Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: September 3

Everyone lost again. The minor leagues are limping towards the finish line.

Tomorrow is traditionally the final day of the minor league system, but instead it’s going to be a typical Monday with no games. Iowa has three weeks of games left, Tennessee has two weeks and South Bend and Myrtle Beach have one more week of the regular season. The Pelicans have qualified for the playoffs and South Bend has been eliminated from contention.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were stuck in the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers), 5-4.

Riley Thompson started and took the loss after he got rocked for five runs on five hits over just three innings. Thompson walked three and struck out two.

Brandon Hughes, Brendon Little, Ben Brown, Nick Burdi and Michael Rucker each threw a scoreless inning to close out the game and give Iowa a chance to get back in it. Brown allowed one hit, no walks and struck out two in his first game off the injured list.

Left fielder Brennen Davis hit a solo home run in the seventh inning, It was Davis’ fifth home run this year, his fourth with Iowa and his first since returning to Iowa from his injury. Davis was 2 for 4 and scored twice.

DH Darius Hill was 2 for 4 and scored one run.

Second baseman Chase Strumpf was 2 for 3 with a walk. He also missed a game-tying home run in the top of the ninth when it curved foul by about two feet.

Davis’ home run.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies got shelled by the Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers), 7-3. The Shuckers swept the six-game series.

Starter Chris Kachmar got rocked for five runs in the top of the first inning, including a grand slam by Ernesto Martinez. He stayed in the game and pitched well afterwards, but it was too late by then. Kachmar took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits over 3.2 innings. He struck out six and walked one.

Second baseman Matt Shaw went 3 for 4 with a triple. He scored twice.

Right fielder Owen Caissie was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Shaw’s triple.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were steamed by the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres), 2-0.

South Bend pitchers allowed just two hits today, but that was enough as the Cubs only had four hits and no runs. Starter Michael Arias was the hard-luck loser. He retired the first nine batters he faced and then gave up a solo home run to Tyler Robertson to lead off the fourth. That was the only baserunner Arias allowed. The final line on Arias was one run on one hit over four innings. He struck out one and walked no one.

Derek Casey retired all six batters he faced, striking out three of them.

Yovanny Cruz allowed one run on one hit over two innings. He walked two and struck out four.

South Bend had four hits, all singles, and no walks.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans caught distemper from the Charleston RiverDogs (Rays), 10-0.

Starter Kevin Valdez took the loss after he surrendered three runs on five hits over four innings. Valdez walked three and struck out three.

The Pelicans had four hits. Catcher Miguel Pabon went 1 for 3 with a triple.

First baseman Jonathon Long was 1 for 2 with two walks.