Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: September 19

Right-handed pitcher Brody McCullough was named to the Carolina League All-Star Team. The right-hander was 5-2 with a 2.86 ERA over 12 starts in low-A.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies blinded the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 3-1 to go up one game to none in the best-of-three North Division playoff series.

Cade Horton dominated the Lookouts for five scoreless innings and picked up the win. Horton allowed three hits. He struck out seven and walked just one.

Hunter Bigge pitched the ninth inning and got the save. He walked a batter with two outs but allowed no other baserunners. Bigge struck out two.

The Smokies scored all three runs in the third inning. First, third baseman BJ Murray Jr. hit a infield single to score Kevin Alcántara from third base. The next batter, right fielder Owen Caissie, doubled home Matt Shaw and sent Murray to third. Murray then scored on a ground out by DH Hayden McGeary.

Murray was 2 for 3 with a walk. Caissie went 2 for 4.

Game two will be played in Chattanooga on Thursday.

Caissie’s double. [Video]

Some great defense in center from Alcántara.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs battered the Louisville Bats (Reds), 8-4.

Samuel Reyes got the start for Iowa and gave up one run on two hits over three innings. But really, he gave up one run on a home run in the third inning by Chuckie Robinson. Reyes walked one and struck out one.

The win was awarded to Brendon Little, who pitched the final 2.2 innings without allowing a run. (OK, he did allow one of two inherited runners to score.) Little gave up one hit, walked one and struck out two.

DH Nelson Maldonado hit a solo home run in the fourth inning. It was Maldonado’s eighth home run this year and first in Triple-A. He was 1 for 5.

Center fielder Darius Hill opened the scoring with a two-run single in the top of the first inning. Hill went 3 for 4 with a walk and three total runs batted in.

Right fielder Cole Roederer had an RBI single in the third inning and an RBI triple in the eighth. Roederer was 2 for 4 with the triple and the walk. He scored three times and had the two RBI.

First baseman Matt Mervis went 2 for 3 with a double and two walks. He scored one run.

Second baseman David Bote was 2 for 5 with a double and one RBI.

Left fielder Yonathan Perlaza was 1 for 3 with a double and two walks. He scored three times.

Here’s Perlaza’s 40th double of the year.

Maldonado’s home run.