SB Nation Blog: Josh77

Minor League Wrap--July 4

Josh77 — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 03:10:05 -0000

And a happy Independence Day from all of us at Minor League Wrap.

I have tickets for tomorrow night's Boise Hawks game, so tomorrow's wrap will have a complete recap of that and a short recap of the rest of the scores.

Peoria is going first tonight.

Peoria Chiefs

It's eleven in a row as the Chiefs outlasted the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 9-7.

Audy Santana started and pitched four innings, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks. Santana struck out four,

Chris Siegfried got the win by allowing three runs on four hits in one inning of relief. Two of the hits were home runs. After allowing Wisconsin to tie up the game, Siegfried was the lucky beneficiary of the Chiefs offense.

Jordan Latham got the save. He pitched the final two innings and allowed one run on three hits. He didn't walk anyone and struck out one.

It was the offense that carried the Chiefs tonight, in particular DH Luis Bautista and second baseman Gian Gonzalez. Both of them had two home runs tonight. Bautista was 3 for 4 with a walk and three RBI while Gonzalez went 2 for 5 with three RBI. It was Gonalez's first two home runs of the season whereas it was numbers seven and eight for Bautista.

Shortstop Nate Sampson was 3 for 5 with a double, First baseman Jovan Rosa was 2 for 4 with a double, a run scored and two RBI. Left fielder Brandon Guyer was 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs demolished the Oklahoma RedHawks, 11-5.

Jeff Samardzija improved his record in AAA to 2-1 with a 6.1 inning start. The Shark allowed four runs on eight hits. He walked three and struck out six.

First baseman Micah Hoffpauir was 3 for 4 with a walk, a double and a three-run homer. Hoffpauir had four RBI total.

Center fielder Felix Pie was 4 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored. Catcher Koyie Hill was 2 for 5 with a solo home run, his sixth on the season.

Shortstop Luis Figueroa was 2 for 4 with a walk, a double and two runs scored. Right fielder Josh Kroeger was 2 for 5 with and RBI and second baseman Bobby Scales was 2 for 5 with a double and two runs scored.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies were shut out by the Carolina Mudcats, 6-0.

Esmailin Caridad started and took the loss. He allowed all six runs in 5.2 innings. He was touched for ten hits, three of which were homers. He walked one and struck out two.

Left fielder Jake Fox was 3 for 4 with two doubles.

Daytona Cubs

Daytona lost to the Brevard County Manatees, 4-1.

Starter Marcos Mateo got the loss as he allowed three runs on six hits and two walks in five innings. Mateo struck out four.

Left fielder Yusuf Carter provided all the offense with a solo home run, his ninth of the season, in a 1 for 3 night. DH Blake Lalli was 2 for 4.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks shut out the Vancouver Canadians, 3-0.

Israel Camacaro started and pitched four innings while allowing only one hit. He walked two and struck out five. Justin Bristow got promoted from Arizona and got his first win for Boise with two shutout innings of relief. He allowed two hits, no walks and struck out four. Jeffrey Believeau also pitched his first game for Boise and threw two innings, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out two.

John Muller recorded his fifth save. He gave up one hit and one walk.

DH Rebel Ridling continues to rake as tonight he hit his third home run of the young season in a 3 for 4 effort. Center fielder Ken Calvert was 2 for 4.

Josh Vitters hit streak came to an end in an 0 for 4 night.

AZL Cubs

Beat the AZL Athletics, 3-2.

Minor League Wrap--July 3

Josh77 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:53:47 -0000

Congratulations to Mike Burns and J.R. Mathes for being named to the PCL All-Star Team.

Iowa Cubs

The I-Cubs won their sixth game in a row with a 9-6 victory over the Omaha Royals.

J. R. Mathes celebrated his being named to the PCL All-Star Team by improving his season record to 6-3. Mathes pitched 5.2 innings and allowed four runs, three of which were earned, on seven hits and four walks. Mathes struck out one.

I missed Dumas Garcia getting promoted to AAA while I was travellling. Garcia got hit for two runs in his two innings of relief. Carmen Pignatiello picked up his third save with 1.1 innings without allowing a run. He had one hit, one walk and struck out one.

