Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: April 7

It’s our first full Minor League Wrap of the season.

If you’ve got access to the Pelicans games on video, Cade Horton is scheduled to make his pro debut tomorrow. Game starts at 5:05.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs lost their first game of the season, 6-2 to the St. Paul Saints (Twins).

Riley Thompson was impressive in his first ever Triple-A start. Thompson retired the first nine batters he faced, striking out four. He gave up a walk, a double and a run in the fourth before exiting. His final line was one run on one hit and one walk over four innings. Thompson struck out six.

Rowan Wick relieved Thompson and was not as impressive, although his defense did him no favors. Wick took the loss after giving up four runs on three hits over 1.2 innings. Two of those three hits were home runs. However, all three runs he allowed in the sixth inning were unearned. Wick walked one and struck out no one.

Right fielder Yonathan Perlaza scored both of Iowa’s runs tonight. Perlaza was a home run shy of the cycle as he was 3 for 3 with a double, a triple and a walk.

Perlaza had three of Iowa’s six hits.

Tennessee Smokies

A walk-off three-run home run by catcher Pablo Aliendo capped off a five-run bottom of the ninth and the Tennessee Smokies ambushed the Birmingham Barons (White Sox) 10-9.

Smokies starter Jordan Wicks was cruising until a two-out error in the fourth inning caused the wheels to fall off his night. Wicks ended up allowing four unearned runs and leaving before the inning was over.

Wicks’ final line was four unearned runs on six hits over 3.2 innings. Wicks struck out four and walked one.

Dalton Stambaugh gave up a two-run home run in the fifth inning to make the score 6-0 Barons. Those were the only two runs Stambaugh would allow over three innings of relief.

The Barons got an insurance run in the top of the ninth off of reliever Riley Martin, but Martin got the win after the huge comeback in the bottom of the inning. Martin allowed just one unearned run on no hits and one walk over one inning. He struck out two.

Aliendo will never forget his Double-A debut. He wa 3 for 4 with a walk and the three-run walkoff home run. He scored two runs.

Right fielder Owen Caissie set up that Aliendo home run with a bases-loaded two-run single, batting just before Aliendo went deep. Caissie went 1 for 5.

DH Nelson Maldonado was 3 for 5 with a double and three RBI. He scored one run.

Here is Aliendo’s walk-off

Here is Maldonado’s double.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs arrested the Quad Cities River Bandits (Royals), 5-2 in ten innings.

Starter Richard Gallardo pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits. Gallardo struck out four and walked one.

Joe Nahas pitched the next three innings and coughed up a 2-0 lead, but both runs he allowed were unearned thanks to a catcher’s interference call. The line on Nahas was three innings, allowing two runs, both unearned, on three hits. He walked three and struck out five.

Sheldon Reed pitched the ninth and tenth innings without allowing a hit or a run and got the win. Reed did walk two while striking out four.

First baseman Haydn McGeary had an RBI single in the top of the tenth to give South Bend the lead back. McGeary went 2 for 5 with a double.

McGeary scored later that inning on a two-run single by third baseman Fabian Pertuz. Pertuz went 2 for 5 with three total runs batted in.

Center fielder Kevin Alcántara had two singles and a stolen base in a 2 for 5 game. Alcántara scored twice.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans neutered the Charleston RiverDogs (Royals), 13-1.

Starter Brody McCullough allowed no runs and just one hit over 3.2 innings. He walked one and struck out five.

Because McCullough didn’t go five innings, the win went to Kevin Valdez in his first game in low-A. Valdez pitched three scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. He did have some control issues as he walked three and tossed two wild pitches. Valdez struck out two.

The Pelicans scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. Left fielder Andy Garriola hit a two-run double in the first. But in the fourth inning, Garriola hit his first professional home run and it was a grand slam. Garriola’s line on the evening was 2 for 5 with six RBI. He also stole a base.

Before Garriola hit his slam in the fourth, DH Parker Chavers hit a three-run home run. Chavers was 2 for 4 with two walks and four total RBI in the game. Chavers scored twice.

Right fielder Jefferson Encarnacion went 3 for 4 with a triple and a walk. He scored two runs and drove home one.

Third baseman Rafael Morel was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Second baseman Pedro Ramírez went 2 for 4 and was hit by a pitch. He scored three runs.

Here are the happy highlights.