Chicago Cubs Minor League Recap: Iowa gets rained out but South Bend mashes

Iowa Cubs (AAA)

The Iowa Cubs and Columbus Clippers had their game postponed to today due to rain in the fourth inning of a 2-1 Columbus lead.

Tennessee Smokies (AA)

The Tennessee Smokies were off on Tuesday

South Bend Cubs (A+)

The South Bend Cubs beat the Fort Wayne TinCaps 11-8

South Bend hit baseballs very hard yesterday. They scored eleven runs on twelve hits and eight of them were for extra bases. Only one player hit multiple extra-base hits, which means that seven different players had a double or better. That’s usually going to be good enough when we’ve got Manuel Espinoza on the mound and it got dicey for a moment in the 9th, but the Cubs locked it down.

James Triantos (2B) went 1-4 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored. 

Ezequiel Pagan (OF) went 1-4 with two walks and two runs scored.

Bryce Ball (1B) went 2-3 with two doubles, two walks, two RBI and two runs scored and raised his batting average to .288. If the Cubs give Haydn McGeary the call to Iowa anytime soon, I’d love to see Ball get a chance against some better competition in Tennessee.

Christian Franklin (OF) went 1-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored.

Kevin Made (SS) went 2-4 with a double, a walk and a run scored.

Manuel Espinoza (RHP) wasn’t as lights out as he’s been in the past, but if this is what a bad day looks like for him I’ll take it. He threw 52 pitches through three innings and gave up one run on four hits and a walk while striking out three. 

Myrtle Beach Pelicans (A)

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans lost to the Salem Red Sox 3-2

This was a tough game for the Pelicans as they went down in the 11th inning. In a very low-scoring affair, Myrtle Beach gave up their only earned run of the game in the fourth inning but brought it back to even in the bottom of the 7th at 1-1. Salem didn’t waste any time as they drove home the ghost runner from second to start the 10th but Myrtle Beach struck back in the bottom. Unfortunately, that would be the last run they scored as Salem drove the ghost runner home again in the top of the eleventh for the final score of the game. 

Andy Garriola (OF) went 2-4 with two singles, and a run scored as one of the only players for Myrtle Beach with a multi-hit game. 

Felix Stevens (OF) went 2-4 with two singles and an RBI as the other player with a multi-hit game and he’s another player that may warrant a call-up to South Bend considering his .296 batting average.

Grant Kipp (RHP) Grant Kipp was great today. The Yale graduate threw 70 pitches through six innings and only gave up a single run on four hits, no walks and eight strikeouts. 

Scarlyn Lebron (RHP) picked up after Kipp and threw 1.2 hitless, scoreless innings and only gave up a walk as he struck out two. As an aside, that’s an 80-grade name. 

Yovanny Cabrera (RHP) went 2.1 innings and only gave up one run (unearned) on one hit and one walk while striking out three. 

Starlyn Pichardo (RHP) went one inning and only gave up one run (unearned) on one hit and no walks while striking out three. Unfortunately, that one run would turn out to be the game-winner.

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