Casey McGehee was the big hero for the I-Cubs. McGehee was 3 for 3 with a walk and his tenth home run of the year. McGehee scored twice and had four RBI.

Second baseman Bobby Scales was 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. Scales crossed the plate three times. First baseman Micah Hoffpauir was 2 for 4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. Left fielder Jason Dubois was 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. Dubois scored twice. Right fielder Josh Kroeger was 2 for 4 with a double and two RBI.

The I-Cubs now have a five-game lead over the Memphis Redbirds for first place in the PCL American North Division.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies were shut out by the Huntsville Stars, 4-0.

Alex Maestri had his second start in AA and took the loss. The results weren't good: Six innings pitched with four runs on six hits. But there was something to like about the performance, which were his five strikeouts as opposed to only one walk. All the runs scored on a pair of two-run home runs.

The Smokies only had three singles in this game. However, they still have a three-game lead over Carolina for first place in the Southern League Northern Division second-half standings.

Daytona Cubs

Daytona bombed the St. Lucie Mets, 12-3.

Billy Muldowney got the win. He allowed two runs, one of which was unearned, in five innings. He got tagged for four hits and one walk while striking out seven.

Second baseman Tony Thomas was 3 for 5 with a double and three RBI. Catcher Blake Lalli was 2 for 5 with two doubles and three RBI. Shortstop Robinson Chirinos was 2 for 5 with a triple and a home run. Chirinos scored three times and had three RBI.

Right fielder Yusuf Carter was 2 for 3 with a walk and a double. He scored once and had an RBI. Ryan Harvey was 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

The win brings Daytona to within a half a game of the first-place (?) St. Lucie Mets in the second half standings. This is surprising, although still early, because the SL Mets were dreadful in the first half, going 19-50.

Peoria Chiefs

Time for Bob to shave and Len to grow a beard! The Peoria Chiefs won their tenth straight game, beating the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 5-4.

Jay Jackson got promoted from Boise and pitched very well in his first MWL start. Jackson threw four shutout innings, allowing only three hits and a walk. Jackson struck out five.

Of course, because of the "starter must go five" rule, Craig Muschko got the win by allowing three runs on six hits in three innings. Madness. Jake Muyco picked up the save, although he did allow a run on a solo home run in the two innings he pitched.

DH Luis Bautista was a triple short of the cycle. He went 3 for 3 with three RBI and two runs scored. The homer was his sixth of the year.

Shortstop Nate Sampson was 3 for 5 with a double. Catcher Josh Donaldson was 2 for 4 with an RBI.

The Chiefs now 10-5 and are tied with Cedar Rapids and Beloit for first place in the Midwest League Western Division.

I've just been informed that the facial hair offer for the Cubs broadcast team only applies to the Cubs and not their minor league affiliates. Oh well. Bob might shave if the Boise Hawks won ten in a row though, as long as their backup catcher played a big role.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks lost to the Vancouver Canadians, 7-4.

Josh Whitlock got the start and allowed four runs on three hits and three walks in 4.2 innings. Two of the hits were two-run home runs. Whitlock struck out six.

Bubba O'Donnell took the loss by allowing three runs in the ninth inning. O'Donnell pitched 1.1 innings total and allowed two hits and walked three.

First baseman Rebel Ridling was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Left fielder David Macias was 2 for 4 with a double.

DH Josh Vitters hit streak reached fifteen games with a 1 for 4 night with a double.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the AZL Rangers 9-8.

Minor League Wrap--July 2

Josh77 — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:25:51 -0000

I turn on the six o'clock news in Boise this evening and the first non-BSU sports story was that former Hawk Jeff Samardzija got promoted to AAA. Yeah, like a week ago. Moral of this story: Get the story of the Cubs minor leagues from MLW on BCB and not your local news channel.

They did have the story that Rebel Ridling was Northwest League Player of the Week. The only reason they scooped me was because I was travelling yesterday.

But congrats to Rebel.

Only one loss in the system tonight, but it was a doozy.

Iowa Cubs

Bobby Scales singled home Luis Figueroa from second base and the I-Cubs beat the Omaha Royals, 6-5 in 15 innings. Of course, Daytona thinks they're all wimps after their 20 inning game, but at least the I-Cubs won their game.

