SB Nation - Marcos Mateo

Tennessee Smokies Wrap -- Game 3

Josh77 — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:21:48 -0000

Shortstop Starlin Castro singled home Brandon Guyer in the bottom of the ninth to give the Smokies a 5-4 win over the Jacksonville Suns. The win keeps the Smokies title hopes alive. They now trail Jacksonville two games to one.

There was a lot of scoring early in this game, as Smokies starting pitcher Casey Coleman allowed a run in the top of the first after a one-out double, a pair of walks and a sacrifice fly. But the Smokies came roaring back for three runs in the bottom of the inning, scoring on singles by first baseman Blake Lalli, third baseman Marquez Smith and catcher Welington Castillo.

Coleman couldn't hold the lead, however, as he allowed a two-run home run in the second inning and another run in the third to give the Suns a 4-3 lead. Coleman's final line for the evening was four innings pitched, allowing four runs on five hits. Coleman walked three and struck out four.

The bullpen then stepped in and kept the game close. David Cales pitched two shutout innings in relief of Coleman. He allowed only one hit and one (intentional) walk. Cales struck out two.

The Smokies tied the game in the fifth inning when right fielder Tyler Colvin doubled home left fielder Ty Wright. The score would stay knotted at four until the ninth inning.

Pitching in his third inning of relief, Marcos Mateo allowed a one-out triple in the ninth inning. With the Smokies season on the line, Mateo got a shallow fly out and a strike out to get out of the inning with no damage. Mateo, who was credited with the win tonight, went three innings and allowed two hits. He struck out three and isssued one intentional walk in that ninth inning.

With one out in the ninth, Guyer pinch-hit for Mateo and singled to left. He then stole second base and was singled home by Castro to end the game and keep the season going for the Smokies.

Castro was 2 for 5 with that one huge RBI. Wright went 2 for 4 and scored twice. Lalli was 1 for 1 with one RBI and three walks.

Andrew Cashner takes the mound for the Smokies tomorrow night as they look to stave off elimination one more time and even the series. This has been an exciting series, as two games were ended on singles in the bottom of the ninth and all three games were one-run affairs.

Tennessee Smokies Wrap -- September 13

Josh77 — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:44:13 -0000

The Smokies are going to the Southern League Championship Series after outshining the Huntsville Stars, 3-1 this afternoon.

The game started out as a pitcher's duel as starter Hung-Wen Chen got into trouble in the first two innings, but pitched out of it each time. In particular, after a walk and an error in the second inning, Chen threw a wild pitch to put men on second and third with only one out. But a strikeout and a line out got Chen out of the inning with no runs scoring. Chen went five innings and allowed no runs on only one hit. He walked three and struck out four.

The Smokies took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when infield singles by Starlin Castro and James Adduci put two on with nobody out. After a failed sacrifice bunt erased Castro from the basepaths, first baseman Blake Lalli singled home Adduci.

That's the way it stayed until the seventh inning. Reliever Jayson Ruhlman allowed a solo home run to tie up the game in the top of the inning. Ruhlman gave up one run on two hits over 1.1 innings before giving way to Marcos Mateo.

The Smokies answered in the bottom of the seventh. They scored two runs, the first on a single by Castro and the second when pinch-hitter Russ Canzler reached on an error.

Mateo picked up the win after striking out both batters he faced in the seventh inning after relieving Ruhlman. Brian Schlitter entered the game in the ninth inning and got his third save in as many games to clinch the series. Schlitter allowed a lead-off single, but a pop out and a double play put the Smokies into the Southern League Championship Series.

Shortstop Castro was 3 for 4 today, and was the only Smokie with more than one hit.

The Smokies will play either Jacksonville or Birmingham for the Southern League Championship. Jacksonville currently leads the series 2-0. Yesterday's game 3 was suspended in the bottom of the first with Birmingham leading 1-0. They will finish that game tonight, weather permitting.

Cubs Minor League Wrap -- September 10

Josh77 — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:56:03 -0000

Sad night tonight as a couple of bullpen meltdowns led to disaster for our minor league teams.

