Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: May 26

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs got steel drummed by the Nashville Sounds (Brewers), 7-4.

Starter Nick Neidert lasted just 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, including a two-run home run. Neidert walked one and struck out two.

The loss, however, went to Vinny Nittoli. Nittoli pitched a scoreless seventh inning, but allowed the first two batters of the eighth to reach and then he was relieved by Manuel Rodríguez. Rodríguez not only allowed those two inherited runners to score, he gave up a run of his own. Nittoli’s final line was two runs on two hits over 1+ innings. He struck out one and didn’t walk anyone, but he did hit one batter.

Catcher Miguel Amaya hit his first Triple-A home run and fifth home run overall this year. It came with a man on in the fourth inning. Amaya was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Left fielder Yonathan Perlaza had a pair of doubles in a 2 for 4 game tonight. He scored twice.

Amaya’s home run. It was not a cheapie.

Tennessee Smokies

Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a walkoff two-run single with two out and the bases-loaded in the bottom of the ninth as the Tennessee Smokies stunned the Birmingham Barons (White Sox) 10-9. Crow-Armstrong’s single finished a six-run Smokies rally in the bottom of the ninth.

Starter DJ Herz continued to struggle to throw strikes, but at least he limited the damage tonight. Herz lasted just two innings and allowed two runs on three hits. He walked three, hit one batter and struck out three. Just 38 of Herz’s 62 pitches were strikes.

Blake Whitney took over in the third inning and was Tennessee’s best pitcher of the night. He pitched two innings and retired all six batters he faced. Whitney struck out one.

Cayne Ueckert struggled, giving up two runs in the top of the ninth, but got the win because of the epic Smokies comeback in the bottom of the inning. Uecker pitched two innings and allowed two runs on four hits. He walked three and struck out one.

Crow-Armstrong led off the bottom of the ninth and struck out. But after the team batted around, he came to the plate again with the bases loaded, two out and the Smokies trailing 9-8. He lined a shot down the right field line for a walk-off two-run single, but it would have been a double or maybe even a triple had it not been a walkoff.

Otherwise, Crow-Armstrong didn’t have a great game, going 1 for 5 with a walk.

Catcher Pablo Aliendo had a crucial two-run double to get the Smokies to within a run and to set up Crow-Armstrong’s heroics. Aliendo also hit a solo home run in the second inning, his seventh of the season. Aliendo’s final line was 2 for 4 with the home run, the double and a walk. He scored twice—including the winning run in the ninth—and had the three RBI.

Third baseman Chase Strumpf was 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI single in the ninth. Strumpf scored on Aliendo’s double.

Crow-Armstrong’s walk-off.

Aliendo’s home run. Also not a cheapie.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs fell against the Dayton Dragons (Reds), 3-1.

South Bend wasted a terrific start from Connor Noland, who gave up no runs and just two hits over five innings. Noland struck out five and walked no one.

Adam Laskey gave up two runs in the top of the eighth and took the loss. Laskey pitched two innings and surrendered the two runs on four hits. One of the two runs was unearned. He did strike out four and didn’t walk anyone.

South Bend managed just three hits in this game. The only run came in the sixth inning when DH Ezequiel Pagan plated shortstop Fabian Pertuz on a sacrifice fly. Pagan was 0 for 3. Pertuz went 1 for 3.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans stopped the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros), 6-1.

Starter Jackson Ferris continues to impress. Tonight, Ferris allowed just one hit and no runs over three innings. Ferris struck out four and walked no one, although he did hit one batter. But he erased the batter that he hit with a 5-4-3 double play.

Erian Rodriguez relieved Ferris in the fourth inning and got the win since Ferris didn’t go five. Rodriguez tossed 3.2 scoreless innings, giving up just two hits. He struck out five and walked only one.

Second baseman Yeison Santana led the offense tonight, going 3 for 4 with a double. He scored one run and drove in two.

Catcher Moises Ballesteros was 2 for 5 with a two-run single in the fifth inning.

Shortstop Rafael Morel was 2 for 4 with a walk.

We’ve got some late Jackson Ferris highlights: