Down on the Farm: Cubs Minor League sweep

Mar 25, 2014; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher

(67) throws in the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at HoHoKam Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

What’s going on Chicago Cubs fans? I hope each and everyone of you are having a great weekend, despite a Cubbies loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Today, every Cubs’ minor league affiliate team hit the diamond.

The Iowa Cubs took on the Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals), Tennessee Smokies battled with the Chattanooga Lookouts (Los Angeles Dodgers), Daytona Cubs hosted the Tampa Yankees (New York Yankees) while the Kane County Cougars were matched up against the Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians).

Let’s go ahead and recap the action from tonight’s action.

Starting for the Triple-A affiliate Iowa Cubs was left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada.

Both the Cubs and Redbirds would struggle to score until Iowa was able to put up the first run of the night. Josh Vitters grounded into a force out, allowing Arismendy Alcantara to score making it a 1-0 game. During the top of the seventh inning, outfielder Brett Jackson would make it a 2-0 on a single to right field.

Matt Szczur would extend the lead to 4-0 during the top of the ninth inning on a single to center field. Alcantara would join in on the hopeful shut out, by adding a sacrifice fly to right field to make it 5-0 Cubs.

Recently optioned Brian Schlitter would come into the ninth to lock up the victory for the Cubs.

Wada pitched extremely well tonight, making it through six and two-third innings of work. He only allowed four hits and struck out 10 batters.

Winning pitcher tonight is Tsuyoshi Wada (2-0, 0.68 ERA), loss was handed to Nick Greenwood (0-1, 2.70 ERA).

Final Score: Cubs 5, Redbirds 0.

Iowa improves to 5-5 on the young season.

Right-handed pitcher Ivan Pineyro took the mound for today for the Tennessee Smokies. Chattanooga would get on the board first with an RBI triple by Noel Cuevas to left field, driving in Andres Santiago to make it a 1-0 game.

Third base prospect Kris Bryant launched his third home run of the season on a fly ball to center field off Lookouts pitcher Andres Santiago to make it a 1-1 ball game during the bottom of the fourth inning. Smokies Wes Darvill helped give his team the lead on a RBI single to right field.

Shortly after the RBI single by Darvill, Zeke DeVoss extended the Smokies lead to 4-1 after hitting a triple to right field. Tennessee would score the final runs during the bottom of the seventh inning off a single by Stephen Bruno who made it a 5-1 ball game.

Pineyro made it through five innings of work, gave up three hits and was charged with one earned run. The young right-hander struck out six and finished the night with a 2.00 ERA.

Winning pitcher was Ryan Searle (1-0, 1.42 ERA), losing pitcher was Juan Ramon Noriega (0-1, 6.35 ERA).

Final Score: Smokies 5, Lookouts 1.

Tennessee improves to 3-5 on the year.

Starting for the Kane County Cougars today was right-handed pitcher Juan Paniagua.

Kane County has done a great job by adding the first runs to the scoreboard and continued to do so tonight. Ben Carhart got the Cougars on the board with a RBI double to right field before David Bote lined a single to left to make it a 2-0 game.

Lake County was finally able to get on the board on a wild pitch by Paniagua to make it a 2-1 game during the third. Kane County would get some help from Yasiel Balaguert during the bottom of the fifth inning as he singled to left field to drive in two, making it 4-1 Cougars.

Jacob Rogers would make it 5-1 with a double to right field. Lake County would add another run via wild pitch but from pitcher Scott Frazier. That wild pitch by Frazier made it a 5-2 game during the top of the seventh. Still in the same inning but this time Josh Davis entered the game, as Lake County closed the game off a double by Grant Fink making it 5-4.

Davis would then allow the opposing team to tie the ball game at five a piece on a single by Richard Stock. The tie ball game wouldn’t last long as Jacob Rogers launched a three run home run to center field making it a 8-5 game. It was the first pitch of the at-bat.

We’re still in the bottom of the seventh inning when David Bote adds a home run of his own, extending the Cougars lead to 9-5. Fast forward to the top of the ninth inning with Lake County attempting to rally.

Richard Stock would double to center field off Tyler Bremer, making it 6-9 late in the game. Bremer would allow the Captains to close the gap a little more off a two run home run by Paul Hendrix, cutting Kane County’s lead to only one.

Bremer would record the final out, allowing the Cougars to walk away with the win.

Winning pitcher is Josh Davis (blown save, 1-0, 4.50 ERA), the loss was handed to Kenny Mathews (1-1, 3.00 ERA).

Final Score: Cougars 9, Captains 8.

Kane County improves to 6-3 on the season.