Peoria Chiefs

I'm going to lead with the Chiefs tonight because their season ended with a 9-8 loss to the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Things looked pretty good early as the Chiefs got out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on four consecutive two out hits. First baseman Rebel Ridling singled, then right fielder Kyler Burke doubled, putting runners on second and third. Shortstop DJ LeMaheiu singled home both of them, and scored on DH Jovan Rosa's double. The Chiefs added another run in the second inning on doubles by third baseman Junior Lake and catcher Michael Brenly.

Staked to a 4-0 lead, starter Jeffry Antigua gave most of it back, allowing three runs on nine hits over his five innings. Antigua didn't walk anyone and struck out two.

The Chiefs got another run in the fifth inning on another Rosa double, and then exploded in the seventh inning for three runs to make it 8-3. The big blow in the seventh inning was a two-run single by Rosa.

Rosa was 4 for 5 with two doubles and four RBI this evening.

But with an 8-3 lead, the Chiefs bullpen melted down. Aaron Shafer allowed four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to make the score 8-7. Shafer pitched 1.2 innings and allowed four runs and four hits. He struck out one.

Closer Chris Huseby picked a bad time to develop Steve Blass (or maybe Rich Hill?) disease. Entering the game with the Chiefs leading 8-7 in the ninth, he completely melted down. Huseby walked the first two batters he faced. He then settled down and retired the next two batters on a foul out and a strikeout. But with the game on the line and two on and two out, Huseby threw a wild pitch. He then walked the next two batters to tie the game. Finally, the Chiefs season ended when Huseby hit the final Kernels batter with the game tied and the bases loaded.

Beyond Rosa's big game, Ridling was 3 for 5 and scored three times, although he did hit into an inning-killing DP in the second. Burke was 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored the one time. LeMaheiu went 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored twice and had two RBI. Finally, Michael Brenly went 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

The Chiefs had a great season, but it came to a quick end. We wish them well next April and hope the players have the same success next season in Daytona and Tennessee.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies' bullpen also blew a late lead and they lost 4-2 to the Huntsville Stars. They now trail the best-of-five series zero games to one.

Starter Jeremy Papelbon gave the Smokies a good four innings, allowing only one run on three hits. He walked only one and struck out four.

The Smokies took the lead in the fifth inning. Right fielder Tyler Colvin led off the inning with a home run, and later on second baseman Jonathan Mota singled home shortstop Starlin Castro to give the Smokies a 2-1 lead.

David Cales pitched two shutout innings in relief of Papelbon. He was touched for only one hit. Cales walked one and struck out two.

Marcos Mateo pitched the seventh and eighth innings. Unfortunately, with two out in the eighth inning, Mateo allowed a three-run home run that ended up as the game-winner. Mateo pitched two innings and allowed three runs on two hits and a walk. He struck out one.

Unlike the Chiefs, however, the Smokies season continues tomorrow with Game Two of the best-of-five series.

Cubs MInor League Wrap--July 31

Josh77 — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 05:18:08 -0000

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were beaten by the Omaha Royals, 5-4.

A strong start tonight for Esmailin Caridad. Caridad went six innings and surrendered only one run on a solo home run. He allowed only three hits total. Caridad struck out four and didn't walk anyone.

Vince Perkins, however, blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning to take the loss. Perkins allowed four runs on two hits and three walks over two-thirds of an inning.

Shortstop Darwin Barney was 2 for 3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Center fielder Matt Camp was 2 for 4 and scored twice.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies banged out 18 hits as they skinned the Mobile BayBears, 5-4.

Chris Carpenter's AA debut was not as successful as we might have hoped. Carpenter went three innings and allowed three runs on five hits. Carpenter walked one and struck out one.

Marcos Mateo got the win in relief. Mateo allowed one unearned run on one hit and one walk over two innings. Mateo did not strike anyone out. Jayson Ruhlman pitched a perfect ninth inning for his third save.

The big bat tonight belonged to Tyler Colvin, who went 5 for 5 with a stolen base. Colvin had one RBI and scored once.

