Cubs Minor League News: Caissie and Thompson homer, Shaw raking, Kachmar throws gem, more
Photo courtesy: I-Cubs

Cubs Minor League News: Caissie and Thompson homer, Shaw raking, Kachmar throws gem, more
by - Senior Writer - Wed Jul 31 09:30:02 GMT-05:00 2024

Tuesday was a great day overall for the Cubs and their system, as they posted a 3-3 showing on the Minor League circuit. While the Rookie League Teams went 0-2, it was the full-season squads that did the most damage, opening the week with a strong 3-1 showing.

SAINT PAUL SAINTS 5 - IOWA CUBS 4

The Iowa Cubs simply can't buy a win right now as they dropped another close one to the Saints to begin their series. This time, it was Dan Straily taking the loss as the right-hander allowed three runs in 5 2/3, but managed to come away with eight punchouts. With Caleb Boushley only going 4 2/3 and also allowing three runs, the Cubs had a chance to win this game only to come up short in the end.

One of the Cubs' biggest issues right now is playing from behind, and with DeShawn Keirsey JR picking up an RBI single in the first, they were trailing once again 2-0. Iowa Managed to get one of those runs back on a Jack Reinheimer double in the second to pull within 2-1 before a pair of solo shots from Trayce Thompson and Owen Caissie in the fifth put the Cubs in front 3-2.

It was a lead that didn't last long with Jair Camargo tying things up with a solo blast in the top of the sixth only to have Patrick Winkel answer with one of his own to put the Saints in front for good 4-3. Camargo wasn't quite finished as he added his second homer in as many at bats in the eighth to deliver the winning run as Iowa trailed 5-3 entering the ninth.

Gilberto Celestino picked up his first Iowa RBI in the ninth with a single, but the Cubs couldn't get any closer as they fell to the Saints 5-4. Thompson was one of four Cubs to record multiple hits, joining Caissie, Fabian Pertuz, and Bryce Windham. The Cubs also received some strong relief pitching, especially from Keegan Thompson and Michael Arias, who combined for three innings and six strikeouts.

TENNESSEE SMOKIES 7 - MISSISSIPPI BRAVES 0

Sparked by a four-run first inning, the Smokies left no doubt in this one as they shut out the Braves 7-0 for another win. Chris Kachmar was on a mission as he tossed seven shutout frames for the Smokies, scattering three hits and punching out eight as the Braves were held to four hits in the game.

When you talk about fast starts, this is what most teams have in mind as Matt Shaw continued to find his power stroke with a solo homer to put the Smokies on top, with Haydn McGeary adding an RBI single to double their lead 2-0. You then had Luis Verdugo get in on the fun as he left the yard for the Smokies second homer of the inning to make this a 4-0 game after one.

Tennessee only added on from there, as a costly error in the fifth led to two runs, while a Jonathon Long sacrifice fly in the seventh closed out the scoring in an emphatic 7-0 win.

With his three hits, Shaw has pushed his average north of .260 and is now hitting .263. James Triantos also continues to see the ball well, adding two hits in the win.

SOUTH BEND CUBS 14 - WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS 9

When you talk about fast starts, this is exactly what most teams have in mind, as the Cubs struck for 10 runs in the first three innings before holding off Wisconsin 14-9. Nick Dean was the starting pitcher, but after allowing four runs in 2 2/3 was removed for Nico Zeglin, who continues to impress.

With five punchouts in 2 1/3 innings and allowing just one run, Zeglin was the winning pitcher, and his ERA sits at 1.08 with South Bend. Despite Dean's struggles on the mound, the offense made it easy for him to score five times in the first to open a 5-0 lead. Ed Howard and Rafael Morel were responsible for two of those runs on singles, with Jefferson Rojas and Brian Kalmer going deep for the other three runs.

Luke Adams put the Rattlers on the board with a solo shot in the bottom of the first, but it was the Cubs who continued to square up Alexander Cornielle who allowed 12 runs in his outing. Rojas played a part in that inning with an RBI single, but it was the Ethan Hearn three-run shot that was the big blow as the Cubs pushed their lead to 9-1. Reivaj Garcia made it 10-1 with a sacrifice fly in the third, only to have Wisconsin start to battle back.

Cooper Pratt started the big inning with a sacrifice fly, while RBI hits from Matthew Wood and Eduardo Garcia made things 10-4. The Cubs extended their lead to 12-4 in the fifth with Jordan Nwogu picking up an RBI single ahead of another Garcia sacrifice fly, but this game was far from over as the Ratters had plenty of offense left in the tank.

Pratt came through again with a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth, before the Eduarqui Fernandez single in the sixth pulled Wisconsin within 12-6.

Pedro Ramirez and Brett Bateman tacked on two more runs late in the game to push the lead out to 14-6 before holding on 14-9. South Bend had 14 hits in the game, as nearly everyone in the lineup had at least one.

MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 9 - DELMARVA SHOREBIRDS 8 (F/11)

It took long enough, but the Pelicans are finally starting to play baseball the way they had hoped and have now won 10 of their last 13 games. That includes six straight as they went into Delmarva on Tuesday and found a way to win it 9-8 in 11 innings.

