Cubs Minor League News: Canario crushes three homers, Roederer homers, PCA raking, more |
Tuesday was a fun night on the diamond for the Cubs minor league system. Not only did you have two playoff matchups with one going the Cubs way, but you had a back and fourth high-scoring affair that saw 23 total runs come across to score. When the dust settled, it was the Cubs posting a 2-1 record for a great start to the week.
In what will be their final road trip of the 2022 season, the Cubs and Storm Chasers had the bats working as they combined for 23 runs. Iowa was fortunate enough to come out on top, but it wasn't easy. After a promising start for Matt Swarmer, things went south for him in the third inning as he was charged with five earned runs. You also had Steven Brault surrender four runs without recording an out later in the game, but the Iowa bullpen was tough outside of that. Alexander Canario had a massive game, starting with a solo homer in the first inning. Pair that with the Narcisco Crook double, and Iowa was up 2-0, but was not done yet. Two innings later, it was John Hicks getting into one as his three-run shot put the Cubs in front 5-0 early. That lead didn't last long, with Swarmer failing to make it out of the second inning. After Freddy Fermin got Omaha on the board with a homer, it was singles by Maikel Garcia, Brent Rooker, and Dairon Blanco that brought home four additional runs as Omaha battled back to tie things up 5-5. Moving to the fourth, you had Darius Hill put Iowa back in front before Canario's second homer gave Iowa an 8-5 lead. Brennen Davis got in on the fun with a sacrifice fly as the Cubs had breathing room again, 9-5. Iowa continued to build on that lead in the fifth, with Hicks cashing in with an RBI double to bust the game wide open 11-5. At that point, Omaha began to charge back and came in the sixth inning off of Brault. On the strength of RBI singles from Brewer Hicklin, Fermin, and Ivan Castillo, Omaha was able to pull within 11-8 before bringing home another run to make things 11-9. Hoping to end things with a bang, Canario touched them all again for a third time as his solo shot proved to be the game-winner in the seventh. Why hit just your first Triple-A homer when you can hit your first THREE.
Holding a 12-9 lead late, Omaha continued to make things interesting as they pulled within one before falling. Canario paved the way on offense as his three hits, and four RBIs helped the offense. Hicks added two hits to go with five RBIs as they were the ones that made the engine go. Not much offense in Omaha tonight. Huge win over the Storm Chasers to start the series! pic.twitter.com/lPAm0agXyI
In what could be their final home game of 2022, the Smokies opened their playoff series against Rocket City with a tough 9-5 loss. Riley Thompson earned the start based on his final five outings, but it was a night to forget for the right-hander. Despite making it into the fifth, Thompson was unable to finish as he was charged with seven earned runs in the loss. Three of those came on a pair of early home runs, with Preston Palmiero putting the Trash Pandas up 2-0 in the first and Jordyn Adams adding a solo shot in the second. After those homers, it appeared that Thompson settled down until the fifth inning. In that inning, the Trash Pandas busted the game wide open as four more runs touched home to make things 7-0. Needing a boatload of offense late, Cole Roderer provided some of that with one swing in the sixth as his three-run shot made things 7-3. A 3-RUN BOMB FROM COLE ROEDERER!!! pic.twitter.com/2X3o0JdG9h Add in the Jake Slaughter RBI groundout, and this was a game again until the Jeremiah Jackson triple in the ninth gave the Trash Pandas the 9-4 lead. Yonathan Perlaza would add a homer in the ninth inning, but it wasn't enough as the Smokies season will now be on the line on Thursday. Perlaza and Chase Strumpf led the offense with three hits, but Roederer and his three RBIs got things rolling. Yonathan Perlaza with a solo shot in the top of the 9th! pic.twitter.com/Ia7SR0W5hZ Smokies drop Game 1. Game 2 is Thursday at Rocket City. pic.twitter.com/pHda16lnBk
With their season on the line and needing a win to force a decisive game three, the Cubs turned to their organizational pitcher of the year Luis Devers to play stopper. Like he has done virtually every start this season, Devers was on point as he allowed two runs on five hits to keep the Cubs in it. His biggest issue was a high pitch count that chased him after four innings and put a ton of pressure on the Cubs pen to keep things close. Devers got off to a shaky start early, with Lake County taking a 1-0 lead in the first. Fortunately, the Pablo Aliendo single in the fourth tied things up, only to see Micael Ramirez answer in the bottom of the fourth to put the Captains back in front 2-1. It was in the sixth inning when the momentum swung in the Cubs favor as they tied things up on a costly throwing error. One inning later, the Cubs now had the lead as Luis Verdugo picked up the go-ahead RBI single. Still holding a 3-2 lead in the ninth, it was time for the offensive player of the year Pete Crow-Armstrong to cash in as his solo homer proved to be the game-winner with the Cubs up 4-2. .@Cubs No. 2 prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong had a BIG night for the @SBCubs! Looking to close things out was Micahel McAvene, and despite allowing a run, was able to get the job done as the Cubs tied things up and will now take on the Captains in an all-or-nothing game three on Wednesday. You got to PUMP IT UP, Don't you know PUMP IT UP!#FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/AarN8f35CNIOWA CUBS 12 - OMAHA STORM CHASERS 11
No. 9 @Cubs prospect Alexander Canario brought the lumber in a three-homer night with the @IowaCubs: https://t.co/VtLwGwkrsL pic.twitter.com/E6pJ9KLgIW
ROCKET CITY TRASH PANDAS 9 - TENNESSEE SMOKIES 5
SOUTH BEND CUBS 4 - LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS 3
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