Center fielder James Adduci clubbed his third home run tonight in a 3 for 5 effort. Adduci also had two doubles, two RBI and one run scored.

First baseman Blake Lalli was 2 for 4 with a walk. Shortstop Nate Samson went 2 for 6 and scored once. Catcher Welington Castillo was 2 for 5.

Daytona Cubs

Daytona got pinched by the Charlotte Stone Crabs, 8-3.

Starter Ryan Searle took the loss tonight. He gave up four runs on eight hits over five innings. Searle walked two and struck out six.

Third baseman Jake Opitz was 3 for 4. Shortstop Starlin Castro was 2 for 5. Second baseman Marwin Gonzalez had a double in a 2 for 4 game. Gonzalez scored once and had one RBI.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs banged out 17 hits as they grounded the South Bend Silver Hawks, 15-8.

Starter Aaron Shafer didn't hang around to get the win, however. Shafer got pounded for seven runs in only 2.2 innings of work. Shafer gave up six hits, including two home runs. Shafer walked two and struck out one.

Erik Hamren got the win in relief. Hamren tossed 2.1 innings of relief and allowed one run on a home run and three hits total. He didn't walk anyone and struck out one. The home run was a three-run home run that plated two inherited runners from Shafer

Right fielder Kyler Burke was a one-man wrecking crew tonight as he went 3 for 3 with his ninth home run, two doubles and two walks. Burke had three RBI and scored three times. He also stole a base.

Burke was joined by first baseman Rebel Ridling, who was 4 for 5 with a three-run home run, his 14th on the year. Ridling also doubled once. He had four RBI and scored four times.

The top two draft picks from this year's draft were together for the first time tonight, and they didn't disappoint. Center fielder Brett Jackson was 2 for 6 with a double and two stolen bases. Jackson scored twice and had two RBI. Shortstop D.J. LeMahieu went 2 for 5 with two RBI and a stolen base.

Third baseman Ryan Flaherty went 2 for 6 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks couldn't keep the puck out of the net against the Vancouver Canadians, 8-3.

Starter Robert Whitenack took the loss tonight. Whitenack allowed four runs on nine hits over 4.2 innings. One of the runs was unearned. Whitenack struck out four and didn't walk anyone.

First baseman Justin Bour had a double in a 3 for 4 game. He also scored once. Shortstop George Matheus was 2 for 4 with a double. Catcher Matt Williams was 2 for 3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored.

AZL Cubs

Beat the Rangers 6-3.

I missed this on Wednesday because of my move and not having internet service, but outfielder Brad Snyder is playing for AZL again in a rehab stint. Tonight he went 2 for 5 with a double and a triple.

Cubs Minor League Wrap -- July 19

Josh77 — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:11:43 -0000

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

Kevin Hart was 3-3 with a 3.10 ERA for the Iowa Cubs this season. He made 22 appearances, including six starts. He also made one start for Peoria. He had a better result against the Nationals today than he did the Ft. Wayne Tin Caps last Monday.

Browse more photos »

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs topped the Nashville Sounds, 5-4.

Mitch Atkins got the start today and lasted six innings, allowing three runs on five hits. Atkins walked one and struck out five.

Greg Reinhard vultured the win by allowing a run in the eighth inning on a walk and a hit. He also struck out one.

Blake Parker notched his 11th save with a scoreless ninth. He allowed one hit, but didn't walk or strike out anyone.

Third baseman Aaron Miles was 1 for 5 with a double.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies were outshined by the Jacksonville Suns, 7-5.

Starter Casey Coleman's control abandoned him today as he walked six Suns in his four-inning start. Combined with five hits, Coleman allowed four runs. Coleman struck out four.

Marcos Mateo got the loss in relief. Mateo allowed three runs on two hits over 1.1 innings, although only one of the three runs was earned. He didn't walk a batter although he hit one and struck out one.

First baseman Blake Lalli hit a three-run home run in the first inning. It was his fourth blast of the season. Lalli was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Right fielder Tyler Colvin was 2 for 5 with two runs scored. Catcher Welington Castillo went 2 for 4 with a double.

