second time and things went . . .poorly. Dalton Rushing hit a solo home run to lead off the fourth and things went downhill from there.

Franklin took the loss after getting tagged for six runs on six hits over four innings. Two of the hits were home runs, including a grand slam by Griffin Lockwood-Powell later in the inning. Franklin walked two and struck out seven.

Third baseman Kevin Made had his first career four-hit game, going 4 for 5 with a three-run home run in the eighth inning. Made had four runs batted in and scored twice. The game raised Made’s batting average on the season to an even .300.

Center fielder Bradlee Beesley also got his batting average above .300 after a 3 for 5 game. Beesley doubled once, stole one base and scored one run.

Second baseman Scott McKeon was a perfect 2 for 2 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. McKeon scored two times and drove in three runs.

Shortstop Fabian Pertuz was 2 for 5. He had one RBI and one run scored.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans shredded the Augusta GreenJackets (Braves), 8-4.

Birds starter Koen Moreno had some serious control issues and only managed to throw 2.1 innings. However, he managed to limit the damage to just two runs on two hits, including a solo home run. Moreno walked five and struck out just one. Of his 47 pitches, only 19 were strikes.

Erian Rodríguez got the win. He pitched three perfect innings of relief, retiring all nine batters he faced. Rodríguez struck out three.

Nick Hull got a three-inning save. Hull allowed two runs on two hits, but both of them were unearned. Hull struck out seven and walked no one.

Catcher Moises Ballesteros went 3 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. Yeah, really. Ballesteros scored twice. He also threw out two runners trying to steal second in the third inning.

First baseman Miguel Pabon went 2 for 4 with a two-run double that was part of a six-run fourth inning by the Pelicans. Pabon also scored once.

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