Down on Cubs Farm: Pelicans rally past Wood Ducks, Smokies fading fast, more |
For the first time since the mid-June all-star break, it was a quiet night for the Cubs farmhands as only two teams were in action. The night brought a mixed bag in terms of overall results as the Cubs managed to go 1-1 on the evening despite several players continuing to lead the way.
IOWA CUBS: All-Star Break TENNESSEE SMOKIES 3 - Montgomery Biscuits 4: Things continue to be a tough go for the Smokies as they continue to search for answers since the second half got underway. With Cory Abbott on the hill tossing 5 1/3 innings, it was pair of two-run frames that did him in as he fell to 5-6 on the season with the Smokies suffering a 4-3 defeat to the Biscuits. Montgomery opened the scoring in the second inning when that man again Brett Sullivan picked up another RBI with a double for a 1-0 lead. Miles Mastrobuoni added a sacrifice fly later that inning to make it 2-0, but a gutsy baserunning decision from Sullivan got him thrown out at third ending the treat at an even bigger frame. The Smokies responded in the third inning with a big inning of their own. Nico Hoerner continues to hit the cover off the baseball picking up a single with a pair of runners on base to cut the deficit to 2-1. The line continued to move as Vimael Machin followed that single with one of his own to tie things up 2-2. It was then time for P.J. Higgins to get in on the action with a single of his own and just like that the Smokies were in front 3-2 as we headed to the bottom of the third. Looking to keep things where they were in the fourth, Abbott was unable to do so as Robbie Tenerowicz went deep for his fourth of the season to put the Biscuits on top for good 4-3. Abbott managed to get through 1 1/3 more innings before turning things over to the pen. With the bullpen doing their job to keep things close, the Smokies had multiple innings in which they had a pair of runners on base looking for the clutch hit to bring someone home. Unfortunately, that hit never came, and the Smokies were silenced after the third to fall 4-3. Tennessee is undoubtedly slumping as they have fallen to 40-49 on the season. Higgins led the way for the offense collecting three hits to go with his RBI. Both Connor Myers and Machin added multi-hit games of their own as the Smokies pounded out 11 hits. Jordan Minch, Ben Hecht, and Wyatt Short were brilliant in relief, allowing just 2H in 3 2/3 shutout innings. Hecht is posting a 0.00 ERA at the AA level while Short is now at 1.93 for the season. Homer is ready for 90's Night.... are you?#fruitstripegum pic.twitter.com/p8MZXkgGWv
MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 5 – Down East Wood Ducks 3: The Pelicans were able to get back on the winning track Tuesday salvaging the series finale with Down East 5-3. The ever-improving Erich Uelmen (3-2) continued to deal on the mound tossing six more strong innings of two-run ball with a walk and seven strikeouts to earn the win. His ERA is now down to 3.20 for the year. Once again it was the Pelicans striking first in the second as Cam Balego ended a long homerless drought with his ninth of the season for the 1-0 lead. That lead was short lived as the Wood Ducks drew even in the fourth on a Samuel Huff homer. Huff was not finished quite yet as he stepped back in the batter’s box in the fifth to deliver the go-ahead RBI single to put Down East on top 2-1. With Uelmen doing his part on the mound it was up the Pelicans offense to back him at the plate, so his great start was not wasted. That is precisely what they did in the sixth when Delvin Zinn evened things up 2-2 with an RBI double. Now with runners on the corners, Myrtle Beach decided to get a bit tricky as Jimmy Herron swiped second to allow Zinn to come home on an error for the 3-2 lead. A Miguel Amaya double brought home another run to give Myrtle Beach the 4-2 lead after six. The Pelicans continued to keep their feet on the gas in the seventh as Herron picked up an RBI single to push the lead to 5-2. That score would hold up until the ninth when the Wood Ducks were looking to make some magic in their final at-bats. A two-out walk to Juan Pablo Martinez put a runner base before he took second on defensive indifference. A Tyler Depreta-Johnson single later it was 5-3 with the tying run now on second following a Diosbel Arias double. Manuel Rodriguez was able to bear down to retire the final hitter and preserve a 5-3 win for the Pelicans. Myrtle Beach is 31-56 for the season as a new influx of players seems to have the team trending in the right direction. Both Herron and Zach Davis had two-hit games to pace the Pelicans offense. Zinn and Amaya added one hit each with an RBI while Tyler Durna also managed to go 1-4 in the win. Garrett Kelly lowered his ERA to 2.14 after posting two scoreless frames out of the pen. Makin' things happen! @delvinzinn3 was all over the diamond tonight as the #BirdsWin and he is tonight's @panerabread Bread Winner of the Game ?????? pic.twitter.com/f7awcbjpIJ
SOUTH BEND CUBS: Off Travel Day. Tomorrow night, be one of the first 1,000 fans through the gates and you will receive a free #SBCubs black and white hat, courtesy of Ridge NAPA Auto Parts and Paint, WSBT-TV, and B100. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. with first pitch at 7:05!
EUGENE EMERALDS: Off travel Day Eugene Emeralds' Chase Strumpf takes advantage of familiar surroundings, gets first pro homer at PK Park. Story by @SteveMims_RG https://t.co/Sty8aplUri @EugeneEmeralds @cubs #cubs pic.twitter.com/M8H0sJDrth
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