Daytona Cubs

The D-Cubs beat the St. Lucie Mets, 3-2 in a game that ended in the seventh inning because of rain.

James Leverton got the win by allowing two runs in his five-inning start. He gave up five hits. Leverton walked two and struck out five. One of the two runs he allowed was unearned.

Jose Pina threw a hitless sixth inning and that ended up getting him his first save. He walked one and struck out one.

DH Robinson Chirinos provide all the Cubs offense with a three-run home run, his eleventh on the year. Chirinos was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs usurped the Clinton Lumber Kings, 6-5.

Starting pitcher Jeffry Beliveau had a rough outing today. Beliveau was rocked for five runs on four hits and three walks in only 4.1 innings. Beliveau fanned four.

Marcus Hatley got the win in relief with a perfect inning of relief. He struck out two of the three batters.

Chris Huseby got his 12th save with three scoreless innings of relief to close out the game. He gave up one hit and one walk while striking out three.

Left fielder Nelson Perez went 2 for 4 with a bases-loaded double that cleared the bases for three RBI.

Shortstop Ryan Flaherty was 3 for 5 with a double and a run scored. Third baseman Jovan Rosa went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Right fielder Kyler Burke went 2 for 5 and scored once.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks were consumed by the lava of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, 3-2.

Robert Whitenack threw the first four innings and allowed one run on a solo home run. He gave up four hits total. Whitenack walked one and struck out three.

Joe Simokaitis took the loss by allowing a run in two innings of relief.

Shortstop Hak-Ju Lee was 2 for 5 with an RBI and his 12th stolen base. Third baseman Greg Rohan was 2 for 4. First baseman Justin Bour was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Quick Brett Jackson note. Jackson didn't start today but came in as a pinch-hitter and walked. For all the talk of his strikeouts coming out of Berkeley, he has now walked 14 times in the Northwest League compared to 12 strikeouts in 64 trips to the plate. Two of those walks were intentional, but I have to say that this wasn't what we were expecting out of Jackson, and that's a good thing.

AZL Cubs

Beat the Indians 6-2.

Cubs Minor League Wrap -- July 8

Josh77 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:54:46 -0000

A couple of housekeeping notes. Catcher Chris Robinson is the I-Cubs representative in the AAA All-Star Game. Also, Josh Harrison and Jovan Rosa swapped teams: Harrison moved up to Daytona and Rosa was sent down to Peoria.

Iowa Cubs

Are on The Road to Oklahoma City--which really was the worst Bing Crosby/ Bob Hope movie.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies got burned by the Montgomery Biscuits, 6-3.

Starter Marcos Mateo went five innings and allowed two runs on six hits. Mateo walked three and struck out six.

Marco Carillo had only given up one run so far this year in 25 innings since he left extended spring training in early May. That was until tonight. Tonight Carillo entered the game with the score tied at three in the ninth and he got knocked around for three runs in on two walks and two hits, including one home run. He also hit a batter. He only retired one batter. Carillo took the loss tonight but hey, his ERA is still only 1.48.

Third baseman Marquez Smith hit his seventh home run of the season tonight. Smith went 1 for 3 with a walk and two RBI. First baseman Doug Deeds went 2 for 4.

Daytona Cubs

The D-Cubs were rained out. They'll play a double-header tomorrow.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs were institutionalized by the Great Lakes Loons, 12-3.

Jeffrey Beliveau has been excellent most of this season, but his start tonight wasn't a good one. Tonight he went four plus innings and gave up five runs on six hits and two walks. Beliveau has been striking out a ton this season, and he did still strike out five tonight.

First baseman Rebel Ridling was 2 for 4 with two doubles. He scored once and had one RBI. DH Derrick Fitzgerald was 2 for 4. Third baseman Jovan Rosa was 2 for 4 with two RBI and one error that led to four unearned runs.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks bounced back tonight to polish off the Eugene Emeralds, 6-3.

The winning pitcher tonight was Dionis Nunez, who threw two shutout innings of relief tonight. He allowed two hits and two walks while striking out three.

Left fielder Jose Valdez was 2 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base. He scored twice and had two RBI.

