Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: August 27

The Cubs’ tenth-round pick, Luis Martinez-Gomez, has been promoted to Myrtle Beach.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs lost to Indianapolis (Pirates), 2-1.

Shane Greene was really the hard-luck loser, as Alexander Canario misjudged a line drive to right in the second inning that led to an error and both Indianapolis runs. The final line on Greene was two unearned runs on three hits over four innings. Greene struck out six and walked two. He also hit one batter.

Luke Little continues to make his case for his major-league debut. He entered the game with two out in the fifth after Brad Boxberger loaded the bases. Little got out of that jam and finished 1.2 scoreless innings. He gave up three hits and walked one while striking out three.

Iowa had two hits today and one of them was a solo home run by shortstop David Bote in the fifth inning. It was Bote’s 12th home run this yea. He went 1 for 2 with a walk.

Bote’s home run.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies snuck past the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 6-5 in ten innings.

Starter Chris Kachmar allowed two runs on five hits over four innings. One of those hits was a solo home run. Kachmar struck out four and walked no one.

Blake Whitney pitched the ninth and tenth innings and got the win. Whitney retired the side in order in the ninth and, after the Smokies scored the automatic runner in the top of the inning, gave up a leadoff single in the bottom of the tenth. However, the Lookouts’ automatic runner stopped at third on the single to left and then Whitney struck out the next two batters and got a ground out to short to end the game.

The final line on Whitney was no runs on one hit over two innings. He struck out two.

The Smokies didn’t have a hit into the fifth inning until center fielder Jordan Nwogu remedied that with a game-tying two-run home run. It was Nwogu’s 16th home run this season. Nwogu went 2 for 4 and scored twice.

First baseman Haydn McGeary walked with the bases loaded in the top of the 11th to drive in what turned out to be the winning run. McGeary went 0 for 4 otherwise.

Third baseman Andy Weber tied the game up again with a two-run single in the seventh inning. Weber went 1 for 4 with a walk.

The Smokies magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 11 with 18 games to play.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were popped by the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), 7-1. My Kernels puns are always so corny.

Starter Michael Arias allowed three runs in the top of the first inning and things only got marginally better from there. Arias surrendered four runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out three and walked one.

South Bend’s only run came on a solo home run by third baseman Luis Verdugo in the third inning, his fifth. Verdugo went 1 for 2 with a walk.

Center fielder Kevin Alcántara was 2 for 4.

South Bend managed just four hits today.

Verdugo’s home run.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans split a doubleheader with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox), losing the continuation of yesterday’s game 14-10 and winning the regularly-scheduled seven-inning game 7-1.

Drew Gray started on Saturday and allowed one run on one hit and one walk over two innings before the rains came. Gray struck out five.

Fourteenth-round pick Grayson Moore got a rude introduction to full-season ball and took the loss. Moore was tagged for seven runs on six hits over 1+ innings in his Pelicans debut. Moore walked one and struck out one.

First baseman Brian Kalmer continued to show impressive power with a three-run home run in the first inning. It was Kalmer’s seventh home run over just 20 games with the Pelicans. Kalmer finished the game going 2 for 4 with four RBI. He scored twice.

DH Michael Carico hit his first professional home run in the bottom of the eighth inning with a man on. Carico was 1 for 3 and he was hit by a pitch.

Finally, shortstop Jefferson Rojas made the game a big closer with a three-run home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth. It was his seventh home run this season. Rojas went 2 for 3 with two walks in game one. He scored two runs.

Center fielder Brett Bateman was 3 for 5 with a double. He scored twice.

Carico’s home run.

In game two, starter Marino Santy threw four scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. Santy did walk four batters and hit one while striking out four.

The Pelicans jumped out to a big lead with a five-run bottom of the first inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by first baseman Jonathon Long. It was Long’s fourth home run. Long went 1 for 3

Center fielder Brett Bateman drove in the first run of the game when he singled home second baseman Reivaj Garcia in the first inning. Bateman was 2 for 3 with two steals and two runs scored.

Garcia went 2 for 4 with a steal.

Third baseman Pedro Ramirez was 2 for 3 and scored two runs.

Right fielder Ismael Mena went 2 for 3 with one run driven in.

Long’s home run bounced off the top of the fence and went over.

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