Down on the Farm: Chris Rusin shines in Iowa Cubs 9-2 win

Mar 21, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher

(18) pitches against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch. The Cubs won 7-0. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

What’s going on Cubs fans? Welcome to another (late late night edition) of Down on the Farm, right here on Cubbies Crib. Now with the big league club still struggling to hold runs, there have been a couple arms down on the farm who are looking very very promising. You have Tsuyoshi Wada who is currently 3-1 with an ERA of 0.68 in four starts. This man seems determined to get the attention of the guys in the front-office. I’m calling it right now, this guy will be the man who will replace Edwin Jackson in the starting rotation.

Then you have relief pitcher P.J. Francescon down with the Tennessee Smokies. Francescon has worked through 12 and one-third relief innings, carries a 2-0 record and solid 0.73 ERA. He’s struck out 16 batters in six games. This young arm won’t be with the Smokies for very long. Starting pitcher Ivan Pineyro doesn’t have a win just yet, but his ERA still stands at a decent 1.74 ERA. The 23 year old righty has made four starts so far this season and has worked through 20 and two-third innings.

Sure he gives up a lot of hits (15), but he’s keeping the earned runs on the low side with only four. He’s only given up one home run and may have walked nine, but he’s struck out 17. Now let’s talk about the arms that the Kane County Cougars have with them. You have pitchers Duane Underwood, Jen-Ho Tseng, and Daury Torrez who are absolutely tearing it up right now.

Underwood is carrying a 1.13 ERA in two starts but has been limited to only eight innings of work. He’s only been charged with one earned run while striking out nine batters. Tseng is a lefty who is currently 1-0 with an ERA of 2.93. He’s another pitcher who has given up a bunch of hits (21) but has only surrendered five runs through three starts. Tseng is another young pitcher who can either strikeout a batter looking or blow a pitch right by them.

He’s currently got 14 strikeouts with only one walk under his belt. Torrez has made it through 24 and two-third innings while giving up 20 hits, nine of those tagging him with nine earned runs but has struck out 17 batters. Now that we pointed out some of the young promising arms in the farm system, let’s get down to business and recap these games.

Let’s start with the Iowa Cubs taking on the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Colorado Rockies) and were looking to completely shut them out for the second game in a row. Iowa blanked the Sky Sox on Thursday by the score of 9-0, improving to 11-9 on the season.

Now the Iowa Cubs took a two run lead during the top of the first inning and were able to keep it the entire game. Colorado Springs would try to answer back during the bottom of the second and eighth innings but Iowa hitters continued to make solid contact. The Cubs were able to add four runs to their score during the bottom of the seventh inning on a fielding error, singles by Lars Anderson and Matt Szczur and Javier Baez grounding into a double play.

Anderson would strike with an RBI double during the bottom of the next frame after Arismendy Alcantara plated a run off a triple to left field. This would now make it 9-1 Iowa.

Starting pitcher Chris Rusin absolutely shined in his outing today against Colorado Springs. Rusin pitched through seven innings, gave up seven hits but was only charged with one earned run which came in the second inning. Rusin walked only one butter and struck out six before he was pulled and replaced by Marcos Mateo. Mateo made it through one inning and was charged with an earned run during the bottom of the eighth.

Winning pitcher tonight is Chris Rusin (1-3, 4.76 ERA), losing pitcher is Yohan Flande (0-, 5.82 ERA).

Final Score: Cubs 9, Sky Sox 2.

Iowa Cubs improve to 12-9 on the year.

Next up we have the Tennessee Smokies taking on the Huntsville Stars (Milwaukee Brewers) who were able to squeeze by with a 3-1 victory over the Smokies.

Now there’s not much you can say about tonight’s outing by the Tennessee Smokies, but you can shake you head after reading the final scorecard. Things liked like they were still in reach after the bottom of the sixth inning despite trailing the Stars 3-1. But then Huntsville decided it would be the perfect time to not only put up eight runs during the top of the eighth inning, but four more during the top of the ninth.

Starting pitcher Matt Loosen made it through six and one-third innings before he was pulled from the game. He allowed five hits, three earned runs (one home run) and struck out three. His replacement was lefty Jeff Lorick. Lorick didn’t even make it a full inning (two and one third) before he was pulled from the game. He struck out two batters, but was tagged with five earned runs off four hits with three walks. Absolutely terrible, but what can you do.

The player of the game today for the Smokies happens to be Rafael Lopez. Lopez provided the Smokies with their only run of the game on a double to left field during the bottom of the sixth inning. After that, it was all Huntsville and their non-stop run producing lineup.

Tonight just wasn’t Tennessee’s night and it’s a good thing that it’s this early in the season.

Winning pitcher for tonight’s blow out is Brooks Hall (2-1, 2.77 ERA), losing pitcher is Matt Loosen (1-2, 4.95 ERA).

Final Score: Stars 15, Smokies 1.

Tennessee falls to 10-12.

The Kane County Cougars took on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers) in their first meeting of the 2014 season. Kane County picked up a 10-8 victory over the Beloit Snappers yesterday to improve to 14-6 on the season.

Now Kane County jumped all over the Timber Rattlers right off the bat, taking a 7-0 lead through the bottom of the seventh inning. Danny Canela got things started off with a single to left field which made it 2-0 until Will Remillard busted things wide open with an RBI double to make it 5-0. Timber Rattlers would begin to fight back during the later innings, especially during the top of the seventh. Clint Coulter got Wisconsin on the board with a RBI triple to center field.

This made it 7-1 until both David Denson and Angel Ortega picked up RBI singles to cut the lead down to just four. Michael Ratterree would end up making it a 7-4 ball game with a solo home run to left field during the top of the eighth inning. Carlos Penalver would later make it 8-4 with a triple to right field.

Starting pitcher Daury Torrez pitched through six and one-third innings tonight. Torrez gave up three earned runs off six hits while striking out seven before he was replaced by Juan Paniagua. Each of them gave up a run, but were able to hold off Wisconsin to pick up the victory.

Winning pitcher is Daury Torrez (3-0, 3.28 ERA), losing pitcher is Zach Quintana (0-1, 6.00 ERA) with the save being picked up by Juan Paniagua (1).

Final Score: Cougars 8, Timber Rattlers 4.

Kane County Cougars improve to 15-6.