Center fielder Brett Jackson stole his first base for the Hawks tonight in a 2 for 3 effort. He also walked once and had an RBI.

Right fielder Jae-Hoon Ha went 2 for 4 with a double and one RBI.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Angels, 7-2.

Cubs Minor League Wrap -- July 3

Josh77 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:35:01 -0000

After ten hours on the road, here I am in Boise bringing you the recap of tonight's exciting minor league action.

But you'll have to forgive me if it's somewhat incoherent, After driving for ten hours, I'm seeing two computer screens and two keyboards.

Some guy named Ramirez played for Peoria.

Oh, Ryne Sandberg had an interesting night too.

Iowa Cubs

The I-Cubs blasted the Oklahoma City RedHawks, 7-1.

Angel Guzman started and faced six batters and threw 25 pitches, 15 for strikes. He allowed a hit and a walk in 1.1 innings and struck out one.

Casey Fossum made his Cub organizational debut after that and picked up the win, going 4.2 innings and allowing one run on four hits and two walks. The run scored on a solo home run. Fossum struck out five for a pretty impressive I-Cub debut.

See, that's how you get a starting pitcher the win despite not going five innings. Have a rehabbing reliever pitch the first inning.

Third baseman Nate Spears had 3 hits in 4 ABs tonight. Spears scored once and had one RBI.

Second baseman Luis Rivas had a double in a 2 for 4 game. Rivas had two RBI and scored once. Shortstop Darwin Barney was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Catcher Steve Clevenger was 2 for 5 with a stolen base.

I didn't even notice that first baseman Matt Craig rejoined the Cub organization a couple of days ago. Craig was 2 for 5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Craig had been playing for the Marlins this season after spending seven seasons in the Cub organization.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies eclipsed the Huntsville Stars, 5-3.

After a horrible start to the season, Marcos Mateo is starting to right the ship in Tennessee with his third straight start allowing only one run. Tonight he pitched six innings and surrendered only the one run on three hits and a walk. Mateo fanned five.

The ninth inning was when things got interesting. Brian Schlitter came in for the save and walked four while grabbing only two outs. But Ryno didn't think the calls were very good and asked the umpire where the pitches were. After his questions were ignored, Sandberg went ballistic and bumped the home plate umpire in a heated argument. This was Sandberg's third ejection in the past seven games and his sixth of the season. Sandberg is certain to be suspended for this one as contact was made with the umpire "multiple times" according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Jayson Ruhlman walked in another run in the ninth but got the final out and the save after that.

Third baseman Marquez Smith was 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Center fielder James Adduci was 2 for 4 with a run scored and a stolen base. Shortstop Nate Samson, recently promoted from Daytona to replace Darwin Barney, was 2 for 5 with a stolen base.

Daytona Cubs

The D-Cubs lost to the Brevard County Manatees, 4-2.

James Leverton, who was taken in the draft last season one round before Jay Jackson, saw his record fall to 5-8 by allowing three runs on five hits in only three innings. Leverton walked one and struck out one.

Second baseman Jake Opitz was 2 for 2 with a triple and two walks. Opitz scored once and had one RBI.

Josh Vitters had a rough night: 0 for 4 with two errors. He did have an RBI on a ground out though.

Right fielder Brandon Guyer was 2 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base. Guyer also scored once.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs hunted down the Kane County Cougars, 7-1.

Jeff Beliveau has got to be opening some eyes down in Peoria this season. Tonight he allowed only one run on three hits over five innings. He walked only one and struck out six. So far this season, he's struck out 78 batters in 58 innings. He's walked 28, which while that's not good, it's acceptable for someone who has struck out so many and has held opposing hitters to a .207 average. He's also only allowed two home runs so far, and that's excellent.

Aramis Ramirez started his rehab and went 1 for 2 with a double and a walk. He scored twice and had two RBI. He played four innings of third base before exiting the game.

Right fielder Kyler Burke was 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He scored twice and had two RBI. First baseman Rebel Ridling went 2 for 5 with a double and three RBI.

