Down on the Farm: I-Cubs’ offense stagnant in Saturday loss

Double-A: Chattanooga Lookouts 4 – Tennessee Smokies 1 (F)

In another display of weak offense, the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate managed just five hits on the night, falling to the Chattanooga Lookouts by a 4-1 final at home, despite a respectable outing from starting pitcher Corey Black, who pitched into the fifth, allowing just two runs.

Black (2-5, 3.30 ERA) lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits. He notched five strikeouts and walked two in the tough-luck loss.

However, the offense was horrendous, going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Only Jae-Hoon Ha tallied more than one hit on the night for the Tennessee lineup.

The Lookouts (27-46) tallied single runs in the first, fourth, sixth and seventh innings to cruise to the win over Tennessee (35-37). An RBI groundout by Daniel Mayora opened the scoring in the top of the first against Black. An RBI single to left in the fourth accounted for the second Chattanooga run two more RBI singles in back-to-back innings against reliever Zach Cates made it a 4-0 Lookouts advantage heading to the late innings.

Cates lasted just two innings, allowing the aforementioned two runs on four hits. The Smokies also left eight men on base throughout the course of the ballgame as the needed hit seemed to elude the club all evening long.