SB Nation - Tony Campana

Cubs Minor League Wrap -- September 5

Josh77 — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 06:55:10 -0000

I'm back. (No thanks to AT&T) Did anyone miss me?

I'm not going to bore you with the details. . .oh what the heck, I am. My DSL modem/router decided to blow up on its one month birthday on Monday. After a long call to AT&T and tech support telling me to balance it on my knee and bark like a seal while rubbing my tummy and patting my head to see if that would make it work, it was concluded that the thing truly melted down and that it was bad and had to be replaced. We were told that we would have a new one by Wednesday, Thursday by the latest. By the time we actually got a hold of someone on Friday, it became very clear that not only was a modem not coming, no one had even bothered to record that there was even a problem. And of course, because I live on the West Coast, everyone who could help us had already gone home for the Labor Day Weekend. They told us to go to an AT&T wireless store in my area and they could help me. They laughed in our faces and told me they didn't do that kind of stuff. (So clearly some CSR had just made something up to get us off the phone) Finally around 7pm tonight, I found someone who could help us--Best Buy. Of course, because I live out in the boonies now, the nearest Best Buy is a half hour away and they could only help us after we gave them $110.

So yes, I am going to start looking for alternatives to AT&T. Unfortunately, because of my current rural life, my options may be limited or even non-existent.

Let's be honest--without the internet, following the minor leagues on a daily basis is impossible. Oh, I know how the River Cats and the Grizzlies have been doing because that's in the local news, but I've had no idea what's been going on in the Cubs minors this week. So I'm going to try to get up to speed this weekend as the playoffs start this week.

I'm sorry for my absence during this critical week. But living in Hooterville along with caring for an 18 month old girl made it nearly impossible to go out and do the MLW, and beside, AT&T lied to me about how quickly this would all be taken care of.

Good news out of AA after the jump.

Iowa Cubs (71-71)

I see the I-Cubs playoff hopes went down the toilet while I was away. Tonight they lost their sixth straight game as they were atomized by the Albuquerque Isotopes, 8-3.

Ezequiel Astacio started and . . .hey, when the heck did we get him? Man, you miss a lot. Anyway, Astacio started and got the loss, giving up two runs in four innings. He surrendered six hits. Astacio walked one and struck out three.

Shortstop Darwin Barney went 2 for 3 with a double. He scored twice and had one RBI.

Tennessee Smokies (37-31)

The magic number is now one for the Smokies playoff birth as they caved in the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, 3-1.

Last time we saw Andrew Cashner, he had been struggling. Not tonight as he threw seven shutout innings, allowing only two hits and one walk. He only struck out two, however.

Brian Schlitter collected his 22nd save with a perfect ninth inning. He struck out one.

The Smokies only had four hits tonight and were greatly aided by five Diamond Jaxx errors. Catcher Welington Castillo went 1 for 4 with a double.

I notice Brandon Guyer got promoted back to AA while I was "away." He was 1 for 4 tonight with a run scored and an outfield assist.

Daytona Cubs (30-37)

The Daytona Cubs are finishing this season out on a high note, winning their third in a row 4-1 over the Clearwater Threshers.

Craig Muschko improved his record to 7-3 with 5.2 shutout innings tonight. He gave up only one lone single. Muschko walked three and struck out nine.

I see right fielder Kevin Soto has joined the D-Cubs with the end of the rookie league team's season. Tonight Soto went 2 for 4 with a stolen base. Soto scored twice and had one RBI.

Center fielder Tony Campana was 2 for 5 with a double. Catcher Luis Flores went 2 for 4 with an RBI.

Peoria Chiefs (42-25)

The Chiefs clinched a while ago, but they haven't eased up at all. Tonight they committed regicide against the Clinton LumberKings, 8-3.

Jeffry Antigua started and got the win with five shutout innings. He gave up three hits and walked three. He also struck out three as his record in the Midwest League improved to 4-0.

Center fielder Jose Valdez hasn't had a problem with the Midwest League at all. Today we was 3 for 4 with a triple and three stolen bases. That's some impressive speed stats there--although he was caught stealing once. Valdez scored twice.

Second baseman Ryan Flaherty went 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Left fielder Nelson Perez hit his 11th home run tonight with a two-run homer in the sixth inning. Perez was 1 for 5.

Boise Hawks (33-42)

The Hawks were left in the dirt by the Tri-City Dust Devils, 3-2.

Starter Dae-Eun Rhee had gopheritis tonight, allowing two home runs in the two innings he pitched. He gave up all three runs on four hits. He walked one and didn't strike out a batter.

