Cubs Minor League News: Hernandez makes High-A debut, Garriola homers, I-Cubs postponed |
Another Tuesday and another full slate of Cubs Minor League action. That won't be the case much longer, as the DSL will be ending next week, with the Independent Leagues following suit. Before you know it, the 2024 Minor League Baseball season will be over, and teams will shift their focus to 2025.
Until we get to that point, the teams have some work to do as they gear up for the final stretch run of the season. However, Tuesday wasn't a great night for the organization, as they managed to go just 1-4, which isn't how you want to start a week.
Today's August 13 game is postponed due to wet field conditions. We will play as normal tomorrow August 14 starting at 12:08 pm, with gates opening at 11:00 am. Call the ticket office at 515-243-6111 to exchange your game tickets from August 13 for another game this season. pic.twitter.com/Pc48Z9fBCH
Although the Smokies are in complete control of the second half, that doesn't mean things are going to come easy the rest of the way. Given their position in the standings, they will get everyone's best shot, which was the case in Birmingham's 4-3 win. Matt Thompson got the start for the Smokies and battled through five innings of five-run ball before handing things off to the pen. Opposing him was Jairo Iriarte, who got through six innings and allowed three runs (2ER). It didn't take the Smokies long to open the scoring, with Luis Verdugo pushing home the game's first run on a first-inning sacrifice fly. They held that lead until the third inning when the Barons tied things up on a sacrifice bunt before grabbing a 2-1 lead on the Wilfred Veras triple. Once the fourth inning started, the Smokies offense started to get dialed in, with Pablo Aliendo tying things up with a double in the fourth before the Verdugo single gave the Smokies a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Those were the game's final runs for the Smokies as the Barons tied things up in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly before the Terrell Tatum seventh-inning homer lifted them to the 4-3 win. The top of the Smokies order did a great job setting the table as Christian Franklin and Brett Bateman led the way with two hits. It happens. | @zips3mincarwash
The long team to come away with a win on Tuesday was South Bend, who took care of business 4-1. Grant Kipp may not have qualified for the win by going just 4 2/3 innings, but with one run allowed, he did his part. He gave way to Chase Watkins and Tyler Santana, who combined to allow four hits over the final 4 1/3. Opposing Kipp was Darren Bowen, who pitched one of his better games of the season but still continues to struggle to find wins. After allowing the Cubs to take a 1-0 lead after a first-inning balk, it was the long ball that got the Kernels on the board, as the Rixon Wingrove blast made this a 1-1 game. That was the only run of the game for the Kernels, as the Cubs' pitching was dialed in. Cristian Hernandez made his High-A debut, and he didn't disappoint. His RBI single in the third put the Cubs back in front 2-1 and proved to be the game-winning hit in the victory. South Bend continued to add on in the fifth off an Andy Garriola homer and then closed out the scoring with a Rafael Morel single in the seventh to pick up the 4-1 win. Cubs WWWIN!#YouHaveToSeeIt #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/Wv4B8bTRdv
After playing just one game last week due to rain, the Pelicans were finally back in action Tuesday. Rust was a factor in this one as the Fireflies pushed across three runs in the ninth to pick up the 5-3 win. Yenrri Rojas started for the Pelicans and pitched well through his four innings, allowing two runs and scattering five hits. Both runs came in the first three innings, with Daniel Vasquez putting the Fireflies on the board with a first-inning RBI single before Erick Torres added a solo shot in the third. Considering Josh Hansell struck out eight across five innings, two runs were looking to be enough, only to have the Pelicans battle back in the bottom of the fourth. That all started with 2024 first-round pick Cam Smith picking up his first home hit of the season as his RBI triple put the Birds on the board. Smith triples for his first RBI as a Bird!#MBPelicans | #YouHaveToSeeIt pic.twitter.com/NfI6bQPDpr Smith would come around to score on the Carter Trice double to tie things up 2-2, which would be the game's only runs until the ninth. Trice ties it! #MBPelicans | #YouHaveToSeeIt pic.twitter.com/0BWG9qjWBo In that inning, the Fireflies put the game on ice as the Carter Frederick double put the Fireflies back in front 3-2 with the Torres single bringing home the winning run. Blake Mitchell added a second RBI single a little later to push across the Fireflies third run in that inning as they opened up a 5-2 lead. The Pelicans did manage to get one of those runs back on a Miguel Pabon sacrifice fly, but that was it in a 5-3 loss. Pabon led the Pelicans with two hits in the loss. Final in the series opener.#MBPelicans pic.twitter.com/BcZb2gZMIj
Despite the Cubs best efforts right now, wins are hard to come by as they were upended by the Dodgers 3-2. Carlos Rangel started for the Cubs, allowing three runs in four innings before turning things over to Brayan Diaz the rest of the way. All of the Dodgers offense came in the first three innings, with two runs coming across on the Jose Torrez second-inning double to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. They added to their lead in the third off an Edwin Sanchez RBI fielder's choice to make things 3-0 and never looked back, as that would be all the support that Josehp Marte would need. The Dodgers right-hander struck out three in four strong innings, allowing just a Robin Ortiz single in the fourth. Fernando Cruz also picked up an RBI single in the fifth for the games final run as the Cubs fell 3-2.
