Chicago Cubs Minor League Recap: Cade Horton racks up the strikeouts

Iowa Cubs (AAA)

The Iowa Cubs lost to the Nashville Sounds 13-2

Not a lot went right at AAA for the Cubs yesterday. They gave up 13 runs on 11 hits and only had one player with a multi-hit performance. Beyond that, they saw one of their pitchers that they were hoping to bounce back continue to struggle with his command in less than an inning’s worth of work. 

Jake Slaughter (3B) was the lone Cubs offensive player that I feel comfortable saying had a “great” game. He went 2-4 with a double and his tenth home run of the season.

Brennan Davis (DH) went 1-4 with a double, a run scored and his eighth stolen base of the year.

Riley Thompson (RHP) started the game and was unable to get out of the second inning. He went 1.2 innings, and gave up four runs on three hits and a walk while striking out no one. The big problem for Thompson was the long ball as he gave up back-to-back homers to Patrick Dorrian and Andruw Monasterio.

Keegan Thompson (RHP) was hoping to go down to Iowa and experience what Nelson Velazquez and Hayden Wesneski have so far since being demoted: success. Unfortunately that will have to wait until his next outing as he only managed to get two men out while giving up three hits, three walks, and four runs to make his AAA ERA an unsightly 54.00.

Codi Heuer (RHP) on the other hand did have a bounceback game. He went 1.2 scoreless innings and only gave up one hit and one walk while striking out two. 

Cam Sanders (RHP) The Cubs bullpen wasn’t done disappointing however, as Sanders went 1.1 innings and also gave up four runs on two hits and two walks. All in all, not a great game from the staff.

South Bend Cubs (A+)

The South Bend Cubs lost to the Dayton Dragons 4-1

This was yet another game in the Cubs system that left a bad taste in the mouth. It was nice to see a first-round pick rack up some strikeouts but it would have been nice to see production from other players as well. Beyond that, there was also a truly atrocious baserunning performance. This is the kind of game to shake off and come back tomorrow for a better result. 

Kevin Alcantara (OF) went 1-4 with a double in the leadoff spot. 

Ezequiel Pagan (OF) went 1-4 with a single and the only RBI of the game for South Bend.

Yohendrick Pinango (OF) had an interesting game. He got on base twice, once by single and once by walk but in poor baserunning decisions he was picked off of first once, and caught stealing the second time. Not good.

Cade Horton (RHP) was pretty solid. He went four innings and gave up two runs on four hits. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out eight Dragons, so the stuff was on tonight he just struggled to limit the damage on those four hits.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans (A)

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans beat the Fayetteville Woodpeckers 6-5

The Pelicans were the lone Cubs’ affiliate to come away with a win yesterday and they did that through some strong performances from their offense and their starting pitcher who is going to start turning some heads after being cast off as a failed position player.

Reivaj García (2B) went 2-4 with two walks and two runs scored in the leadoff spot. He’s not hitting for much power yet, but he’s getting on base at an impressive clip and he also stole his second base of the season. 

Moises Ballesteros (C) went 1-5 with an RBI double. Defensively he struggled as he had an error on a pickoff and a passed ball as well.

Andy Garriola (OF) had a solid performance going 2-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Felix Stevens (OF) also went 2-5, but one of his two hits was a double and he also added an RBI.

Cristian Hernández (SS) went 0-3 with two walks and a run scored.

Rafael Morel (3B) went 1-3 with two walks, a stolen base, a run scored, and two strikeouts. Filling up the stat sheet (with the good and the bad) seems to run in the family.

Michael Arias (RHP) was good again today, albeit a little wild. He went three scoreless innings and only gave up two hits but he did walk three. The stuff is hard to catch, as proven by Ballesteros, but it’s also hard to hit as he struck out five Woodpeckers as well today. 

Yovanny Cabrera (RHP) went 2.2 scoreless innings and was only one batter away from closing the game out. He only gave up a single hit, but he did walk two batters while striking out three.

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