Cubs Minor League News: McGeary and Long homer, McCullough impressive, more |
The Cubs struggled for the first time this week, posting a losing record on the diamond. Not only that, but had it not been for a surprising performance from South Bend, they would've been swept across the board, posting a 1-4 record down on the farm.
BUFFALO BISONS 5 - IOWA CUBS 3 (Game 1) After having their game rained out on Tuesday, Iowa had the task of playing two on Thursday, and things didn't go their way. They dropped both games. In game one, the Bisons' fast start made the biggest difference, as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead and never looked back. Julio Teheran continues to struggle since signing with the Cubs, as he allowed four runs (3 ER) in just 3 1/3. Three of those runs he allowed came in the first inning off a pair of RBI doubles from Orelvis Martinez and Will Robertson to put Buffalo in front 3-0. Iowa did a great job battling back the next two innings, with Ali Sanchez making things 3-2 with a double in the second, while the David Peralta sacrifice fly brought things back to even in the third. One inning after letting their lead get away, the Bisons took it back for good as Leo Jimenez left the yard in the fourth to make things 4-3 before the Bisons added another run in the fifth to close out the scoring. Darius Hill and Luis Vazquez led the way with two hits for the Cubs. Game one final. Game two begins in approximately 35 minutes pic.twitter.com/WwO6tl6nmu BUFFALO BISONS 10 - IOWA CUBS 3 (Game 2) The Cubs' offense was an issue for the first time in quite some time, as they were held to just six runs in two games. That is a problem, especially when Buffalo scored six runs in the fourth to put the game away and cruised for the sweep. Daniel Palencia was back with AAA and was dominant in his two-plus innings of work. He allowed two runs (1ER) on just two hits while striking out six. Those runs came after Bryce Windham gave the Cubs the early lead with a second-inning sacrifice fly, only to have Cam Eden tie things up with a homer in the third. Buffalo scored an additional run off an error later in the third as they led 2-1. Things got away in a hurry in the fourth inning as the Bisons teed off on Edwin Escobar and the Cubs pen. Eden started things with a bases-clearing double to make things 5-1, with Martinez adding a three-run shot to break things open 8-1. They then added two more runs in the fifth as the Cubs were in a massive 10-1 hole. Iowa picked up a pair of runs late in the game, with one coming on a double play and the other on the Curt Casali single, but it wasn't enough to top Buffalo. Iowa had four hits in the loss, but Miles Mastrobuoni had one of those hits and is hitting .267 since his demotion. Back at it tomorrow pic.twitter.com/kvp7pu7SVA ROCKET CITY TRASH PANDAS 6 - TENNESSEE SMOKIES 3 After playing home run derby the past few games against the Trash Pandas, Rocket City turned the tables on Thursday and doubled up the Smokies for the win. This was an extremely odd game as all the runs were scored in three innings, with each inning leading to three runs. Matthew Thompson continues to pitch well for the Smokies as he got through five innings, allowing three runs and striking out five. He also walked five as command was an issue early. All the runs he allowed came on one swing as the Tucker Flint three-run blast in the fifth gave the Trash Pandas a 3-0 lead. Like Rocket City, the Smokies responded with a big inning of their own, as all three runs allowed by Jack Kochanowicz came in his final inning of work. Moises Ballesteros started that rally with an RBI single, only to have Haydn McGeary deliver his second homer of the series to tie things up. McGeary was in the middle of a 0-33 slump when this series started, but given his success against Rocket City, this was the perfect time for him to break out. With the game still tied 3-3 and in the eighth, Cayne Ueckert was called on to keep things close. Unfortunately for him, it was rough as he surrendered the eventual game-winning double to Sam Brown before the Caleb Hamilton homer put the game out of reach. Tennessee outhit the Trash Pandas 8-4, with Ballesteros and McGeary responsible for four hits and all three RBIs. Haydn McGeary goes yard, but the Smokies fall to RCT | @zips3mincarwash pic.twitter.com/wcNipBiCez SOUTH BEND CUBS 6 - QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS 0 It hasn't happened much this season, but the Cubs finally put together a complete game effort in the win. A big reason for that was a five-run first inning to break things open, but the pitching was equally as good, allowing three hits and striking out 10. Brody McCullough started things off with four scoreless frames as he scattered two hits and struck out four. He turned things over to Sam Armstrong, who not only struck out six in 4 2/3 scoreless frames but has yet to give up an earned run this season. Any time you give your pitchers instant run support, you make their lives easier, but to do it the way the Cubs did in the first was impressive. Jefferson Rojas opened the scoring with what will go down as the game-winning RBI single, while an error allowed for two more runs to score and a 3-0 lead. Jonathan Long would cap off the massive first inning with his first homer of the season as the Cubs opened up a 5-0 lead. Jonathon Long with his 1st High-A @hoosierlottery homer! South Bend made that score hold until another Rojas single in the fifth, but that was the game's final run. Rojas paced the offense with two hits and two RBIs, and Reivaj Garcia grabbed two hits. McCullough and Armstrong shoved, plus Jonathon Long launched a 2-run shot to put this game away early!#YouHaveToSeeIt #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/J79FIIVt83 LYNCHBURG HILLCATS 3 - MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 0 After seeing the Pelicans pound the baseball in the first two games of this series, it was time for the Hillcats to cool them off as they delivered a 3-0 shutout. Matt Wilkenson deserves a ton of credit for that, as he pitched one of the best games anyone has ever seen. Wilkenson not only pitched six shutout innings but six no-hit innings, as the Birds couldn't touch him. He also struck out 15 out of a possible 18 hitters, as this was one of those games. His effort alone takes away from the performance of Luis Rujano, who may not have been perfect but was pretty good himself through four innings. The only runs Rujano would allow came off a pair of RBI singles from Luis Durango and Christian Knapczyk as the Hillcats took a 2-0 lead in the third. Those would be the only runs they would need as Lynchburg added a third run on a bases-loaded walk in the eighth to close out the win. The Pelicans were held to two hits in the loss. Final on Thursday night.#MBPelicans | #YouHaveToSeeIt pic.twitter.com/fg1FJKW1hh
Exit Velo: 108 MPH
Distance: Far pic.twitter.com/mwOd2sDYUB
