Cubs Minor League News: Cassie and Franklin raking, Noland impressive, Smokies postponed |
Dustin Riese
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- 5 hours ago
We will eventually get a full slate of Minor League games, as Mother Nature hasn't been very kind this week. For the third time this week, rain washed away one of the Cubs' full-season teams, thus giving the Cubs three Minor League games instead of four.
Despite that, the Cubs still posted an excellent 2-1 record, as most players are starting to settle in after getting off to a slow start. Hopefully, that is a sign of things to come.
A rough week of weather and uncertainty came to a close as the Cubs closed out their series with the Indians with a win. Connor Noland was the story in this one, as the right-hander looked like the ace the Cubs are hoping he can be. Although not overpowering, Noland gave the Cubs six innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out three. Some instant offense backed Noland as Owen Caissie smoked an RBI double in the first to put the Cubs on top 1-0. Caissie knows ball It was a lead that didn't last long as Indianapolis tied things up in the bottom of the second on a force play, and just like that, it was a 1-1 game. That was the lone run of the day for the Indians, but with the Indians' pitching staff holding the Cubs to one run through six innings, something had to give. That something would be the Indianapolis staff as the Cubs finally broke through in the seventh on a Christian Franklin single that gave Iowa the lead for good, 2-1. Franklin gives I-Cubs the lead in the 7th! The Cubs tacked on another run later in the inning on a bases-loaded hit by pitch to Moises Ballesteros, extending their lead to 3-1. Iowa closed out the scoring in the eighth inning on a Reese McGuire RBI double, as the team closed out their week with a 4-1 win. Oh babyyyyy, Reese McGuire with a ripper! Franklin continues to perform well from the leadoff spot, recording two hits and joining Dixon Machado with multiple hits. Iowa also wrapped up their suspended game from earlier in the week, in which the Indians won 5-4 in 10 innings.
Today's game has been postponed due to weather. https://t.co/USUf8v8H6Y
Of all the teams desperate for a good start, it was a tough weekend for the South Bend Cubs, who wound up getting swept by the Sky Carp. This was another one of those games where the Cubs dug themselves a massive hole before coming up just short in the end. Anytime you spot a team with four runs in the first inning, you're asking for trouble, and Luis Rujano had a rough South Bend debut. Not only did he allow four runs, but he did that in just 1/3 of an inning as the pressure was on the bullpen to keep things close. They did that and more, allowing just one run in seven-plus innings as they did their part to give the offense a chance. While some of the Sky Carp runs came on the two-run Ryan Ignoffo single, the other two were just careless mistakes. Rujano walked home a run on a bases-loaded walk and then allowed another one on a balk. That can't happen, so when it does, it causes you to shake your head in disbelief. Even with the Sky Carp offense failing to generate much after the first inning, Jake Brooks handcuffed the Cubs through four innings, allowing just one run and striking out six as South Bend had no answers for him. The lone run off him came in the fifth when Cristian Hernandez laced a two-RBI triple, putting the Cubs on the board. With Beloit adding an RBI groundout off Marino Santy in the sixth to extend the lead to 5-2, the Cubs offense was mounting a furious comeback late. South Bend pulled within 5-4 in the eighth as Rafael Morel delivered a sacrifice fly ahead of the Ivan Brethowr single, and just like that, the Cubs were within a run. That was as close as the Cubs would get as Beloit shut the door in the ninth to cap off the sweep. South Bend was held to four hits in the loss, with Brethowr responsible for two.
The Pelicans couldn't have asked for a better start to their season, as they capped off a weekend sweep of Charleston with a 5-2 victory. Brooks Caple made a strong impression in his first start of the season, going five innings and allowing just one unearned run despite striking out only three batters. Caple was backed by a first-inning sacrifice fly from Jose Escobar as the Pelicans struck first 1-0. Anytime you can pitch with the lead right from the start, it allows you to settle, as Caple had been doing up until a Nathan Flewelling single brought things back to even in the third. That was the only run Caple would allow, as the Pelicans wanted to make sure he was in line for the win. Leave it to Michael Carico to make that happen, as he launched his first home run of 2025 in the fifth to put the Birds on top for good, 3-1. The Pelicans continued to build on their lead in the sixth, with Angel Cepeda and Leonel Espinoza adding a pair of RBI singles to extend their lead to 5-1. Larry Martinez added an RBI double in the seventh to make it 5-2, but that was the final run in another Pelicans win. Myrtle Beach pounded out 13 hits, with Alexey Lumpuy and Matt Halbach leading the offense with three hits each. Cepeda and Espinoza added multi-hit games for the Birds as the Pelicans are off to a strong start in 2025. Final. Cubs 4 | Sky Carp 5 IOWA CUBS 4 - INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS 1
1-0 I-CUBS! pic.twitter.com/hucPlLoExO
2-1 I-CUBS! pic.twitter.com/kXrfLnfw6H
I-CUBS extend the lead 4-1! pic.twitter.com/OMVk3QVCirKNOXVILLE SMOKIES vs BIRMINGHAM BARONS (Postponed)
BELOIT SKY CARP 5 - SOUTH BEND CUBS 4
MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 5 - CHARLESTON RIVERDOGS 2
Back in action Tuesday for our Home Opener at Four Winds Field
First pitch 7:05pm. pic.twitter.com/yFs1NaPOyA
