Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: May 28

I hope I can bring you some good news tonight.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs drowned out the Nashville Sounds (Brewers), 14-9.

Caleb Kilian turned in a solid if unspectacular start, allowing three runs on seven hits over five innings. The best part is that he struck out six and walked just two.

Keegan Thompson, however, continues to struggle. Thompson relieved Kilian to start the sixth inning and didn’t make it out of the inning. He gave up four runs on four hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning. He did not strike anyone out.

The win was awarded to Tyler Duffey in relief, improving his record to 5-0 in just 16 relief appearances. (And one two-inning start that was a bullpen game.) He entered the game with runners on second and third and a two-run lead. He faced two batters. The first hit a sacrifice fly and he struck out the other one.

The I-Cubs had a scored four runs in each of the seventh and eighth innings.

Center fielder Darius Hill got the seventh-inning rally going with an RBI single that cut the Sounds lead to 7-6. Hill was 4 for 5 with a double today. He scored three runs and drove in one.

DH Nelson Velázaquez and third baseman Jake Slaughter hit back-to-back doubles in the seventh to give the I-Cubs the lead for good. Velázquez went 2 for 5 with three RBI. He scored one run.

Slaughter was 1 for 5 with two runs batted in.

Second baseman Nick Madrigal hit an RBI triple in the eighth inning. Madrigal went 2 for 5. He scored twice and had two total runs batted in.

Left fielder Yonathan Perlaza was 3 for 4 with a double and a walk, extending his hit streak to nine games. Perlaza scored three times and drove in two.

Nick Madrigal’s highlights:

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were vassalized by the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 9-5.

Starter Walker Powell took the loss. He surrendered four runs on six hits over four innings. Powell struck out three and walked no one, but he did hit one batter.

Left fielder Owen Caissie gave the Smokies an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with his tenth home run of the season. Caissie went 1 for 4.

Second baseman Chase Strumpf was 2 for 4.

Right fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was 1 for 2 with a double and was caught stealing third. He was also ejected by the home plate umpire in the sixth inning.

Catcher Caleb Knight hit a solo home run in the eighth inning. Knight was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Caissie’s home run. It wasn’t even that impressive by his standards and it cleared the wall by plenty.

Here’s a nice defensive play by Caissie in left field.

An even better defensive play by Pete Crow-Armstrong in right field.

And here’s PCA’s double.

And Knight’s first home run of the season.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were burned by the Dayton Dragons (Reds), 2-1.

Starter Richard Gallardo had his strikeout pitch going today. Gallardo pitched five innings and allowed one run on three hits. He struck out a season high 11 batters and walked no one, although he did hit one batter.

Chase Watkins gave up a run in the top of the seventh and got the loss. His final line was one run on two hits over 1.1 innings. Watkins struck out two and walked no one.

South Bend managed just five hits in this game. The one run came in the sixth inning when second baseman Scott McKeon singled home shortstop Kevin Made. Both players were 1 for 3.

Here’s Gallardo’s 11th strikeout.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans swept a doubleheader from the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros), 2-0 and 3-1. The Pelicans allowed just three hits combined in the two games. Also, the Pelicans swept the six-game series from Fayetteville.

Nick Hull started game one and allowed just one hit, a double in the first inning. He did struggle with control, as Hull walked four batters and hit one while also striking out four.

Jordan Holloway got the win in relief. He pitched 1.1 innings without allowing a hit. He struck out two and walked two.

Saul Gonzalez threw the seventh inning and nailed down the save. He allowed a one-out single, but then ended the game with a 1-6-3 double play. He did not have a strikeout.

Second baseman Reivaj Garcia singled home right fielder Jefferson Encarnacion with the first run of the game in the third inning. Garcia went 1 for 3 and Encarnacion was 1 for 2 with a double and an RBI groundout in the fifth inning.

Shortstop Cristian Hernandez was 2 for 3 and scored that second run.

In game three, three Birds pitchers combined on a one-hitter, and the hit had nothing to do with the one run they allowed. Starter Brody McCullough improved to 3-1 with five scoreless innings, allowing just the one hit. He struck out eight and walked no one.

Koen Moreno allowed the one run on two walks, a wild pitch and an RBI groundout in the one inning he threw. He struck out one.

Jozhan Oquendo pitched a perfect bottom of the seventh to end the game, get the save and complete the sweep. Oquendo struck out one.

Second baseman Yeison Santana had an RBI triple in the fourth inning for the first run of the game. He was 1 for 3.

First baseman Moises Ballesteros was 2 for 3 with a double.