Kenton Egbert has been one of the Pelicans best starters all season and even when he isn't at his best he gives his team a chance. Egbert got through four innings, allowing four runs, but the offense backed him as they continued to hit the ball exceptionally well. Trailing 2-0 in the second after a sacrifice fly and a Stiven Acevedo solo shot, the Pelicans got on the board in the third as the Cristian Hernandez single brought things back to even 2-2.

That was just the beginning for the Pelicans and their offense. In the fourth, they took the lead off an Eriandys Ramon double before pushing their lead to 4-2 on the Christian Olivo single. The back-and-forth affair continued in the bottom of the fourth, with Jake Cunningham bringing home a run with a single while Acevedo tied things back up on a sacrifice fly.

Those were the final runs for the next several innings until the Shorebirds retook the lead with a pair of runs in the seventh to jump back in front 6-4. It was a lead that didn't last long as Ramon legged out a triple in the eighth to pull within 6-5 before he came in to tie things up on the Anderson Suriel single, and this game was ticketed for extras.

In the extra frames, it was all about Jacob Wetzel, who not only delivered a go-ahead double in the 10th but also came through in the 11th with a two-run triple, which went down as the game-winning hit. Aron Estrada did manage to pull Delmarva within 9-8, but the Pelicans finished them off to hold on for the win.

With those two hits, Wetzel led the Pelicans with three RBIs while adding two hits. Ramon backed him with two hits and two RBIs, as the former ACL players have ignited this group.

DSL TIGERS 2 - DSL CUBS BLUE 1

For the second straight game, the DSL Blue squad was locked into a low-scoring affair, and for the second straight day, they were on the losing end of a 2-1 decision. This time, it was Saul Siri getting the start and tossing four strong innings as he went pitch for pitch with Jorger Petri, who gave the Tigers five impressive innings.

Both teams scored a run in the first inning. The Tigers opened the scoring on a steal of home, while the Cubs added an RBI groundout from Henniel Alcala to tie things up 1-1. That was the only run of the game for the Cubs, as that 1-1 score held until the fifth when Nestor Miranda cashed in with a game-winning RBI double. The Cubs had three hits in the loss, with Alexey Lumpuy leading the way with two.

DSL PADRES 7 - DSL CUBS RED 3

What mainly was a competitive game, turned sour quickly as a five-run run fifth inning broke the game open and put the Padres on top for good. Manuel Davila had everything working in this one for the Padres as he gave the Padres five strong innings, striking out five and walking one.

Edwardo Melendez was equally good through three innings, holding the Padres to just one run and striking out four. This was a scoreless game until the third, when Fernando Cruz picked up an RBI forceout to put the Cubs in front, only to have the Padres answer in the bottom of the third with an RBI forceout of their own.

Cruz wasn't done having a solid day as his RBI single in the fifth put the Cubs back in front 2-1 as this was one of his best days in awhile. It was in the bottom of the fifth when the Padres flipped this game on its head as they pushed across five runs to break things open 6-2. With a wild pitch tying things up, it was the two-run single off the bat of Jesmaylin Arias to give the Padres the win, with Kevin Hacen adding another single to push the lead to 6-2.

Robin Oritz tried to keep the Cubs close by connecting for a solo shot in the sixth, but that was as close as things would get as the Padres rolled to the 7-3 win. The Cubs had seven hits in the win, with Cruz and Enyel Rosario having two. Cruz also had two RBIs for the Cubs, who are looking to get back on track.

CHICAGO DOGS 6 - KANE COUNTY COUGARS 4

With one month remaining in the Independent League seasons, it's time for everyone to gear up for the stretch run, and that started with the Dogs picking up a 6-4 win over the Cougars. Due to Mother Nature, this was only a seven-inning game, but with a fast start and strong finish, the Dogs handled their business.

Chicago didn't waste any time grabbing an early lead. Gus Sosa connected for a bases-loaded double in the first as part of his four-RBI night to put the Dogs in front 3-0. Sosa was the offense early, adding an RBI single in the third to stretch their lead to 4-0, only to have the Cougars storm back in the fourth.

All it took was two big swings from the Cougars to pull even, as Josh Allen and Trendon Craig belted a pair of two-run homers, and just like that, this was a 4-4 game. Those were the only runs of the night for Kane County, but the Dogs got the last laugh, with Jacob Teter putting the game away with a two-run shot in the seventh to give the Dogs the 6-4 win.

WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS 3 - NEW YORK BOULDERS 0

Wins have been a struggle for the Thunderbolts this season, but with one month left to go, there is still time to get some momentum. That all started with a shutout against the Boulders on Tuesday as Windy City took care of business 3-0.

Michael Barker earned the win for the Bolts, pitching six innings of shutout ball, walking three and striking out five. He was backed by an offense that scored all its runs in two innings, but it took five innings to do so, as Erik Stock was very good in his five innings. With the game tied 0-0 entering the fifth, Emmanuel Sanchez came through with the go-ahead hit, as his single made this a 1-0 game.

The Thunderbolts added a second run off an error to double their lead before Brennen Dorighi cashed in with an RBI double in the sixth to close out the scoring in a 3-0 win.

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