Robert Whitenack had three shutout innings of relief and Josh Lansford and Corey Martin each had two scoreless innings.

Second basema Logan Watkins was 2 for 4 with an RBI.

Cubs Minor League Wrap -- August 28

Josh77 — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:59:54 -0000

Believe it or not, the D-Cubs threw another no-hitter tonight, less than two weeks after the last one. It was another one of the seven-inning no-nos.

Generally good news from the farm tonight, although Brett Jackson went on the DL with a sore right wrist.

Iowa Cubs (69-65)

The Iowa Cubs moved into second place with a 4-2 victory over the Oklahoma City RedHawks.

Jeff Samardzija dominated tonight for six shutout innings tonight. He gave up only three singles and one walk. The Shark struck out six.

Jeff Stevens threw two perfect innings of relief, striking out three.

The I-Cubs were paced tonight by a pair of solo home runs. The first as a third-inning shot by right fielder Brad Snyder, his 14th on the season. Snyder was 1 for 3 with a walk overall. The second one was an insurance run in the eighth inning by DH Matt Craig. It was his fourth home run for Iowa, seventh in the PCL and 11th overall. Craig was 2 for 4 on the night with two runs scored.

Shortstop Darwin Barney was 2 for 3 with two stolen bases. Barney had one RBI and scored once. Left fielder John-Ford Griffin was 2 for 3 with a walk.

The Iowa Cubs are two games behind the Memphis Redbirds in the standings with ten games to play. They have no games left with Memphis, however.

Tennessee Smokies (33-28)

The Smokies late-inning heroics just keep on coming. They scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to stun the Mobile Bay Bears, 3-2 and move back into a tie for first place.

Starter Chris Carpenter allowed one run on five hits in his six inning start. He didn't walk a batter and struck out two.

David Cales got the win with two innings of relief. Cales gave up two hits and a walk, but didn't allow any runs. He did not strike anyone out.

Right fielder Tyler Colvin had the big blow, an RBI double that tied the score in the two-run ninth. He later scored the winning run on Doug Deeds' pinch-hit single. Colvin was 1 for 4.

Center fielder James Adduci was 2 for 4. Catcher Welington Castillo went 2 for 3.

Daytona Cubs (27-33)

The Daytona Cubs split a double-header tonight, losing the first game, 3-2 in nine innings and winning the second game, 3-0 as the D-Cubs staff tossed their second seven-inning no-hitter in less than two weeks.

In the first game, Ryan Searle started and allowed two runs on six hits over 5.2 innings. Searle walked one and struck out six.

Chris Siegfried pitched the ninth inning and took the loss, allowing a run on two hits. He struck out one.

Shortstop Marwin Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. First baseman Jake Opitz and center fielder Tony Campana were both 2 for 4.

The no-hitter was in the second game, as starter Oswaldo Martinez pitched the first four innings, walking two and striking out one. Martinez has now pitched in four games since signing out of the Mexican League: two of those games were no-hitters. He pitched two-thirds of an inning in his Cub debut on August 15.

Mike Perconte finished the no-no and got the win since Martinez didn't go five innings. Perconte walked one and fanned three.

Jake Opitz was the DH for the second game and was 2 for 4 with two RBI.

Peoria Chiefs (37-23)

The Peoria Chiefs were knocked on their ears by the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 8-3.

Justin Bristow started but only lasted two innings. He allowed three runs on four hits. Bristow walked four and struck out two.

Jeff Beliveau pitched much better in relief, but got the loss anyway. Beliveau allowed one run over his four innings of relief. He surrendered five hits. He didn't walk anyone and he struck out four.

Center fielder David Macias had a two-run double in a 1 for 4 game. The Chiefs did not have a hit after the second inning tonight.

Boise Hawks (30-37)

The Hawks were officially eliminated from the playoffs tonight with a 7-2 loss to the Spokane Indians.

Chris Rusin started and took the loss. He went four innings and gave up four runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out three.

Right fielder Jae-Hoon Ha hit his second home run in the second inning. The solo shot was his only hit in a 1 for 4 game. Shortstop George Matheus went 2 for 5 with a double.

AZL Cubs (13-15, 29-27 overall)

Beat the Brewers, 3-0.

The rookie league team's season is now over.

Cubs Minor League Wrap -- August 23

Josh77 — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:15:23 -0000

Iowa Cubs (65-64)

The Iowa Cubs split a double-header with the New Orleans Zephrys, losing the first one, 6-0 and then taking the second one, 2-1.

