Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: August 17

A lot of movement today—unusual for a Thursday.

The Cubs signed left-hander Richard Bleier and assigned him to Iowa. Bleier had been released by the Red Sox earlier this month. He was 1-0 with a 5.28 ERA over 30.2 innings with the Red Sox, but he had been much better the past three years with the Marlins.

Lefty Bailey Horn was put on the temporarily inactive list.

Outfielder Parker Chavers and RHP Yovanny Cabrera were promoted to South Bend from Myrtle Beach.

And outfielder Brennen Davis starts a rehab assignment with the ACL Cubs.

Submitted for your approval. Jordan Wicks’ last four starts in Triple-A:

July 23: Five innings, one run, four hits. Thee walks, two strikeouts.

August 4: Five innings, one run, one hit. Two walks, three strikeouts.

August 10: Five innings, one run, four hits. One walk, five strikeouts.

And then there is tonight. While the line may not show it, it was his best start of all four of them.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were beaten by the Louisville Bats (Reds), 6-5 in ten innings. The loss snapped Iowa’s seven-game winning streak.

Jordan Wicks was masterful tonight—at least until there were two outs in the top of the fifth when he surrendered three straight hits which led to two runs. The final line on Wicks was two runs on five hits over 4.2 innings. He struck out seven and walked one. He should get credit for eight strikeouts, but one was nullified on a catcher’s interference call. (The call was correct, but the batter wasn’t making contact if he wasn’t interfered with.)

In his Cubs debut, Richard Bleier allowed one run on two hits over 1.1 innings. Bleier walked one batter intentionally and struck out two.

The loss went to Tyler Duffey, who allowed an unearned run in the top of the tenth inning. Duffey’s final line was one run on one hit over two innings. Duffey walked one and struck out one.

First baseman Matt Mervis went 2 for 5 with an RBI double.

Third baseman Jared Young was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Young drove in one run and scored one run.

DH Pete Crow-Armstrong was 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored

Wicks’ seventh strikeout:

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were tossed out by the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 6-0.

Brandon Birdsell started and took the loss after he allowed three runs on three solo home runs: one in the third inning and back-to-back home runs in the fourth. The final line on Birdsell was three runs on six hits over 4.2 innings. Birdsell struck out six and walked no one.

The Smokies had just four hits, all singles. Left fielder Cole Roederer was 1 for 2 and was hit by a pitch. Right fielder Owen Caissie was 1 for 3 with a walk.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were swamped by the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers), 3-2.

Starter Grant Kipp took the loss after allowing just two runs on five hits over four innings. Kipp struck out four and walked one.

Yovanny Cabrera had two scoreless innings of relief in his first game in High-A. He allowed one hit, walked no one and struck out one.

First baseman Felix Stevens hit a solo home run to lead off the ninth inning to get the Cubs to within a run. But the next three batters were retired in order. It was Stevens’ 23rd home run this year and tenth with South Bend. He was 2 for 4 and also stole a base.

Right fielder Ezequiel Pagan was 3 for 5 with a double. He scored South Bend’s other run on a James Triantos single in the third. Triantos went 1 for 3 with a walk.

Shortstop Matt Shaw got his average back over .400 by going 2 for 4 with a stolen base.

Left fielder Parker Chavers was 0 for 4 in his South Bend debut.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were bedazzled by the Columbia Fireflies (Royals), 6-1.

Luis Rujano started and took the loss after surrendering four runs on five hits over 3.2 innings. Two of the four runs he allowed were unearned—but it was his own error. Rujano walked one and struck out one.

DH Andy Garriola accounted for the only Pelicans run in this game when he hit his 12th home run in the seventh inning. Garriola was 1 for 2 with a walk.

ACL Cubs

Losing to the Rangers, 7-2 in the fifth inning.

Brad Boxberger pitched the first inning of this game in a rehab appearance. He allowed a one-out single, but nothing else. He struck out no one.

Brennen Davis is the DH in this game. He’s 0 for 2 so far.