Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 3

And a happy long weekend to everyone. At least I hope you are enjoying a long weekend.

It’s a rare, rare, rare Monday night Minor League Wrap.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs hung on to beat the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 7-6.

Ben Brown started and took the win home after allowing two runs on four hits over five innings. Brown struck out six and walked one.

Iowa had a 7-3 lead going into the ninth, but after retiring the first batter, Cam Sanders walked the next two. He then left for Manuel Rodríguez, who walked the first batter he faced to load the bases. He struck out the second one for the second out, but gave up a three-run double to John Rave. But that only made it 7-6, so Rodríguez just struck the next batter to end the game and earn an extremely ugly save.

Left fielder David Bote hit a two-run home run in the second inning. Bote went 1 for 4.

DH Edwin Ríos hit a solo home run in the eighth. He was 2 for 4 with a double and the home run. Ríos scored twice.

Second baseman Miles Mastrobuoni hit a pair of doubles in a 2 for 3 evening. He also walked once. Mastrobuoni scored twice and drove in two.

Bote’s home run:

The Ríos blast.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies split a doubleheader with the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), winning the continuation of yesterday’s game 15-10 and losing today’s seven-inning contest 5-2.

Manuel Espinoza opened yesterday and allowed two runs on four hits over just one inning. He walked one and struck out two.

Samuel Reyes pitched two innings yesterday before the rains came and since he technically wasn’t the starter, he got the win. Reyes allowed one run on two hits and three walks. He struck out one.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning. Crow-Armstrong went 2 for 5 with a double, a walk and the home run. The walk came with the bases-loaded, so Crow-Armstrong had three runs batted in. He also stole a base.

Shortstop Levi Jordan went 2 for 4 with a double and two walks. Jordan scored three times and drove home two.

DH Haydn McGeary was 2 for 5 with a double, a walk and three RBI. McGeary scored twice.

Catcher Casey Opitz was 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored three times.

Chris Kachmar started game two and surrendered just one unearned run over four innings. Kachmar gave up four hits but no walks. He struck out one.

The loss went to Luke Little, who took over for Kachmar in the fifth and allowed three runs on two hits and three walks over just two-thirds of an inning. Little struck out one.

Both Smokies runs in game two both came on two fourth-inning solo home runs. Catcher Pablo Aliendo hit his tenth and left fielder Jordan Nwogu hit his eighth. Both players were 1 for 3.

Shortstop Levi Jordan went 2 for 4 in game two.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs got plopped on by the Beloit Sky Carp (Marlins), 7-6.

Brody McCullough allowed four runs on five hits over five innings of his High-A debut. He struck out three and walked no one, but he did hit a batter.

The SB Cubs took the lead in the top of the ninth on a two-run home run by Felix Stevens, but Frankie Scalzo Jr. gave those two runs back in the bottom of the inning and took the loss. The final line on Scalzo was two runs on two hits and three walks over 2.2 innings. He struck out four.

Scalzo left the game with the score tied, two outs and runners on first and second. Adam Laskey allowed a walkoff single to the only batter he faced.

First baseman Stevens not only had the two-run home run in the ninth, but he also doubled and scored in the fourth inning. Stevens went 2 for 4.

Catcher Moises Ballesteros was 2 for 2 with two walks and one run scored.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were herded up by the Charleston RiverDogs (Rays), 6-0.

Luis Rujano started and took the loss. Rujano allowed two runs on three hits over 3.2 innings. He walked two and struck out two.

Shortstop Christian Hernandez was 1 for 4 and catcher Miguel Pabon was 1 for 3. Now you know about every hit the Pelicans had in this game.

Highlights, such as they are:

ACL Cubs

Beat the Mariners, 7-6 in eight innings.

Mason McGwire started this game, in case you’re wondering whether or not he’s been pitching. Monday is his normal day to pitch, so he doesn’t get mentioned in the Wrap much. Or at all. Anyway, McGwire has been having control issues in his first pro season and tonight was no different. He allowed two runs on two hits and four walks over two-thirds of an inning. He has 16 walks and 13 strikeouts over 16 pro innings. I wouldn’t worry about that at this point. Most pitchers his age just finished their freshman year of college.