Justin Berg started and allowed one run on four hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked a whopping six. Hector Carrasco pitched three shutout innings of relief.

Jesse Estrada got the win with five innings of relief. He allowed two runs in the 11th inning but the I-Cubs came back and tied the game in the bottom of the innings. Estrada was touched for five hits and a walk (which was intentional) while striking out six.

Catcher Koyie Hill was 2 for 5 with his fifth home run of the season. DH Ben Broussard was 3 for 5 with a run scored. Third baseman Casey McGehee was 2 for 6 with a double and four RBI.

Left fielder Andres Torres was 0 for 7 with five strikeouts.

Tennessee Smokies

Doug Deeds hit a walk-off two run home run in the bottom of the ninth to send the Smokies faithful home happy with a 6-5 victory over the Huntsville Stars.

Donnie Veal started and didn't pitch well, He allowed four runs on nine hits and a walk in five innings. He didn't strike out a batter. Rocky Roquet was the beneficiary of the comback which upped his record to 3-1. Roquet threw one perfect inning and didn't strike anyone out.

Deeds had a big day before that. He was 4 for 5 and scored twice. Second baseman Nate Spears was 3 for 4. Shortstop Matt Camp was 2 for 5 with a double and a triple. Camp scored once and had two RBI. First baseman Matt Craig was 2 for 5.

Daytona Cubs

Daytona shut out the St. Lucie Mets, 5-0.

Marco Carillo was brillant, tossing eight innings and allowing only two hits and a hit batsman. He struck out four and didn't walk anyone. The only thing bad to say about his performance is that it was against the St. Lucie Mets.

Right fielder Ty Wright was 3 for 3 with a triple and a walk. Wright had three RBI and stole a base.

Peoria Cubs

Peoria won its ninth straight game as the Chiefs topped the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 8-4.

Robert Hernandez got his first win of the season. He pitched five innings and allowed two runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out five.

Left fielder Brandon Guyer has been responsible for a lot of the winning streak and he didn't disappoint again. Guyer was 4 for 5 with three doubles. Guyer had three RBI.

Third baseman Marquez Smith has also been stepping up his game, and tonight he hit his 13th home run of the season. Smith was 2 for 4 with a double and that solo shot. He scored twice and had three RBI.

Right fielder Drew Rundle hit his second home run in a 1 for 4 evening. DH Mario Mercedes was 2 for 4 with a double.

With the Chiefs winning nine games in a row, somebody ought to find out who's managing down there and figure out what he's up to. You'd think the guy would be better known.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks got destroyed by the Tri-City Dirt Devils, 13-0.

Nobody really wants a recap of this game, do they? Josh Vitters kept his hitting streak alive with a 1 for 3 night.

I'll be at the game on Saturday. Friday was sold out with Fourth of July fireworks and I didn't relish sitting outside in the 105 degree temperatures that are predicted for tomorrow here.

AZL Cubs

The AZL Cubs beat the AZL Mariners, 7-6.

Chris Huseby belived that the AZL Cubs were intimidated by the AZL Mariners and decided to do something about it. So with his best Dock Ellis impersonation, he proceeded to hit the first three batters he faced. After a sacrifice fly, he walked the next batter. I can only assume it was because the AZL Mariner hitter dived out of the way of four pitches at his ribs. Huseby was then removed from the game. I have not heard whether or not he pitched the game under the influence of LSD.

Minor League Wrap--June 30

Josh77 — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:38:09 -0000

Quick announcement: I'm on my way to Boise tomorrow to see the Hawks play. I do this because I spare no expense to bring you the best in minor league coverage, and it has nothing to do with taking my baby daughter to see her grandparents or getting out of town while the air is full of smoke. :-)

Unique will be taking over for me tomorrow. I should have an in-person report from the Hawks this weekend.

Trivia Question: The Giants don't count home runs hit by visiting teams as "Splash down" hits if they land in McCovey Cove. But they do keep track of them. Who's the only Cub to ever hit a home run into McCovey Cove on the fly?

I'll answer if no one gets it, but I bet someone does.

Iowa Cubs

The I-Cubs doubled up on the Omaha Royals, 6-3.

