Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 19

The Cubs today announced that they have signed ten more picks from the recently completed draft. They are:

Josh Rivera SS (3rd round)

Will Sanders RHP (4th round)

Yahil Melendez SS (7th round)

Carter Trice 2B (12th round)

Grayson Moore RHP (14th round)

Ty Johnson RHP (15th round)

Daniel Brown LHP (16th round)

Ethan Flanagan LHP (17th round)

Nick Dean RHP (19th round)

Drew Bowser 3B (20th round)

That leaves just second-round pick RHP Jaxon Wiggins, eleventh-round pick OF Zyhir Hope and thirteenth-round pick RHP Sam Armstrong as unsigned. Wiggins and Hope were expected to be the toughest signs in the Cubs’ draft, although Hope has already been saying that he intends to sign.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs beat Indianapolis (Pirates), 7-1.

Ben Brown was magnificent today, allowing no runs and just one hit over five innings. Brown struck out nine and walked no one.

Second baseman David Bote clubbed a solo home run in the second inning, his tenth on the year. Bote went 2 for 4 with a double, the home run and two total RBI.

Left fielder Yonathan Perlaza cracked a solo home run in the third, his 12th. Perlaza went 1 for 2 with two walks. He scored twice.

Finally, right fielder Nelson Velázquez hit a grand slam in the fifth inning. It was his 13th home run of the season. Velázquez went 1 for 4.

Shortstop Luis Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a double. He scored on Velázquez’s slam.

First baseman Matt Mervis went 1 for 2 with a walk and he was hit by a pitch. Mervis scored one run.

Bote’s home run.

Perlaza’s home run.

The Velázquez slam:

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies beat the Mississippi Braves, 9-8.

Starter Manuel Espinoza has had better days. Tonight, Espinoza allowed six runs, five earned, on seven hits over 4.2 innings. Two of those seven hits were home runs. On the positive side, Espinoza struck out five and walked just one.

Brailyn Marquez pitched a clean 1-2-3 seventh-inning in a rehab appearance. He struck out one.

The win went to Blake Whitney, but not before he blew the save with two runs in the eighth inning. Whitney allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits over two innings. Again, the big problem was a two-run home run in the eighth by Drew Lugbauer. Whitney struck out three and walked one.

The Smokies loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning after two were out and right fielder Owen Caissie drew the walk-off walk, driving in Cole Roederer. Caissie went 2 for 5 with the walk. He drove in two runs and scored two runs.

Earlier, left fielder Roederer hit a solo home run in the fifth, his ninth of the year and sixth in a red-hot July. Roederer went 2 for 4 with the two RBI. He was hit by a pitch in the ninth to start the rally.

Two batters before Roederer, third baseman BJ Murray Jr. cranked a solo home run, his tenth on 2023. Murray was a perfect 3 for 3 with two walks and three runs batted in.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was 3 for 5 with a double and a walk. He scored one run and drove in one.

Shortstop Levi Jordan was 2 for 4 with one run scored.

Catcher Pablo Aliendo had a two-run single in the sixth. He was 2 for 5.

Some heads-up baserunning by PCA. I don’t know if he gets away with this stuff in the majors, but he’s doing it all the time in Double-A.

Murray’s home run.

Roederer’s home run.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs calmed the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers), 5-0.

Brody McCullough started and went 4.1 innings. He allowed two hits and issued two walks while striking out seven.

Because McCullough didn’t go five innings, the win went to Adam Laskey, who relieved McCullough in the fifth. Laskey gave up one hit over 1.2 innings. He struck out three and walked no one.

Frankie Scalzo Jr. pitched two innings and Sheldon Reed threw one to close out the shutout. Each pitcher allowed one hit and walked no one. Scalzo struck out three and Reed struck out one.

Center fielder Kevin Alcántara was 3 for 3 with a double and a stolen base today. Unfortunately, he left this game in the sixth inning after he suffered an apparent leg injury running to second on the double. Alcántara scored one run.

Highlights:

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were bedazzled by the Columbia Fireflies (Royals), 3-2.

Starter Jackson Ferris gave up just one run on one hit over 3.2 innings. The run scored after reliever Kenyi Perez entered the game. Ferris walked one and struck out five. Ferris got the his first professional loss.

Both Pelicans runs were driven in by second baseman Cristian Hernandez. Hernandez had a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning and a solo home run in eighth. It was Hernandez’s fourth home run this year. Hernandez went 2 for 3.

First baseman Reivaj Garcia went 3 for 5.

Center fielder Rafael Morel was 2 for 5.

DH Parker Chavers was 2 for 4 with a double and one run scored.

The Pelicans had eleven hits tonight but only two runs, thanks in large part to going 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

Highlights:

ACL Cubs

Off day.