If a DSL team will make the playoffs, DSL Blue would be it as they continue to battle. However, sitting in fifth place with less than 10 games to go is never ideal, as the Cubs dropped a costly game to the Brewers 5-2. Emannoel Madeira was the tough luck pitcher in this one, giving the Cubs four shutout innings of two-run ball. He was backed by some early offense as a pair of third-inning doubles from Darlyn De Leon and Alexey Lumpuy put the Cubs in front 2-0. Those would be the only runs of the day for DSL Blue, as the offense was tough to come by for the Cubs. Still holding that 2-0 lead in the seventh, it was time for the Brewers to take control as all five of their runs scored in that inning. Following an RBI forceout that tied the game, the Moises Polanco double-tied things up as the Brewers were still threatening. His double was followed by the game-winning Jorge Quintana single that made things 4-2, while Roderick Flores closed out the scoring with an additional RBI hit.
After a rough showing in Cleburne last week, the Dogs continued their road trip with a series-opening win against the Monarchs 2-1. Kenny Serwa was lights out in his eight innings, allowing just one run and striking out four in the win. Both of the Dogs runs came in the fourth inning as the Chase Harris double made things 2-0 and would be all the offense the Dogs would need. Isiah Gilliam picked up a double in the sixth for the Monarchs, but that was all the offense they would get in the loss. DOGS DUB👏
It has been a rough year for Bobby Jenks and the Thunderbolts as they approach the final two weeks of the season. That started with a road trip to Kentucky, where the Y'Alls took care of business 6-2. Kevin Pindell took the loss after allowing six runs (4ER) in 5 2/3, but his ERA continues to be 1.76 as he has been one of the best pitchers in the Frontier League this season. Pindell was backed by some early offense, with JJ Figueroa putting the Bolts up 1-0 in the second before doubling their lead to 2-0 in the third off the Henry Kusiak single. Those would be the only runs of the day for the Thunderbolts as the Y'Alls broke through for a five-run fifth inning to break the game open before adding their final run in the sixth. Stephen Hrustich opened the scoring for the Y'Alls with a solo blast, but the Craig Massey double proved to be the winning hit. You know what they say: "Lose the first one, win the next two." They say that, right?IOWA CUBS vs. COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (Postponed Wet Grounds)
BIRMINGHAM BARONS 4 - TENNESSEE SMOKIES 3
Box Score: https://t.co/lJZ8DO5W1j pic.twitter.com/UeCApI9gFcSOUTH BEND CUBS 4 - CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS 1
COLUMBIA FIREFLIES 5 - MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 3
DSL DODGERS 3 - DSL CUBS RED 2
DSL BREWERS 5 - DSL CUBS BLUE 2
CHICAGO DOGS 2 - KANSAS CITY MONARCHS 1
📺https://t.co/ZyIk7dOVpK |🌭#NoKetchup pic.twitter.com/aKmr7OmZNTFLORENCE Y'ALLS 6 - WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS 2
GAME STORY: https://t.co/pscVvyvfI6