Randy Wells got the start and allowed three runs on nine hits in six innings. One of the runs was unearned. Wells walked only one and struck out seven.

Greg Reinhard got the win with three innings of scoreless relief. Reinhard allowed one hit and three walks. He also struck out seven Royals.

Micah Hoffpauir was 1 for 4 with a three-run home run, his seventh homer of the season. Jason Dubois was 2 for 4 with a solo home run. It was Dubois' 11th homer for the I-Cubs. Ben Broussard was 2 for 4 with a run scored and Casey McGehee was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies lost to the Huntsville Stars, 7-3.

James "The Intern" Russell continued his struggles in June with his third loss of the month. Russell allowed three runs on nine hits and a walk in five innings. He struck out three.

First baseman Matt Craig was 2 for 3 with two doubles and two runs scored.

Daytona Cubs

Had a much needed day off after yesterday's 20 inning affair.

Peoria Chiefs

First baseman Jovan Rosa hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 11th inning to lead Peoria to a 11-7 victory over the Kane County Cougars.

Chris Siegfried started and lasted four innings, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out one. Both Steve Vento and Jake Muyco blew saves by allowing two runs in the two innings stint that each of them worked.

Craig Muschko got the win with a shutout 11th inning, despite loading the bases with two singles and a walk.

Rosa was 3 for 6 with five RBI total and two runs scored. His home run was his third on the year. Third baseman Marquez Smith was 3 for 4 with two walks and his 12th home run of the season. Smith scored four times and had two RBI.

Center fielder Jonathan Wyatt was 4 for 5 with a double and two walks. Wyatt scored three times. Both DH Luis Bautista and left fielder Brandon Guyer were 2 for 4 with a double. Right fielder Cliff Andersen was 2 for 5 with two RBI.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks were grounded by the Tri-City Dirt Devils, 5-3.

Harol Tolentino started and allowed three runs on five hits and three walks in four innings. He struck out one. James Leverton got the loss in relief. He allowed one run in three innings. Seems kind of unfair.

Shortstop Ryan Flaherty was 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI. Both right fielder Kyler Burke and second baseman Jake Opitz were 2 for 4.

Josh Vitters was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Oh please Oneri. Leave him in Boise at least through the weekend.

AZL Cubs

Did not play.

Minor League Wrap--June 29

Josh77 — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:49:58 -0000

I hardly ever criticize the umpires, but Cub fans should keep in mind, when looking at the results of individual games, that the two umpires who were behind the plate and at first base in the Cub-White Sox game tonight were not only minor league umpires, but they're considered good minor league umpires. That tells you something about the quality of umpiring in the minor leagues. Now over the course of a season this usually evens out, but that's why I warn against overreacting to any one game.

OK Daytona goes first tonight. I think you'll know why.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs lost to the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 3-2 in 20 innings.

That's right. Twenty innings.

Grant Johnson started the game and allowed two runs in three innings. He gave up three hits, walked two and struck out three.

Then the bullpen settled in for a long game. Jeremy Papelbon allowed three hits in three innings, but didn't walk anyone and struck out four. In the next 13.1 innings, the Cubs bullpen allowed only four hits. Of course, they walked 12, although five of those were intentional. Finally, third baseman Jonathan Mota went out onto the mound to pitch. He pitched a scoreless 19th inning but then gave up an unearned run in the 20th inning. The winning run scored on an error by Robinson Chirinos, who had moved over to third base when Mota went to the mound.

But hey, Chirinos was 2 for 5 with a double and three walks. He scored both runs. That was probably the only good hitting line of the night. Shortstop Darwin Barney was 0 for 8. Ryan Harvey was 0 for 6 with four strikeouts and a walk.

There may have been a reason they let Mota pitch. He was 0 for 8 with a walk and five strikeouts.

Iowa Cubs

The I-Cubs outlasted the Albuquerque Isotopes, 7-5.

Jeff Samardzija got his first AAA win. The results were quite good: one run allowed on four hits in six innings. He struck out four, which is also nice. The bad part was the six walks.

Blake Parker and Jim Brower both allowed two runs in their relief stints.

