Cubs Minor League News: Hendricks strikes out seven, Mastrobuoni raking, Rojas still hot
Photo courtesy: Tennessee Smokies Twitter

Cubs Minor League News: Hendricks strikes out seven, Mastrobuoni raking, Rojas still hot
by - Senior Writer - Fri May 03 10:12:26 GMT-04:00 2024

So far, this week, the Cubs Minor League System has been playing some good ball. You knew that would change at some point, as they limped to a 1-4 record Thursday night.

OMAHA STORM CHASERS 9 - IOWA CUBS 6

Yesterday's doubleheader between these teams was a bit unconventional when you look at their history. Thursday was more of what fans are accustomed to when these teams meet, as both offenses came to play. Julio Teheran was still searching for his first win since joining the Cubs, and he will have to wait a little longer.

Teheran was a batting practice pitcher in this one, as he allowed six runs (3ER) on 10 hits in just three innings. That set the tone for what was to come later in the game, with Riley Thompson and Luke Little yielding runs in their relief outings while Porter Hodge was the only pitcher not to allow a run.

Teheran found himself immediately in trouble as he yielded a two-run homer to CJ Alexander in the first inning that saw the Cubs down 2-0 early. Alexander had a massive game for Omaha, as he drove in four, including an RBI triple in the third that helped give the Storm Chasers a 4-1 lead.

While Alexander was busy doing his thing, so was Miles Mastrobuoni as he put together his best game of the season. Not only did he get Iowa on the board with an RBI double in the first, but he belted a three-run homer in the third to tie things up 4-4 and was responsible for all those runs.

All the momentum the Cubs had after that homer was quickly sucked away with John Rave picking up a sacrifice fly while the Drew Waters double made things 6-4.

With Alexander using another RBI double to stretch the Omaha lead to 8-4, it was up to the Cubs to mount a comeback as Curt Casali doubled home a pair in the seventh to make things 8-6. That was as close as Iowa would get as Waters added another RBI late to cap off the 9-6 win.

Casali and Mastrobuoni combined for five hits and all six RBIs in the loss.

TENNESSEE SMOKIES 5 - BILOXI SHUCKERS 3 (Game 1)

In what will be a week of double headers for the Cubs system, it was the Smokies turn to play two. In a stunning turn of events, Kyle Hendricks is expected back from the IL sooner than expected and made his first of what could be two rehab starts.

Whatever the veteran worked on the past two weeks worked as he went five innings, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out seven. Keep in mind this was against AA hitters, but he did look better than he has at any point this season. Hendricks had to be on top of his game as TJ Shook went pitch for pitch with him and was perfect through the first three frames.

That was until the fourth inning when the Smokies offense took over and pushed across four runs. Matt Shaw delivered the first blow that inning with a two-run single, with Pablo Aliendo adding one of his own late.

One inning later, Ezequiel Pagan went deep for the first time in 2024 as his homer put the Smokies in front 5-0.

Although Hendricks had five innings of work under his belt, Lance Rymel elected to send him out for the fifth, and that was when he ran into some trouble before being replaced by Zac Leigh. Leigh would allow two runners to score in the sixth, but both runs were charged to Hendricks.

Leigh allowed an RBI single to Ernesto Martinez JR in the seventh, but that was it, as the Smokies took game one 5-3.

BILOXI SHUCKERS 7 - TENNESSEE SMOKIES 5

Although you would love to sweep a doubleheader, the goal is always to split, which the Smokies did. Sparked by a four-run fifth inning, the late-game offense lifted Biloxi to a game-two win. Jake Wong made his season debut, and despite going just two innings, they were two good innings.

Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the third, the Smokies offense backed Blake Whitney and the rest of the bullpen by pushing across three runs to take the lead. Matt Shaw connected for an RBI single to tie the game with the James Triantos double putting the Smokies in front 2-1.

Christian Franklin closed out that inning with a sacrifice fly as the Smokies led 3-1.

With Lamar Sparks making things 3-2 in the fourth with his homer, it was the fifth inning when Biloxi put the game away as they scored four times to retake the lead. They did this without even picking up a hit to drive in those runs as three bases-loaded walks and a balk made things 6-3 before a sacrifice fly in the sixth extended the lead to 7-3.

The Smokies did add two runs in the bottom of the seventh off the Shaw double, but that was it, as they would fall 7-5. It's been a while since Shaw had a day like this, but he paced the offense with two hits and three RBIs. Triantos and Josh Rivera also grabbed two hits for the Smokies.

LANSING LUGNUTS 2 - SOUTH BEND CUBS 1

Who knew the Cubs first loss of the series would come this as South Bend was on the wrong side of a great pitchers duel. Brody McCullough was the tough luck loser in this one, allowing just two runs in four innings before handing things over to Tyler Santana, but he was on the wrong side of the scoreboard when he left.

The big reason for that was seeing Will Johnston give his team five scoreless frames, allowing just two hits and striking out six. Both of the runs McCullough allowed came in the third when Danny Bautista JR and Colby Halter delivered RBI singles to take the 2-0 lead. South Bend managed to get one of those runs back in the sixth on a wild pitch, but that was it, as they couldn't generate any additional offense.

Pedro Ramirez led the offense with two hits, as he was responsible for half the team's hits. Jefferson Rojas and Yohendrick Pinango added the rest of the Cubs' hits.

SALEM RED SOX 5 - MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 3

It took three games for the Red Sox to take down the Pelicans as they grabbed their first win of the series on Thursday. Luis Rujano got the start, and after allowing two runs in four innings with six strikeouts, he is starting to look like the pitcher of last year. He went toe-to-toe with Luis Cohen, who gave the Red Sox five innings and allowed two runs.

The lone runs off Rujano came in his final inning of work as both pitchers made things look easy in the early innings. Fraymi De Leon opened the scoring with an RBI triple before trotting home on the Daniel McElveny single. Immediately after giving up the lead, the Pelicans offense was doing what they had to to get back into the game as the Christopher Paciolla double brought things back to even 2-2 in the fifth.

That score would hold until the bottom of the sixth when Andy Lugo delivered the go-ahead and eventual game-winning double to put the Red Sox in front for good, 4-3. Myrtle Beach pulled within 4-3 on the Reggie Preciado homer in the seventh, but they wouldn't get any closer as Salem tacked on a run late to win 5-3. Preciado was responsible for two of the team's five hits, with Paciolla, Alfonsin Rosario, and Jacob Wetzel picking up the rest.

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