Cubs Minor League News: Strumpf stays hot, Morel homers, Hernandez raking, more
Photo courtesy: Iowa Cubs

Cubs Minor League News: Strumpf stays hot, Morel homers, Hernandez raking, more
by - Senior Writer - Thu Jul 11 11:15:07 GMT-05:00 2024

While the Cubs might be doing their thing right now in Baltimore, the same can't be said about the Cubs Minor League system, which has had a rough start to the week. Not only has their offense been an issue for the better part of two weeks for a few teams, but the pitching has also struggled, leading to a second consecutive 1-4 night on the diamond.

NASHVILLE SOUNDS 11 - IOWA CUBS 2

Unlike Tuesday, where this game came down to the wire, the Sounds made sure to put this one away early as a four-run fifth inning opened up a 6-0 lead as they cruised to the big win. Brandon Birdsell made his AAA debut, and it was a debut he wished he could have back as he allowed six runs (5ER) in 4 1/3. He did manage to strike out six and only walked one, but giving up six runs isn't the start you want, especially with Joe Ross on the mound.

Looking to pitch his way back into the majors, Ross was excellent, scattering two hits in 3 2/3, but it was Aaron Ashby who picked up the win, going five innings and striking out seven. Ross and company were backed by a pair of early runs, with Patrick Dorrian coming through with a second-inning single to put the Sounds in front for good, 2-0. It was a lead they would hold until the fifth when their offense broke out in a big way to put the game away.

A bases-loaded double off the bat of Owen Miller led to three of those four runs and would go down as the winning hit, with Francisco Mejia capping off the inning with an RBI single. It took the Cubs seven innings to break through, with Chase Strumpf connecting for a solo shot, but with Brewer Hicklen answering with one in the bottom of the seventh, this was now an 8-1 game.

Nashville pushed their lead to 11-1 in the eighth, with Joey Weimer getting in on the action before the Jake Hager single closed out the scoring in the ninth.

Iowa had eight hits in the win as Strumpf, Hager, and Cole Roederer each had two. Along with Birdsell making his AAA debut, you also saw Cam Sanders make his first appearance since returning to AAA, when he was charged with two earned runs.

TENNESSEE SMOKIES 9 - MONTGOMERY BISCUITS 5

The lone win in the Cubs system came in AA, where the Smokies bounced back from a two-game losing streak. Matt Thompson returned to doing what he does best as he gave the Smokies five innings of two-run ball to earn the win, walking one and striking out five.

Thompson was backed by plenty of early offense, including a four-run third inning, as Trevor Martin was roughed up early. That four-run inning was ultimately the difference in the game, as the Smokies never let this one get away. With Christian Franklin starting the third inning with an RBI single, there was a wild pitch mixed in with a sacrifice fly, and just like that, this was a 3-0 game. Kevin Alcantara may not be hitting the ball out of the yard, but he is hitting as his RBI double gave the Smokies a 4-0 lead.

The Biscuits managed to keep things close as they added a run in the fourth and fifth innings to make things 5-2, but it was the seventh inning when both teams got rolling offensively. Sparked by a Matt Shaw single to make things 6-2, the Smokies would score three times in the seventh as a balk, and an RBI groundout pushed their lead to 8-2.

Montgomery responded with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the seventh as a pair of RBI doubles from Mason Auer and Willy Vasquez led to two runs, with the third run coming home on a grounder to pull the Biscuits within 8-5. That was as close as they would get as the Smokies tacked on a run in the eighth off another Shaw single to pick up the 9-5 win.

Since his slow start to the season, Shaw has been on a tear. With two more hits and three RBIs, he is approaching a AAA callup. Alcantara backed him in having a big game with three hits as Yohendrick Pinango was the lone player to not pick up a hit.

DAYTON DRAGONS 5 - SOUTH BEND CUBS 4

Despite this team's best efforts, wins are tough to come by right now for the Cubs. They pulled within 5-4 in the fifth before failing to score again. After starting the season 4-0 on the mound, Nick Dean has now lost two straight starts, and this one was his worst of the season.

Dean only lasted 2 2/3 innings, allowing five runs (4ER) as command was an issue. Those five runs of support were more than enough for Brian Edgington and the Dragons as he picked up his first win of the season after going five innings and allowing four runs. South Bend couldn't have asked for a better start to this one, with Ed Howard picking up a two-run single in the first to make things 2-0.

Unfortunately, their lead was short-lived. A wild pitch mixed with an RBI groundout brought home two runs for Dayton in their half of the first, and this game was tied 2-2. Dayton continued to keep the pressure on in the second, with the Sal Stewart RBI single putting them on top for good at 3-2, before they pushed across two more runs in the third off a Logan Tanner double and a passed ball to make things 5-2.

The passed ball doesn't go as an RBI to anyone, but it did represent the winning run, as the Cubs had some work to do. If there is a silver lining to take away from this loss, it would be the fight this team showed as Rafael Morel pulled the Cubs to within 5-4 in the fifth with a two-run shot, but that was it for the offense as they fell by that score. The Cubs had seven hits in the loss, with David Avitia picking up two.

KANNAPOLIS CANNONBALLERS 9 - MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 5

After putting an end to their longest losing streak in five years on Tuesday, the Pelicans looked as if they would win their second straight game against one of the league's best. That was until late in the game when Kannapolis scored eight of their nine runs after the sixth inning to pick up the 9-5 win.

Juan Bello got the ball for the Birds, and despite giving up four runs in five innings, he left with the lead. Bello walked one and struck out five as he was given five runs of support in the early going. Four runs came in the third inning as the Pelicans jumped all over Jake Peppers. Cristian Hernandez and Miguel Pabon picked up a pair of RBI singles in that third inning, leading to three runs, with an error bringing home the fourth to give the Pelicans a 4-0 lead.

Kannapolis picked up their first run off a wild pitch in the top half of the fourth, but with Cristian Hernandez lacing an RBI triple in the bottom of the fourth, it was the Pelicans comfortably in front 5-1.

Little did they know, those would be the only runs they would score as they took that lead into the sixth.

Once the sixth inning got underway, it was all Kannapolis as they ended the game with eight unanswered runs over four innings. Three of those runs came in the sixth off the Arxy Hernandez double and Drake Logan single, but it was the four-run eighth inning that put the Cannonballers in front for good.

With a wild pitch tying things up in the eighth, Logan added a sacrifice fly as his RBI was the game-winner. You also had a pair of RBI singles from Javier Mora and Rikuu Nishida in that inning, with a bases-loaded walk leading to the final run in the ninth.

Myrtle Beach was held to four hits with Cristian Hernandez responsible for two while adding two RBIs.

ACL DODGERS 5 - ACL CUBS 2

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