Jeff Samardzija started and lost the first game. Samardzija threw four innings and gave up six runs, four earned and two unearned, on eight hits. Two of the hits were home runs. The Shark walked one and struck out four.

The I-Cubs only had four hits in Game 1.

They only managed six hits in game two, but that was enough as Casey Fossum dominated the Zephyrs tonight for five shutout innings. Fossum gave up a leadoff double to start the game, and then proceeded to retire 15 batters in a row. Fossum struck out eight.

Blake Parker pitched the ninth inning and got save number 18. He walked one batter but otherwise struck out the other three Zephyrs.

Left fielder John-Ford Griffin was 2 for 2 with a double and both I-Cub RBI. He also walked once.

Tennessee Smokies (30-27)

The Smokies moved back into a tie for first place with a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Mudcats.

Jeremy Papelbon was impressive in his start today. He picked up his fifth win by pitching five shutout innings. He gave up four hits. He didn't walk anyone and struck out four. David Cales got his first save with the Smokies (15th overall) with 1.1 innings of relief. He didn't allow any runs but allowed two hits in the ninth before pitching out of trouble. Cales fanned one.

Shortstop Starlin Castro went 2 for 5 with a double He scored once. First baseman Blake Lalli was 2 for 5 with an RBI. Outfielder Doug Deeds had two doubles in a 2 for 4 game. Deeds also scored once.

Daytona Cubs (24-31)

Daytona beat up the Brevard County Manatees, 11-2.

Rafael Dolis started and picked up the win. He allowed one run on five hits over five innings. He didn't walk anyone and struck out one

The D-Cubs banged out 16 hits today. Right fielder Brandon Guyer had 3 hits in 5 ABs. He scored twice and had two RBI. Center fielder Tony Campana was 3 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored. Campana also had one RBI.

Left fielder Jonathan Wyatt was 2 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored. Second baseman Nate Samson went 2 for 5 with two runs scored and two RBI.

DH Jericho Jones was 2 for 5 with a double and a run scored. Catcher Mark Reed went 2 for 4 with an RBI.

Peoria Chiefs (34-21)

The Chiefs finally lost one tonight as they were cut down to size by the Clinton LumberKings, 4-1.

Starter Justin Bristow went five innings and allowed two runs on three hits. He walked one and struck out five.

Third baseman Ryan Flaherty was 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI. First baseman Rebel Ridling was just 2 for 5.

Both right fielder Kyler Burke and DH Nelson Perez were 2 for 3 with a walk.

Boise Hawks (30-32)

The Hawks spanked the Spokane Indians, 4-3.

Corey Martin was awarded the win in relief since the starting pitcher, Christopher Rusin, didn't go five innings. In this case, however, the win was well-deserved as Martin pitched the final three innings without allowing a run. Martin gave up one hit and issued one walk. Martin struck out two.

The following six Hawks went 2 for 4: Second baseman Logan Watkins, third baseman Greg Rohan, left fielder Robert Wagner, catcher Richard Jones, DH Derrick Fitzgerald and shortstop George Matheus, Wagner and Watkins both had one double as one of their two hits. Watkins also stole a base.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Brewers 9-6.

Cubs Minor League Wrap--August 5

Josh77 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:25:39 -0000

I think Geovany Soto is fine.

Iowa Cubs

The I-Cubs trumped the Reno Aces, 3-2.

Starter Esmailin Caridad went six innings tonight, allowing only two runs on three hits, including a solo home run. Caridad walked two and struck out an eye-popping twelve Aces. I don't know for sure, but I'm betting that's a career high for Caridad. I've been doing these wraps since before Caridad entered the Cub system, and I can't remember him ever having that many strikeouts.

Blake Parker was perfect in two innings of relief for his second win of the year when So Taguchi singled home Nate Spears to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. Parker struck out one.

Second baseman Matt Camp was 2 for 5

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies skinned the Carolina Mudcats, 8-6.

Casey Coleman improved his record to 11-5 tonight with three runs on five hits over 5.1 innings. Coleman gave up two home runs. He walked one and struck out three.

Alex Maestri entered the game with two one and one out in the ninth and nailed down his third save. He struck out the first batter, hit the second one and got the third one to ground out to the third baseman.

Catcher Geovany Soto homered again tonight in his rehab appearance. For the first time, he caught the entire game tonight and went 1 for 4 with a walk and two RBI.

Left fielder Ty Wright also homered for the eighth time tonight. Wright was 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored twice and had two RBI.

