Cubs Minor League News: Rookie League Action |
As is the case every Monday, this marks the beginning of a new week of Minor League baseball action, where the Rookie Leagues take center stage. Hence, this is known as Rookie League Monday. Unlike in most cases where three teams are in action, only two teams took the field in a 2-0 showing.
Unlike full-season leagues, where it is very easy to obtain videos and highlights, Rookie League action is tough to cover, so anytime you can give them recognition, the players greatly appreciate it. After all, some players will move up through the system and play a massive role for the team, while others will be just another player to follow.
Talk about a flare for the dramatics; with the Cubs trailing by two entering their final at-bat, there was plenty of time for some late-game drama to be had. Leave that to Joan Delgado, who capped off the comeback win with a walk-off double to lift the Cubs 9-8. Although the Cubs went through plenty of arms, Brad Deppermann stands out the most. He tossed a pair of scoreless frames with four strikeouts, and his ERA remains 0.00. Dominic Hambley also had a great showing with 2 1/3 scoreless frames as they had the most success for the Cubs pitchers. It didn't take the A's long to open the scoring, with German Ortiz delivering a two-run single to put the A's up 2-0 in the first before adding a third run on a sacrifice fly. The Cubs responded with a run in the third off a wild pitch, only to have the A's strike for three more runs in the fifth to open up a 6-1 lead. Mario Gomez worked a bases-loaded walk for their fourth run, with Reynaldo De La Paz adding a single to extend their lead to 6-1. That was when the Cubs offense decided to kick it into gear as the Delgado triple in the sixth brought home the Cubs second run before Delgado used his legs to steal home. Following an Adan Sanchez sacrifice fly in the seventh to make things 6-4, Anderson Suriel kept the comeback bid moving as his RBI triple pulled the Cubs to within 6-5 in the eighth. Suriel would come into score on a Geuri Lubo sacrifice fly, and just like that, it was 6-6. With just one inning standing between the two teams and some extra inning ball, Luis Marinez took it upon himself to try and prevent that as his two-run blast made this an 8-6 A's lead. That is when the Cubs offense came through when they needed them the most as the Cepada groundout pulled the Cubs to within 8-7 only to have Delgado come through with a massive RBI double to plate two as the Cubs walked off the A's 9-8 for the win. Jose Escobar and Delgado led the Cubs with two hits, and Delgado set the tone with three RBIs. Suriel, Sanchez, and Eriandy's Ramon added hits as the Cubs tallied seven hits in the win.
Despite a four-run inning by the Cubs to climb back into the game, it was the Pirates who got the last laugh as they delivered two runs in the final inning to survive the Cubs 7-6. The Pirates got off to a very fast start in the first as a pair of RBI forceouts put them in front 2-0 before the Daje Morales double gave them an early 3-0 lead. They held that lead until the fifth inning when Edward Florentino uncorked a two-run blast to extend their lead to 5-0. Needing offense in a hurry, the Cubs didn't waste any time battling back as a four-run fifth pulled them within 5-4. All four of those runs came on a pair of two-run singles, with Ludwing Espinoza delivering the first and Derik Alcantara adding the second. The Cubs managed to tie the game up in the sixth, only to have the Pirates retake the lead in the seventh. Samuel Escudero put the Pirates in front for good with an RBI single, but the Morales double proved to be the game-winning hit as the Pirates pushed home two runs in the seventh to take a 7-5 lead. Down, but not out, the Cubs did their best to mount a late-game comeback with Alcantara picking up a sacrifice fly to make things 7-6, but that was it as the Pirates held on for the 7-6 win. Espinoza and Alcantara led the way with four hits and five combined RBIs as Alcantara had three and Espinoza two. ACL CUBS 9 - ACL ATHLETICS 8
DSL PIRATES 7 - DSL CUBS BLUE 6
