Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: April 8

In case you haven’t heard, the Rocket City Trash Pandas threw the first no-hitter of the minor league season in game one against the Chattanooga Lookouts. It was a seven-inning no-hitter, of course.

Why am I mentioning this? Because Rocket City lost the game 7-5.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs split a doubleheader with the St. Paul Saints (Twins), winning game one 9-7 and dropping the second one 8-5.

Starter Adrian Sampson put the I-Cubs in a hole early after giving up six runs, five earned, on three hits over 4.1 innings. Sampson walked six and hit one batter, so obviously he struggled with control. He did strike out six.

Brandon Hughes pitched a scoreless inning in a rehab assignment and got the win. Hughes did load the bases with one out after two singles and a walk. But he got out of the jam with a double play. Hughes struck out one.

Nick Burdi pitched the bottom of the seventh and got the save. He put the first two batters of the inning on with a hit batter and a single, but then he struck out the next three batters to end the game.

Catcher Dom Nuñez hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth that tied the game 7-7. Nuñez was 2 for 2 with two walks and the two RBI. He also scored three runs.

DH Darius Hill hit a bases-loaded two-run single in the top of the seventh that turned out to be the difference. Hill was 1 for 3 and was hit by a pitch.

Seiya Suzuki played five innings in right field and went 1 for 1 with a walk and a sacrifice fly. He also scored one run.

In game two, the Saints battered around Iowa starter Nick Neidert, who took the loss after giving up eight runs on 11 hits over just 2.1 innings. Four of the eight runs were unearned. Neidert struck out four and walked one.

Third baseman Christopher Morel was 1 for 2 with a two-run single in the second inning. Morel also walked twice and scored one run.

DH Nelson Velázquez was 1 for 3 with a two-run single of his own in the second. He also scored one run and stole a base.

Suzuki’s single.

Nuñez’s home run.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies defenestrated the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 6-0.

Four Smokies hitters combined to one-hit the Barons. Starter Ben Brown went four innings without allowing a hit. He did have some control issues as he walked four, but he struck out six.

Hunter Bigge did not allow a hit over the next two innings. He walked one and struck out one.

Michael McAvene gave up a one-out single in the seventh and immediately erased the inning with a double play two pitches later. McAvene struck out one and walked no one in his inning of work.

Jake Rendl was perfect over the last two innings to close the game out. He struck out three.

The Smokies took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on catcher Miguel Amaya’s first home run of the season. Amaya went 1 for 4.

DH Chase Strumpf added on with a two-run home run in the fifth. Strumpf went 1 for 3 with a walk.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong went 2 for 4 with an RBI triple in the sixth. Strumpf also stole a base.

Left fielder Cole Roederer was 2 for 4 with a steal and two runs scored.

Amaya’s home run.

Crow-Armstrong’s triple.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs apprehended the Quad Cities River Bandits (Royals), 3-1.

South Bend also combined on a two-hitter tonight. Starter Luke Little went four innings without any hits or runs. He walked two and struck out four.

Next up was Tyler Santana, who did not allow a hit or a run over four innings. He did walk four while striking out four. Santana was awarded the win because Little didn’t go five.

Carlos Guzman gave up a solo home run to first-round pick Gavin Cross with two outs in the eighth to break up the shut out and no-hitter. He did get the save after allowing one run and two hits over two innings. He struck out four and walked one.

First baseman Haydn McGeady was 2 for 4 with an RBI double in then top of the ninth.

Catcher Casey Opitz drove in the other two runs with an RBI single in the second inning. Opitz went 1 for 3.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Rained out.