Shortstop Starlin Castro was 2 for 5 with a run scored. Center fielder James Adduci was 2 for 5 with a run scored and a stolen base. First baseman Blake Lalli went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI.

Daytona Cubs

The D-Cubs topped their arch-rival Brevard County Manatees, 6-3.

Starter Jay Jackson got the win with six solid innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on five hits. Jackson walked one and struck out four.

Right fielder Brandon Guyer was 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored. Center fielder Tony Campana was 3 for 4 with, of course, a stolen base.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs were demoted by the Beloit Snappers, 7-1.

Starter Aaron Shafer only went three innings tonight, giving up seven runs on six hits He walked three and struck out five.

The Chiefs didn't get their first hit until the sixth inning tonight when catcher Mario Mercedes broke up the no-hitter.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks were beaten by the Everett Aqua Sox, 7-5.

Let's see. . .Daniel Keefe threw a nice 1.1 innings of relief after the game was already 7-5. Keefe allowed two hits. He didn't walk a batter and struck out three.

Shortstop Hak-Ju Lee went 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. Center fielder Jose Valdez had two stolen bases in a 1 for 4 night. Valdez also scored once. Third baseman George Matheus went 2 for 4 with two runs scored.

First baseman Justin Bour hit his second home run for Boise tonight. Bour went 2 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Mariners, 4-3.

Just noticed that Larry Suarez got demoted to rookie ball while I was moving last week. He pitched again tonight and allowed two runs on four hits over three innings. Not good for your third year in the Arizona League.

Cubs Minor League Wrap--August 3

Josh77 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:29:35 -0000

No surprise, but Tyler Colvin was named Southern League Player of the Week. There's some other news out of the greater Knoxville area, too.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were run down by the New Orleans Zephyrs, 3-2.

Starter Mitch Atkins went six innings and allowed two runs on seven hits. Atkins walked two (one intentionally), hit a batter and struck out four. He also hit a solo home run in the sixth inning.

Vince Perkins took the loss in relief. Perkins pitched a scary but scoreless eighth and started the ninth with the first two batters reaching--one reaching on an Aaron Miles error and the other by a walk. The walk eventually came around to score after he left the game. Perkins allowed one run on two hits over one plus innings. Perkins walked three and struck out one.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies filleted the Carolina Mudcats, 7-2.

That Andrew Cashner is good. Tonight Cashner lowed his combined ERA on the season to 1.24 in 72.2 innings by pitching six innings and allowing only one unearned run on two hits. Cashner walked only one and struck out eight.

Second baseman Tony Thomas went 3 for 3 with a walk tonight. He scored once and had one RBI. Center fielder James Adduci was 2 for 4 with a stolen base and a run scored. He was also caught stealing once.

I doubt anyone is interested, but catcher Geovany Soto was 1 for 2 with a walk and an RBI. He said he felt no pain and that he would join the Cubs on Thursday, assuming there are no problems. He also had some very nice things to say about Cashner.

Daytona Cubs

The D-Cubs shipwrecked the Brevard County Manatees, 6-3.

Starter James Leverton evened his record at 8-8 tonight by allowing two runs on four hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out three. One of the two runs was unearned.

Left fielder Jonathan Wyatt went 2 for 4 with a double. Wyatt scored twice and had three RBI.

Third baseman Marwin Gonzalez was 2 for 2 with two walks. Gonzalez scored twice. Second baseman Jose Made was 2 for 3 with an RBI. Center fielder Tony Campana stole his 55th base of the season tonight. Campana was 2 for 4 with two RBI.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs were bitten by the Beloit Snappers, 5-3.

Starter Justin Bristow gave up a two-run home run in the first innings, but afterwards settled down for five good innings. Bristow gave up four hits total, walked no one and struck out six.

Manolin De Leon got the loss when he pitched the eighth and surrendered three runs. De Leon gave up two hits, walked one and struck out one.

DH Jovan Rosa was 2 for 4 with a double. Left fielder Nelson Perez was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks were drenched by the Everett Aqua Sox, 4-1.

Starter Jonathan Nagel threw three shutout innings, giving up two hits. He didn't walk anyone and struck out one.

Eduardo Figueroa got the loss when he allowed two runs on three hits over 3.2 innings. Figueroa struck out two and didn't walk anyone. Although that's not bad for a guy who last pitched in the majors 28 years ago. Oh, different Eduardo Figueroa.

Second baseman Logan Watkins was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

AZL Cubs

Beat the Indians, 4-3 in ten innings.

