Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: August 22

It looks like a new candidate for the major league starting rotation emerged tonight in Iowa.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs smashed Indianapolis (Pirates), 10-4.

Shane Greene started this game and picked up the win with five shutout innings, giving up four hits. The former All-Star walked just one batter and struck out six. It was Greene’s longest appearance anywhere since 2016. He threw 68 pitches, 45 for strikes.

Brad Boxberger continued to struggle in rehab appearance, allowing two runs on two hits over just a third of an inning. Boxberger walked one and struck out one.

Second baseman Jake Slaughter hit a three-run home run in the top of the first inning to give the I-Cubs and early 4-0 lead. It was Slaughter’s team-high 20th home run this year. Slaughter went 2 for 5 and scored two runs.

In the seventh inning, first baseman Matt Mervis and right fielder Alexander Canario went back-to-back with home runs. It was Mervis’ 16th minor league home run and came with a man on. It was Canario’s fifth with Iowa and sixth overall.

Mervis was 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored three times.

Canario went 2 for 4 with a sacrifice fly for two total RBI.

Left fielder Darius Hill was 2 for 4. He scored once and drove in one.

Catcher Bryce Windham went 2 for 3 with a walk and two RBI.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was just 1 for 5 with a double and one run scored, but that extended his hitting streak to 15 games.

Slaughter’s home run.

Mervis’ line-drive blast just barely stayed fair.

Canario goes back-to-back. (video)

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies got lost against the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 8-2.

Starter Chris Kachmar took the loss after giving up four runs, three earned, on three hits over just 2.1 innings. He walked one and struck out four.

Blake Whitney had two scoreless innings of relief, giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out one.

Jordan Nwogu did not homer, but he did hit triple. He was 1 for 2 with two walks.

Center fielder Bradlee Beesley went 2 for 4.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs harvested the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), 6-3.

Tyler Santana started and collected the win, allowing just one run on three hits over five innings. Really, just one run on a solo home run by Misael Urbina. Santana walked one and struck out three.

Coming into this game, second baseman Ed Howard had gone 0 for 15 in the Whitecaps series and 2 for 27 in the past two series. But tonight, Howard rebounded by going 3 for 4 with three RBI.

Catcher Moises Ballesteros was 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI single in the seventh inning. Ballesteros scored twice.

DH James Triantos was 2 for 4 with an RBI double.

Highlights:

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans defused the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox), 9-8 in ten innings. The Pelicans were trailing this game 7-2 at the stretch and came back and won in extras.

Koen Moreno handled the first three innings and was touched for two runs on three hits. He walked two and struck out two.

Starlyn Pichardo was summoned in the top of the ninth inning with the bases loaded, two outs and the Pelicans trailing 8-6. He got a strikeout to keep the Birds within two runs and when Myrtle Beach tied the game up in the bottom of the inning, Pichardo pitched a scoreless top of the tenth to get the win.

Pichardo’s final line was no runs on no hits over 1.1 innings. He walked two and struck out two.

First baseman Brian Kalmer hit a two-run, two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extras. Kalmer went 1 for 4 with two walks.

Catcher Miguel Pabon hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the tenth. He went 0 for 5 otherwise.

Left fielder Rafael Morel hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, his seventh on the season. Morel was 2 for 6 with a stolen base and two RBI.

Third baseman Jonathon Long was 4 for 5 with a double and a walk. Long scored one time and had one RBI.

Second baseman Pedro Ramirez went 2 for 3 with a double and three walks. He scored one run.

Right fielder Brett Bateman was 2 for 4 with two walks and a stolen base. He scored twice.

Shortstop Jefferson Rojas doubled twice in a 2 for 6 evening. Rojas also stole a base and scored once.

Morel’s home run.

Kalmer’s clutch hit.

Full highlights:

ACL Cubs

The ACL Cubs lost to the Dodgers, 12-1 in their season finale.

Brennen Davis was 1 for 3 and drove in the only Cubs run.

The ACL Cubs finished the season 18-37, which was the worst record in the Arizona Complex League. Of course, almost everyone who played well for the ACL Cubs for even a short amount of time got promoted to Myrtle Beach, so that explains some of the record.