Cubs Minor League News: I-Cubs postponed, Armstrong impressive, Garriola raking, more |
The Cubs Minor League system has struggled out of the gates this week and has yet to get off to the start they were hoping. Not only did they post an 0-3 record on the diamond last night, but those three teams combined to score two runs in two of the three games, resulting in shutout losses.
It doesn't matter how good your pitching is across the board. It's hard to win games when you can't score, and due to the many moving parts throughout the Cubs system, it is hard to find a consistent offensive rhythm right now.
For the second straight day, the Cubs saw their game with the Clippers postponed due to Wet Grounds and now will play six games across the next four days. FINAL UPDATE: Today's Aug. 14 game is postponed due to wet field conditions. We will make up the game this Sat., Aug. 17 with gates at 3:30 PM & first pitch at 4:38 PM. Call the front office at 515-243-6111 to exchange your game tickets from Aug. 14 for another game this season.
Beating the Smokies at this point is hard enough, but to shut them out is another story. That is precisely what the Barons did on Wednesday, as one run would be all the Barons would need in a 1-0 victory. Sam Armstrong continues to grow since his promotion to AA, and with six innings of three-hit ball, this was his best showing to date. He walked two, struck out four, and allowed one run as he turned in one of the better starts for the Smokies over the past two weeks. Unfortunately for him, Juan Carela was equally good, as he also lasted six innings without giving up a run. The game's lone run came in the Barons first at bats when Canaan Smith-Njigba connected for his first AA homer of the season for the Barons 1-0 win. Tennessee had three hits in the loss, with Brett Bateman, Casey Opitz, and Felix Stevens grabbing the hits. The Smokies' arms give up just 3 hits, but that's enough for the Barons to best us this evening. | @zips3mincarwash
While a loss is still a loss, South Bend was at least able to score a few runs, which is something the rest of the Cubs organization couldn't do. Drew Gray has been on quite a roll lately, looking at his last few outings, but after allowing four runs in 3 2/3, he started to go back to his old ways. He walked five and struck out four, as the command has been hit or miss with him this season. Command wasn't an issue for Ricky Castro as he allowed just one run in six innings, adding eight strikeouts. The lone run Castro allowed came in the top half of the first as the Cristian Hernandez double put the Cubs in front 1-0. It was a lead that didn't last long as the Kernels tied things up on a Rubel Cespedes double at the bottom of the first, which was the beginning of four unanswered runs. The Kernels kept the pressure on in the second as a wild pitch pushed home the go-ahead run while a bases-loaded walk added the winning run. Gabriel Gonzalez continued to create some separation as his RBI single in the fourth extended the Kernels lead to 4-1 and had the Cubs searching for answers. That score held until the eighth inning, when the Cubs tried to mount a late-game comeback, with an Andy Garriola homer making it 4-2. It was as close as they would get as the Kernels tacked on another run in the bottom of the eighth to win 5-2. Garriola has gotten off to a great start with South Bend, as he collected three hits to push his average to .421. Hernandez and Jacob Wetzel added the remaining hits for the Cubs.
It was another rough day for the Pelicans as the Fireflies jumped out to an early lead before pouring it on late in a 9-0 win. Tyler Schlaffer battled through four innings, allowing three runs, but with Jonatan Bernal going seven shutout innings to pick up his first win, his effort went to waste. It didn't take the Fireflies long to grab the lead, with Blake Mitchell connecting for a game-winning solo shot in the first to make this a 1-0 game. Columbia then added two runs in the second off the Brennon McNair double to open up a 3-0 lead after two. Those were the game's only runs until the middle innings, but once the Fireflies offense got rolling again, it was a long night for the Pelicans as Columbia delivered back to back three run frames in the sixth and seventh innings. Hyungchan Um picked up a solo shot as part of the three-run sixth, with Colton Becker adding a double and Erick Torres delivering a single. Becker was just getting started as he added a two-RBI single as part of a three-run seventh to close out the scoring in the Fireflies 9-0 win. Myrtle Beach had just two hits in the loss as Carter Trice and Alfonsin Rosario had the hits. Final.#MBPelicans pic.twitter.com/1jiXYQzNkKCOLUMBUS CLIPPERS vs. IOWA CUBS (Postponed)
BIRMINGHAM BARONS 1 - TENNESSEE SMOKIES 0
Box Score: https://t.co/ZJjKrMlG2l pic.twitter.com/WsOkX9sSnQCEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS 5 - SOUTH BEND CUBS 2
COLUMBIA FIREFLIES 9 - MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 0
CHICAGO DOGS 8 - KANSAS CITY MONARCHS 6
Backed by a pair of three-run innings, the Dogs clinched their series against the Monarchs with an 8-6 win. The first of those three-run innings came in the third after a Justin O'Connor single put the Monarchs in front 2-0 in the second.
Brantley Bell got the Dogs on the board with his single, only to have Dusty Stroup leave the yard to put the Dogs on top 3-2. Homers played a role for both sides early in this one, with Isiah Gilliam going deep in the bottom of the third to put the Monarchs back in front 4-3, but it was all Dogs the rest of the way.
All it took was one big swing from Narcisco Crook to put them in front for good as his bases-clearing double in the top of the fourth brought home three runs to give Chicago a 6-4 lead. Kansas City did manage to tie things up in the bottom of the fifth, but the Jacob Teter sacrifice fly pushed across the winning run in the sixth and made things 7-6.
The Dogs would tack on another run off a double play in the ninth to close out the scoring and clinch the 8-6 win. Bell paced the Dogs with three hits in the win and raised his average to .313. Chase Harris added two hits for the Dogs, with Crook leading the way with three RBIs.
WIENERS✅ WEDNESDAY✅ WIN✅
— Chicago Dogs (@TheChicagoDogs) August 15, 2024
📺https://t.co/ZyIk7dOVpK |🌭#NoKetchup pic.twitter.com/rru1sPLPqO
WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS 7 - FLORENCE Y'ALLS 2
With their massive win on Wednesday, the Thunderbolts now have a shot at winning this series, which hasn't been something they can have done much of recently. Ruddy Gomez was solid on the mound for Windy City, striking out nine in six innings to earn his second win of the season.
Ruddy Gomez drillin’ gems all night 💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎 pic.twitter.com/o0wqajNLJL
— Windy City ThunderBolts (@WCThunderBolts) August 15, 2024
A pair of Brennen Dorighi RBIs backed him in the first and third innings, which gave the Bolts a 2-0 lead, which they managed to maintain most of the night. Florence did manage to score in the bottom of the fourth off a wild pitch to pull within 2-1, but that was as close as they would get as the Windy City offense erupted for five runs off the Y'alls pen to put the game away.
Three of those runs came in the seventh inning, with Ronnie Allen Jr extending their lead to 3-1 with a single ahead of the two-run Robert Chayka double to make things 5-1. Chayka finished with three RBIs for the Bolts as he tacked on another RBI in the eighth to close out the scoring in the 7-2 win.
Chayka paced Windy City with three hits and three RBIs, while Henry Kusiak and Dorighi added two hits.
Robert Chayka Chicago mid coming up with a three hit / three RBI night! pic.twitter.com/HqO3w9PGB3
— Windy City ThunderBolts (@WCThunderBolts) August 15, 2024