Cubs Minor League Wrap--July 26

Josh77 — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:20:37 -0000

Iowa Cubs

The I-Cubs lost the Albuquerque Isotopes, 4-2.

Esmailin Caridad kept the ball in the park, but allowed six doubles on the way to allowing four runs in five innings. Cardiad gave up eight hits total. He walked three and struck out three. Caridad saw his record fall to 5-10.

Catcher Chris Robinson was 2 for 4 and scored once. Second baseman Aaron Miles was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.

Tennessee Smokies

Sunday is a day of rest, isn't it?

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs blacklisted the Sarasota Reds, 3-1.

Starter Chris Carpenter pitched tonight after having his last start bumped back two days and allowed only one unearned run over four innings. He didn't walk anyone and struck out three.

Jose Pina threw a perfect seventh inning to get the win. He didn't strike out anyone.

David Cales pitched the final two innings without allowing a run for his 12th save. Cales allowed one hit. He didn't walk anyone and struck out two.

Center fielder Tony Campana hit a bases-loaded triple in the eighth inning to account for all of Daytona's scoring. Campana was 1 for 4.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs skinned the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 12-5.

Aaron Shafer started and got the win with five innings of work. He allowed two runs on five hits. Shafer walked one and struck out three.

First baseman Rebel Ridling hit his 11th home run today in the first inning. Ridling was 1 for 2 with three walks this afternoon. Ridling scored three times and had two RBI off of the HR.

Third baseman Jovan Rosa hit a grand slam in the third inning. It was his second home run in the Midwest League. Rosa was 2 for 5 with a double and six RBI total. He also scored twice.

Right fielder Kyler Burke went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. Burke scored twice and had one RBI.

Center fielder David Macias was 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. Macias scored once.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks expelled the Eugene Emeralds, 7-4

Jeff Antigua earned the win today with an impressive relief outing. Antigua pitched 4.2 innings and allowed one run on two hits. That's pretty good, but the impressive part was that he struck out eleven. Antigua walked two.

Ryan Sontag pitched a scoreless ninth and got his second save. He gave up one hit and struck out one.

Shortstop Hak-Ju Lee and right fielder Jose Valdez both were 2 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI. Valdez also had a steal.

Center fielder Brett Jackson was only 1 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI, but that was good enough to extend his streak of reaching base to 22 games. He has a seven-game hitting streak.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Angels, 7-5.

DJ LeMahieu was 3 for 5.

Cubs Minor League Wrap -- July 24

Josh77 — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 06:47:44 -0000

Some wild games tonight. Of course, almost every game in Albuquerque is wild. The Cubs just need a team in the Cal League so they can play in Lancaster and High Desert too.

Iowa Cubs

It's back to "Coors Field on Steroids" for the I-Cubs tonight as they got pounded by the Albuquerque Isotopes, 16-8.

Mitch Atkins drew the short straw tonight and got the start. He lasted only three innings and allowed five runs on eight hits. Atkins walked three and struck out two.

It got so bad that second baseman Nate Spears pitched the ninth. Spears gave up two solo home runs.

The I-Cubs only had two home runs tonight, both two-run homers in the sixth inning. The first one belonged to Sam Fuld, who was 1 for 6 with his second home run, both of the year and of the last three games. The second one was hit by left fielder Jason Dubois, his 11th of the season. Dubois went 3 for 5 and scored twice.

Bobby Scales was 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored once and had two RBI. Both right fielder So Taguchi and catcher Steve Clevenger went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He also scored once.

Tennesee Smokies

The Smokies were destroyed by the Mississippi Braves, 10-0.

Jay Jackson had a rough start tonight, not making it out of the third inning. Jackson allowed five runs, four of which were earned, on five hits in 2.2 innings. Jackson walked four (one was intentional), hit one and struck out two.

Left fielder Ty Wright was 3 for 4 with a double.

Daytona Cubs

Daytona is a good hitters park, but it's certainly not "Coors Field South" or anything. Still, tonight the Daytona Cubs hammered the Palm Beach Cardinals, 16-10 on fifteen singles, four walks and only one double.

James Leverton started and allowed three runs on five hits over five innings. One of the runs was unearned. Leverton walked two and struck out four.

Luke Sommer got the win with two innings of scoreless relief. Sommer didn't allow a hit or a walk and struck out three.

The Daytona assault was led by second baseman Josh Harrison who was 4 for 5 with a walk. Harrison had four RBI and scored three times.

