Cubs Minor League News: Rookie League teams for Cubs go undefeated |
Following an off day that saw every team in the Cubs system out of action, baseball returned on Thursday as it was the Rookie Leagues on display again. With the Full season Leagues off until Friday, it has been a nice change of pace to see the rookie league be the center of attention for a few days as they are often overlooked.
It was about the DSL teams throughout the week, but ACL returned to action on Thursday, giving the Cubs three teams on the diamond. Regarding the result side, only two games went final, with the Cubs going 2-0 in those games, while the third game was suspended for the second time this week.
After enjoying four days off due to the MLB All-Star break, the ACL Cubs returned to the field Friday and picked up a 4-2 win. 2020 fifth-round pick Koen Moreno was on the bump, and despite walking three hitters in 2 2/3, he allowed no runs on no hits. Ben Hecht followed him up with 1 1/3 scoreless frames as the Cubs needed just one big inning to seal the win. That inning came in the bottom of the fourth as the Cubs took a 0-0 game and turned it into their favor. Rafael Morel delivered the game's first run with an RBI bunt single, but the Reivaj Garcia single later in the frame proved to be the winner with Cubs in front 3-0. Not only did the Reds battle back with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth, but they added a bases-loaded hit by a pitch in the eighth to pull within 3-2. Fortunately for the Cubs, that would be as close as they would get as Garcia connected for his first homer in the bottom of the eighth to give the Cubs the insurance they needed in the 4-2 win. Garcia picked up two hits and three RBIs as he is now hitting .383 this season.
It has taken nearly two months for the Cubs to perform dominating, but they played their best game of the summer on Thursday. Led by an offense that scored 14 runs in the first three innings and solid pitching, DSL Red only needed six innings to make something happen as they drubbed the fish 15-2. Freilyn Silverio got the start and gave DSL four innings of two-run ball. He walked one and struck out five as he was outstanding from start to finish. It does help when an offense gives you seven runs of support early, which is what the Cubs offense did in the first. With a pair of wild pitches putting the Cubs up 2-0, Lizardo Ruiz delivered the game-winning knock as his bases-loaded triple put the Cubs up 5-0. Add in singles from Offerman Hernandez and Alexis Hernandez, and the Cubs were in front 7-0 with no intention of looking back. The Cubs extended their lead to 9-0 in the second courtesy of the Erbin Jaque triple and Ruiz double before the Cubs offense was back in full force in the third. Once again, a pair of wild pitches aided the Cubs with two runs while Andrews Cruz picked up an RBI single. Ruiz capped off his six-RBI game with another two-run single as five more runs came across to put the Cubs in front 14-0 after three. The Marlins managed to get one of their two runs in the bottom of the third off the Antony Peguero double before the Delvis Mosquera homer made things 14-2 in the fourth. Offerman Hernandez capped off the scoring with a double in the sixth as the Cubs rolled 15-2 in six innings. Ruiz led the way for the offense as he picked up four hits with six RBIs. Cruz added three hits, with Offerman and Alexis Hernandez adding two with three RBIs combined.
For the second time this week, the Cubs were locked into a pitcher's duel with the Pirates for the game to be suspended 2-1. The last time this happened, the Pirates came away with a 13-3 so let's hope for better results once this game resumes at a later date. The Cubs didn't do themselves any favors in the early going as a first-inning passed ball led to the game's first run. Yafrerelyn Vasquez made the start for the Cubs and allowed one unearned run in two innings. He gave way to Zhiorman Imbriano, who went the next two innings allowing one earned run. With the score still sitting at 1-0 in the fourth, the Pirates would extend that lead to 2-0 as Eddy Rodriguez picked up an RBI double off Imbriano. Moving to the bottom of the fourth, it was the Pirates turn to gift the Cubs a run as a wild pitch on a would-be strike three brought home a run with the Cubs trailing 2-1. That is where things will pick up when the game resumes, and it will be Brayan Altuve coming toACL CUBS 4 - ACL REDS 2
DSL CUBS RED 15 - DSL MARLINS 2
DSL PIRATES 2 - DSL CUBS BLUE 1 (SUSPENDED IN the 4th)
