Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: September 6

Left-hander Adam Laskey was demoted from Tennessee to South Bend.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were washed out by the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 11-7. The second game of a scheduled doubleheader was cancelled and will not be made up. Iowa has now lost five straight.

Caleb Kilian only lasted one inning and took the loss after he got pounded for six runs on five hits and two walks. He did not strike anyone out.

Ben Brown also had a rough game, giving up three runs on two hits and three walks over just one-third of an inning.

Shortstop Luis Vazquez hit a three-run home run in the second inning, his ninth on the year. Vazquez went 2 for 3 with a walk.

In the third inning, left fielder Jared Young hit his 18th home run of the year with two men on. Young went 1 for 3 with a walk. He scored twice and had the three runs batted in.

Catcher Bryce Windham had an RBI single in the sixth inning for Iowa’s seventh and final run. Windham went 2 for 4.

A great outfield assist from Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Luis Vazquez home run.

Jared Young home run.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies blew it against the Mississippi Braves, 4-3. It was the Smokies’ eighth-straight loss.

The Smokies got a good start out of Brandon Birdsell, who pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Birdsell walked one and struck out five.

Porter Hodge entered the game with two on and two out in the ninth and got the Smokies out of that mess without any runs scoring, but then he came out to pitch the ninth. He walked the first two batters he faced and both of them came around to score to lose the game. Hodge’s final line was two runs on two hits over two-thirds of an inning. Hodge walked two and struck out no one.

Third baseman BJ Murray Jr. was 2 for 4 with an RBI double and an RBI single for two total runs batted in.

Right fielder Owen Caissie went 2 for 4 with an RBI double. He scored twice—on both of Murray’s hits.

Those of you waiting for Matt Shaw to have a bad game—he was 0 for 4 with a walk and two strikeouts tonight.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs gunned down the Quad Cities River Bandits (Royals), 26-7.

Starting pitcher Connor Noland surrendered three runs on just two hits over four innings. He did walk three and struck out four.

The win went to Derek Casey because Noland did not last five innings. Casey gave up one run on one hit (a home run) over two innings. Casey walked two and struck out three.

All 26 runs were scored over the first five innings.

Catcher Moises Ballesteros hit a solo home run in the second inning, his 14th and sixth in High-A. Ballesteros was 2 for 5 with a walk and two runs scored.

In the third inning, first baseman Felix Stevens hit a solo home run, his 27th and 14th with South Bend. Stevens was 1 for 5 and scored two runs.

In the fourth inning, shortstop Josh Rivera cranked a two-run home run, his third and second in the Midwest League. Rivera went 2 for 4 with two walks. He scored four times.

South Bend homered twice in the fifth inning. DH Yohendrick Pinango’s solo home run was his sixth this year. Pinango had a huge night, going 4 for 6 with four runs scored and four runs drive in.

But third baseman Luis Verdugo had an even bigger night, going 5 for 6 with two doubles and a two-run home run in the fifth inning. It was Verdugo’s seventh home run. Verdugo drove in five runs and scored four.

Second baseman James Traintos kept the ball in the park, but he was a perfect 4 for 4 with a triple and a walk. He drove in five runs and scored three times.

Right fielder Ezequiel Pagan was 2 for 3 with a double, a triple and two walks. Pagan scored three times and had one RBI.

Left fielder Christian Franklin went 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored two runs and drove in one.

The Ballesteros home run.

Here’s Stevens’ home run. Despite what the Tweet says, it was his 27th home run.

Rivera’s home run.

And here is just a bunch of hits in 20 seconds.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans trapped the Columbia Fireflies (Royals) in a jar, 5-2.

Jackson Ferris was magnificent tonight. He gave up a single to the first batter of the game and then picked him off of first base. The only other baserunners Ferris allowed over five innings was a walk, a hit batsman and an infield error. Ferris gave up no runs and struck out six.

Garrett Brown threw the ninth inning and got the save. He allowed no hits and no runs but he did walk one batter while striking out two.

For the second-straight game, first baseman Brian Kalmer hit a three-run home run. This one came in the fifth inning and was his ninth on the year. Kalmer was 1 for 4.

After Sam Armstrong allowed two runs in the top of the sixth inning, second baseman Pedro Ramirez got one of those runs back with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning. It was Ramirez’s seventh home run this year. He was 1 for 2 with two walks and two runs scored.

Catcher Malcom Quintero went 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the second inning. It was Quintero’s first multi-hit game of the season.

Highlights.