Center fielder Brandon Guyer had the one extra base hit. Guyer went 2 for 5 with a double and two RBI and scored once. Shortstop Marwin Gonzalez was 2 for 5 with three RBI.

Third baseman Josh Vitters was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Right fielder Jonathan Wyatt went 2 for 3 with walk. Wyatt scored three times and had one RBI.

Maybe Palm Beach is finally figuring out how to slow down the D-Cubs. Two nights after stealing eight bases and the night after stealing six bases, the Daytona Cubs "only" stole five bases tonight. Wyatt, Guyer and Harrison each had one and Tony Campana had two. Camapana now has 51 steals this season. His 40 steals in the Florida State League are three steals behind the league lead, and that player has played the whole season in the FSL.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs cracked the Lansing Lugnuts, 7-6 on a Jose Made "walk-off bases-loaded walk" in he bottom of the ninth.

Chris Archer started and allowed two runs on four hits in 4.2 innings. Archer had some control problems as he walked four and had a wild pitch. He struck out two.

Chris Huseby threw a perfect top of the ninth to get the win. Huseby struck out one.

Shortstop Ryan Flaherty hit his 12th home run in the third inning tonight. Flaherty was 2 for 3 with two walks. Flaherty scored four times and had the one RBI. First baseman Rebel Ridling also homered, a first inning two-run shot that was his tenth of the year. Ridling was 3 for 5 with four RBI total.

Right fielder Kyler Burke had a triple and a walk in a 2 for 4 night.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks were crushed by the Eugene Emeralds, 5-1.

"But coach, I've got a no-hitter going!" Starter Tarlandus Mitchell didn't make it out of the first inning tonight. He didn't allow a hit, but he walked five and hit one batter. That led to him being charged with allowing five runs. Mitchell also had a wild pitch. He did strike out one batter.

Shortstop Hak-Ju Lee led off the game with a double, stole third and scored the only Hawk run of the game on a Brett Jackson single. Lee was 2 for 4 total.

AZL Cubs

Beat the Brewers, 4-1.

Second-round pick DJ LeMaheiu made his professional debut. He was 2 for 4 with a triple.

Cubs Minor League Wrap -- July 23

Josh77 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 06:26:05 -0000

Last night we had terrible starting pitching throughout the system. Tonight we had great starting pitching everywhere. Go figure.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs topped the Omaha Royals, 5-1.

Starter Casey Fossum gave up a home run to the second batter of the game and then shut the Royals down the rest of the way. Fossum went seven innings and allowed only five hits and one walk. (He did hit one batter too.) Fossum struck out five for his second win for the I-Cubs.

Bobby Scales was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Scales scored once and had two RBI. Third baseman Nate Spears was 2 for 3 with a triple. He scored once and had one RBI.

Shortstop Aaron Miles went 2 for 4 with a walk.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies were beaten by the Mississippi Braves, 2-1.

Hung-Wen Chen was the hard-luck loser tonight. Chen threw 6.2 innings and allowed two runs on eight hits. One of the runs allowed was unearned. Chen walked two and struck out four.

First baseman Blake Lalli had a double and an RBI single in a 3 for 4 game. Left fielder Ty Wright went 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs shut down the Palm Beach Cardinals, 7-0.

Tonight's good pitching continued with Craig Muschko, who allowed only one hit in his five innings of work. Muschko didn't walk a batter and struck out five to improve his record to 5-1.

Third baseman Josh Vitters was 2 for 5 with a double. He scored twice and knocked one in.

I don't know what's going on with the PB Cardinals catching or pitching staffs, but the day after the Cubs stole eight bases, they stole another six bases tonight. The Cardinals used different catchers on the two nights, so it's not just one weak arm.

Center fielder Tony Campana was only 1 for 5, but he stole three bases and scored twice. Campana now has 38 stolen bases for Daytona, as well as 11 earlier in the season for Peoria. He was caught stealing once after getting picked off once. Left fielder Josh Harrison was 2 for 4 with a walk and two stolen bases. Harrison scored once.

Brandon Guyer had the other steal tonight. The right fielder was 1 for 3 with a double and a walk. He also scored twice.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs shut out the Lansing Lugnuts, 5-0.

Starter Justin Bristow turned in another great start for the Cubs tonight as he went six innings and gave up only four hits. Even more impressively, he struck out eight and didn't walk anyone.

Third baseman Jovan Rosa was 2 for 3 with a three-run home run. Rosa drove in all five runs tonight.

