Down on the Farm: Javier Baez grand slam, Geiger HR lift Smokies to win

Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Javier Baez hit a grand slam and Dustin Geiger had a solo home run to lift the Tennesse Smokies to a win while Jordan Hankins had two doubles for three RBIs for Kane County.

Iowa 7, Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Rockies) 3

Javier Baez hit a grand slam in the fifth inning to lift the Iowa Cubs (26-21) to a 7-3 win Sunday afternoon at Principal Park.

Eli Whiteside would add an RBI single in the sixth and Arismendy Alcantara a solo homer in the seventh.

Iowa got the board early when Matt Szcur hit a RBI double to score Christin Villanueva for a 1-0 lead in the second. Kyle Hendricks gave two runs in the third and another in the fourth before Baez’s shot.

Hendricks (5-3) got the win after he allowed three runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out two over six innings. Baez was 2-4 with four RBIs and a grand slam, Szcur was 2-4 with an RBI double, and Casper Wells was 2-4.

Tennessee 7, Mobile BayBears (D-Backs) 2

Julio Rodriguez pitched five scoreless innings before giving up a run as the Smokies (26-23) offense did the rest for a 7-2 win at Smokies Park.

Rubi Silva doubled then Kris Bryant hit a RBI groundout for a 1-0 lead. Rafael Lopez drew a walk and Charles Cutler was hit by a pitch to put two runners on before a ground out ended the frame.

The Smokies’ bats got hot in the fourth with a four-run inning. Wes Darvill tripled on a line drive to score Lopez and Dustin Geiger, Jeudy Valdez and Jae-Hoon Ha each singled in a run for a 5-0 lead.

Geiger’s two-run home run in the fifth increased the lead to 7-0 in the fifth. Hunter Cervekna gave up two RBI doubles in the sixth for Mobile’s only runs.

Rodriguez earned his first win this season as he allowed one earned run on three hits, struck out six and walked one. Lopez was 2-3 with one run and one walk, Geiger went 2-4 with two runs and two RBIs, and Valdez also went 2-4 with a run and RBI.

Clearwater Threshers 5 (Phillies), Daytona 2

Felix Pena (1-5) gave up three runs over the first three innings, including a home run as the Daytona Cubs (19-29) fell 5-2.

Bijan Rademacher tripled and Wilson Contreras hit an RBI groundout to make it a one run game after the fifth.

Tyler Ihrig gave up a two-run home run in the seventh to Clearwater.

Pena (1-5) allowed three runs, one earned, on three hits and walked three and struck out two over three innings. Ihrig gave up two runs on four hits, walking none and striking out two over 3 1/3 innings.

Albert Almora went 2-3 while Jeimer Candelario and Rademacher were each 1-3 with a run.

Kane County 7, Peoria Chiefs 3 (Cardinals)

Cael Brockmeyer‘s two-run home run in the second and Jordan Hankins double in the fourth was all the Cougars (33-17) needed for a 7-3 win at Fifth Bank Ballpark.

Juan Paniagua (1-3) allowed just three hits and one run in the third for his first win on the season. Hankins doubled and Danny Lockhart scored on a wild pitch in the fifth for a 4-1 lead.

Jacob Rogers and Hankins each added an RBI double in the eighth before Tyler Bremer gave up two runs to Peoria in the ninth.

Yasiel Balaguert went 1-3 with two runs, Rogers was 2-3 with two runs, Hankins 2-4 with three RBIs, Brockmeyer 2-4 with two RBIs and one run while Danny Lockhart and Ben Carhart each went 1-4 with one run.

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