Boise Hawks

Lost to the Tri-City Dust Devils, 12-0.

The less said about this game, the better.

AZL Cubs

Beat the Dodgers, 6-5 in ten innings.

Cubs Minor League Wrap -- June 28

Josh77 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:03:34 -0000

Anyone else want to just chuck the whole major league team and start over? Let's see the lineup: 1. Thomas 2B 2. Castro SS 3. Vitters 3B 4. Fox 1B (We'll count him as a minor leaguer) 5.Colvin LF 6. Clevenger C 7. Burke CF 8. Guyer RF 9. Jackson SP. OK, they'd lose 120 games. But they'd at least be interesting. And we'd get Bryce Harper next year.

Iowa Cubs

The I-Cubs were stopped by the Round Rock Express 8-4.

Greg Reinhard started and took the loss, giving up five runs in only three innings. Reinhard surrendered eight hits and a walk while fanning four.

Right fielder So Taguchi led off the game with his first home run of the year. It was his only hit in five trips to the plate.

Second baseman Luis Rivas went 2 for 4.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies were eclipsed by the Huntsville Stars, 3-2.

Marcos Mateo pitched well, allowing only one run on five hits in his five inning start. The one run scored on a solo home run. Mateo didn't walk anyone and struck out two. He did hit two batters.

Jake Muyco took the loss in relief when he allowed a solo home run in the ninth. Muyco pitched one inning and allowed only that one home run. He struck out two.

Right fielder Doug Deeds was 2 for 4 and scored a run.

Daytona Cubs

The D-Cubs denied the Fort Myers Miracle, 5-1.

Andrew Cashner continues to put up zeros on the scoreboard, pitching another four innings today, allowing no runs on two hits. Cashner walked three and struck out three. He has now not allowed a run in his last three starts, which spanned 12 innings.

Dustin Sasser got the win because Cashner didn't go five. He pitched three innings and allowed one unearned run on two hits and a walk. Sasser struck out four.

Second baseman Nate Samson had a big day. He went 4 for 5 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs rode a nine-run eighth inning to skin the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 15-6.

Starter Aaron Shafer had a rough game, allowing five runs on six hits over five innings. Shafer walked two and struck out two.

Jeffrey Beliveau is putting up some ridiculous numbers for Peoria this season. Today he pitched four innings and allowed one run on two hits and two walks. The ridiculous part was that he struck out eight. Beliveau has now struck out 72 batters in only 53 innings this season.

The Chiefs banged out 17 hits today, led by Drew Rundle, who was 4 for 5 with a double. Rundle scored three times and had one RBI.

Josh Vitters, Ryan Flaherty and Rebel Ridling each went 2 for 5 with a run scored. Vitters had one RBI, Flaherty two and Ridling three. Both of Ridling's hits were doubles.

Right fielder Nelson Perez was 2 for 6 with two RBI and a run scored. We're also past the MWL All-Star Break and I don't think I've called him Nelson Cruz yet, which is something of a miracle. Not only do they have similar names, they're similar players.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks came home today and managed to defeat the Yakima Bears, 3-2.

Jeffry Antigua got the win with four innings of shutout relief. He gave up three hits and a walk while striking out three.

Second baseman Logan Watkins was 2 for 4. Catcher Alvaro Sosa went 2 for 3.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Giants, 11-3.

Minor League Wrap -- June 23

Josh77 — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:36:46 -0000

The Cubs bats were quieter than a laryngitic librarian tonight.

Iowa Cubs

Rained out at home against New Orleans.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies were shut out by the Montgomery Biscuits, 1-0.

Marcos Mateo was the hard-luck loser tonight. Mateo was charged with one run on two hits over six plus innings. Mateo struck out five and walked three, including the first two batters of the seventh inning, one of which came around to score the only run of the game.

First baseman Doug Deeds was 2 for 4.

Daytona Cubs

The D-Cubs scored a run in the first, but then went silent as their bats were afterwards silenced by the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 2-1.

Andrew Cashner still isn't going deep in games, but when he's out there, he's very impressive. Tonight Cashner threw four shutout innings, allowing only a lone single. That runner was thrown out trying to steal, so Cashner faced the minimum twelve batters. He struck out four.