Center fielder Kyler Burke was 3 for 4 with a stolen base. Burke scored twice. First baseman Rebel Ridling went 2 for 4 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks polished off the Eugene Emeralds, 6-2.

He only pitched 2.1 innings, but since this is great starting pitching night, starter Jonathan Nagel didn't allow a hit and only walked one while striking out four. He did allow an unearned run though.

Andres Quezada picked up the win with 2.2 shutout innings of relief.

Second baseman Logan Wakins had two doubles in a 2 for 5 night. He also had two RBI. Center fielder Jose Valdez was 2 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored. Third baseman Greg Rohan was 2 for 5 with a double and two RBI

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Giants, 2-1.

Cubs Minor League Wrap -- July 22

Josh77 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:06:27 -0000

I don't normally comment on the Major League Cubs figuring it's Al's job, but since he's traveling, I thought I'd start out with a short comment that I'm pretty confident Al would agree with.

The Cubs have not been a good team so far this season. Most of the year, they've simply been treading water. They've had moments where they've looked like the world-beaters of the past two seasons, but mostly they've been pedestrian. Not bad, mind you. Cub fans know a bad team when they see it. They just don't look like a playoff team.

But here we are past the All-Star Break, and the Cubs are only a game out of first and a game up on the first-place Cardinals in the loss column. Speaking of the Cardinals, for the first half of this decade, they were a pretty dominating team, making the playoffs every season from 2000 to 2005 except for a minor blip in 2003 which we all remember. But during that time, they never won the World Series, despite some pretty amazing teams led by either Mark McGwire or Albert Pujols.

Yet when 2006 rolled around, the Cardinals were clearly down. Albert Pujols by himself gave the team an offense that was a bit above average, but there were major holes in the lineup. The pitching staff was decidedly mediocre. But the rest of the division was down, too, and the Cards just sneaked past the Astros the final weekend of the season to crawl into the playoffs. We all know that Cardinal team, which was easily the worst Cardinals playoff team of the decade, won the World Series.

Once you make the playoffs, anything can happen, as we found out the bad way over the past two seasons. I'm not saying that this team is going to win it all. I'm just saying that if you think a team that is only a game back in July and a game up in the loss column can't win it all, you're dead wrong.

Iowa Cubs

The I-Cubs lost to the Omaha Royals, 9-6.

Jose Ascanio had a terrible start tonight, not making it out of the second inning. Ascanio gave up six runs, five of which were earned, in only 1.2 innings. He was tagged for six hits and failed to strike anyone out. He walked one batter and hit one too. He also had a wild pitch. This awful outing did only raise Ascanio's ERA to 2.91 though.

John Gaub threw an inning of scoreless relief and Blake Parker had two shutout innings out of the pen. I mention them because they're both having good seasons that have been mostly under the radar here.

Center fielder Sam Fuld returned to Iowa and hit his first home run of the season. Fuld was 2 for 4 with a walk and two RBI from the home run.

First baseman Matt Craig and DH Jason Dubois had identical lines of 2 for 4 with a double an a run scored. Shortstop Darwin Barney was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Shortstop Aaron Miles was 1 for 5.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies were kicked off the reservation by the Mississippi Braves, 8-5.

David Patton made a rehab start and it didn't go very well either. Patton pitched two innings and gave up three runs on a three-run home run in the second inning. Patton allowed two hits and walked one. He also struck out one.

First baseman Blake Lalli ws 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Second baseman Tony Thomas was 2 for 3 with an RBI sac fly.

Shortstop Jonathan Mota was 2 for 5 with a double and a run scored. Center fielder James Adduci was 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI. Third baseman Marquez Smith was 2 for 5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

Catcher Welington Castillo was 1 for 3 with a solo home run, his eighth of the season.

Daytona Cubs

The D-Cubs lost to the Palm Beach Cardinals, 5-3 in 13 innings.

Rafael Dolis started and allowed three runs on four hits over four innings. Dolis walked three and struck out two.

Joe Simokaitis had an ERA of 8.68 in 9.1 innings of relief in Boise. So naturally the correct move is to promote him all the way to Daytona. He responded to the promotion with two shutout innings of relief. He allowed two hits and he hit a batter. He didn't strike anyone out.

Luke Sommer pitched the 13th inning and took the loss, allowing two runs on three hits.

Left fielder Josh Harrison went 2 for 6 with four stolen bases. Center fielder Tony Campana went 3 for 7 with a run scored and two stolen bases. Shortstop Starlin Castro had the final two of the Cubs eight steals tonight. Castro was 2 for 5 with a double and two walks.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs were pounded by the Lansing Lugnuts, 6-2.