Shortstop Starlin Castro ws 3 for 4 with a stolen base and the only Cub run. However, he did make the error that allowed the eventual winning run to score in the eighth inning.

Peoria Chiefs

The East All-Stars beat the West All-Stars, 6-3.

Peoria is in the West, but the Chief All-Stars played for the East, one assumes to balance out the number of teams on each side, since there are eight teams in the West and six in the East. This problem should be solved next year when two teams from the South Atlantic League join the Midwest League.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks are still winless as they were sacrificed to the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 6-1.

Hawk starter Jeffry Antigua got the loss, as a second-inning two-run home run was more than the Hawks could overcome. Antigua pitched four innings and allowed two runs on two hits and two walks. He struck out four.

First basema Sean Hoorelbeke went 2 for 4 and sored the one Hawk run.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Giants, 7-3.

Cubs Minor League Wrap--June 18

Josh77 — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:40:01 -0000

Guess which former Cubs #1 draft pick had a big night tonight? No, not that one. No, not that other one either. Keep guessing.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs shot down the Memphis Redbirds, 9-3.

Mitch Atkins finally seems to be headed in the right direction after a disastrous start to the season. Atkins got the win today by allowing two runs on six hits and a walk over seven innings. Atkins struck out three. The longball still seems to be a problem as both runs scored on solo home runs.

Left fielder John-Ford Griffin had four RBI tonight in a 3 for 3 game. Griffin also doubled, walked and scored once.

Catcher Steve Clevenger went 2 for 4 with a double and two RBI. Center fielder Sam Fuld was 2 for 5 and scored twice.

Ryan Freel went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk and scored three times.

Tennessee Smokies

The played a lot of baseball in the Knoxville area tonight as the Smokies split a double-header with the Carolina Mudcats, taking the first game 7-6 in 12 innings and dropping the second one 6-3 in the normal seven innings.

In the first game, starter Marcos Mateo put the Smokies in a hole early by allowing five runs over only four innings. Mateo got knocked around for five hits, two of which were home runs to the same guy. Mateo walked three and struck out two.

Marco Carillo got the win in relief. He threw 2.2 innings, allowing no runs and only one hit and one walk. He struck out two.

The hitting star of the first game was all Tyler Colvin. Colvin had two solo home runs tonight, including a walk-off blast to lead off the bottom of the 12th. Colvin was 2 for 5 total in the game.

Darwin Barney also homered in the eighth inning to even up the game after the Mudcats had pushed a run across in the top of the inning. Barney was 1 for 4. Ty Wright also had a pinch-hit home run.

Both Tony Thomas and James Adduci went 2 for 6. Thomas had an RBI and Adduci scored once. They also both had a caught stealing.

Doug Deeds went 2 for 5 and scored once.

In the second game, starter Casey Coleman took the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk in five innings of work. Coleman struck out two.

Adducci went 2 for 3 with a double, a walk and two runs scored in the second game.

Daytona Cubs

Daytona was shut down by the St. Lucie Mets, 2-1.

Starter Dan McDaniel hasn't been too good since coming off the DL about a month ago, but tonight he was back on track, allowing only one run on five hits over six innings. McDaniel walked one and struck out three.

Dustin Sasser pitched the rest of the game and got the loss. Sasser allowed one run on two hits and two walk over three innings. Sasser fanned two Mets.

Daytona managed only three hits.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs stung the Burlington Bees, 5-4 in ten innings.

Chris Archer allowed two runs on four hits and two walks during his three innings start. Archer did strike out five.

Manolin De Leon got the win in relief. De Leon allowed three hits and a walk over 2.1 innings, but didn't allow any of them to score. He struck out two.

Those of you who guessed Josh Vitters earlier weren't entirely wrong. Vitters did go 2 for 5 with the game-winning single in the tenth. Vitters also scored once.

Center fielder Kyler Burke was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Bob, your kid is on fire right now. Michael Brenly went 3 for 4 with two doubles and three RBI tonight.