Austin Bibens-Dirkx got his first start tonight, but it didn't go well as he picked up his first loss. ABD gave up five runs on six hits, inculding two home runs, over five plus innings. One of the runs was unearned. The positive sign was that he struck out four and didn't walk anyone.

Right fielder Andrew Rundle hit his second home run, a two-run shot in the sixth inning. Rundle was 1 for 3.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks were outslugged by the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, 10-8.

Robert Hernandez started tonight and continued tonight's theme of bad starts with three runs over 5.1 innings. Actually, tonight that's not so bad. He gave up four hits and issued three walks. Hernandez struck out five. One of Hernandez's runs was unearned.

Corey Martin allowed five runs, three of which were earned, in only one inning to take the loss.

Second baseman Logan Watkins was 2 for 3 with a walk. He scored three times and had one RBI.

First baseman Justin Bour was 2 for 4 with a walk and a double. He had two RBI. Left fielder Jose Valdez was 2 for 3.

Center fielder Brett Jackson was 1 for 3 with a run scored and two more walks. He struck out once.

AZL Cubs

Were the only winner tonight, shutting out the Athletics, 7-0.

Cubs Minor League Wrap -- July 21

Josh77 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:08:44 -0000

There was a fanshot on this, but Kevin Goldstein over at Baseball Prospectus wrote an article on the sorry state of the Cubs farm system (sub. req.) which he sees as keeping the Cubs out of the Halladay sweepstakes. He criticizes the Cubs for some bad drafts and a failure to develop any plate discipline in the minor leagues. He also criticizes the Jeff Samardzija signing, believing the money could have been better spent elsewhere. One thing he doesn't mention, but he could have, is that the Cubs compounded their bad drafts with some bad free agent signings that cost the team draft picks that would have given them more margin for error. But if you want the good news, he does see a light at the end of the tunnel for the Cubs farm system and that they've made some great international signings, especially in Asia. I'd also add the past couple of drafts have been much better, as Josh Vitters and Andrew Cashner are both doing quite well in the minors.

So the system is down but not out.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs deposed the Omaha Royals, 4-3.

Esmailin Caridad started and got his fifth win today by allowing only two unearned runs in six innings. He gave up five hits and issued two walks while striking out seven.

Vince Perkins 24.1 inning scoreless streak came to an end today, but he was still good enough to pick up his first save. Perkins allowed one run on three hits over two innings. He didn't walk a batter and struck out one.

Catcher Chris Robinson was 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored. Shortstop Darwin Barney was 2 for 4. Right fielder (really utility guy) Matt Camp was 2 for 3 with a walk. Camp scored once and had one RBI.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies counted coup against the Mississippi Braves, 3-2 in ten innings.

Andrew Cashner threw six brilliant innings tonight, allowing only one single; the only baserunner he allowed. Cashner struck out five. He was also 1 for 1 at the plate, meaning he had as many hits as he allowed.

Alex Maestri pitched the top of the tenth inning and got the win when James Adduci scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning. Maestri walked one but his inning was otherwise without incident.

Shortstop Jonathan Mota was 2 for 5 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored. Right fielder Tyler Colvin went 2 for 5.

Daytona Cubs

The D-Cubs were pounded by the St. Lucie Mets, 8-2.

Starter Henry Williamson went three innings and gave up a run on two hits. He walked three and struck out three.

Dan McDaniel pitched out of the bullpen tonight and took the loss. He gave up two runs, one of which was unearned, on three hits over two innings. McDaniel walked two and struck out three.

Mike Perconte allowed three runs and Jose Piña gave up two.

Right fielder Brandon Guyer was 3 for 4 with a stolen base. Center fielder Tony Campana was 2 for 5 with an RBI. Left fielder Josh Harrison was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Harrison scored once.

Peoria Chiefs

Good looking young men with a day off in Peoria. Need I say more?

Boise Hawks

The Hawks were beaten by the Salem-Keizer Volanoes, 8-6.

Let's see. . . Josh Lansford pitches well in relief, throwing two shutout innings, allowing only one hit. He didn't walk anyone and struck out two.

Every other pitcher? Bad.

Center fielder Brett Jackson went 3 for 5 with a double and two runs scored. Right fielder Jae-Hoon Ha was 2 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI. He also stole a base. Left fielder Jose Valdez was 3 for 4.

AZL Cubs

Beat the Angels, 2-1 in 11 innings.