Second baseman Bobby Scales was 2 for 4 with a walk and his tenth home run of the season. Jason Dubois hit his tenth home run for Iowa as well in a 1 for 2 afternoon. Dubois walked and scored twice. Micah Hoffpauir was 2 for 4 with a double, a walk and two RBI.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies beat the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, 4-1.

Esmailin Caridad improved his record to 2-0 in the Southern League with 6.1 strong innings of work. Caridad allowed one run on five hits and three walks. He struck out two.

Jose Ceda continues to impress in AA. He picked up his third save with two innings of work. He allowed one hit, walked nobody and struck out three.

Second baseman Nate Spears was 2 for 5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Center fielder Sam Fuld was 2 for 5. Right fielder Doug Deeds was 2 for 4.

Catcher Mark Reed hit a solo home run in a 1 for 4 evening. It was his first home run of the season.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs edged the Kane County Cougars, 4-3.

Dae-Eun Rhee had only his second bad start of the season. Rhee pitched three innings and allowed three runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out two.

Zach Ashwood got the win with two innings of scoreless relief. Ashwood allowed one hit and two walks. He struck out one.

Jordan Latham got his first save of the year. He pitched two innings and allowed only one hit. He didn't walk anyone and struck out one Cougar.

Second baseman Elvis Lara was 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI. DH Luis Bautista was 2 for 4 with an RBI.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks scored two runs in the ninth inning to beat the Yakima Bears, 5-4.

Jose Piña pitched the first two innings without allowing a hit or a run. He walked one and struck out three.

Bubba O'Donnell allowed an unearned run in the ninth inning and was in line for the loss before the Hawks came back. He allowed two hits, no walks and struck out one in the inning he pitched.

First baseman Rebel Ridling was 2 for 4 with a three-run home run and a double that ignited the ninth inning rally. Left fielder David Macias was 2 for 4.

Josh Vitters continued his hitting streak with a 1 for 4 effort.

AZL Cubs

The AZL Cubs embarrassed the AZL Royals, 18-1.

Felix Pie played in this game on a rehab assignment. He hit a grand slam and went 2 for 3 total with a walk and five RBI. His hand seems fine.

Minor League Wrap--June 28

Josh77 — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 05:30:57 -0000

Some movement in the minors the past few days, especially among pitchers.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs split a double header with the Albuquerque Isotopes. They lost the first one, 11-6 and took the second game, 9-3.

In the first game, J.R. Mathes pitched six innings and permitted five runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out one. Despite this line, he was still in line to win the game if Carmen Pignatiello hadn't blown the save by allowing six runs in the seventh inning.

Third baseman Luis Figueroa was 3 for 3 with a double and a run scored. Ben Broussard hit his third home run, Micah Hoffpauir knocked out his sixth and Koyie Hill hit his fourth homer.

In the second game, Kevin Hart was perfect for three innings, striking out five and showing absolutely no lasting effects from taking a line drive off his face. Jesse Estrada got the win because of the "starting pitcher must go five" rule. Estrada allowed three runs on four hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out seven.

Third baseman Bobby Scales went 3 for 4 with his ninth home run of the year. Scales scored twice and had three RBI.

First baseman Jason Dubois was 1 for 2 with two walks and his ninth home run of the season. Catcher Casey McGehee was 2 for 2 with a double and his ninth home run. McGehee walked twice and had two RBI.

In the second game, the I-Cubs ended Isotopes third baseman Dallas McPherson's attempt to become the first player in PCL history to homer in eight straight games. McPherson only tripled.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies fell to the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, 10-5.

Alex Maestri was promoted to AA and made his first start for the Smokies. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very good one as Maestri allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings. The good news, I guess, is that struck out five and walked two.

Darin Downs got the loss in relief, allowing three earned runs and one unearned one in an inning of relief.

Left fielder Tyler Colvin was 2 for 4 with his seventh home run. Colvin had two RBI. First baseman Jake Fox did exactly the same thing. Fox's home run was his sixth of the year in AA.

Daytona Cubs

Daytona lost to the lakeland Flying Tigers, 2-1 in ten innings.

Marcos Mateo got the start and gave manager Jody Davis six strong innings. Mateo allowed one run on three hits and a walk. He struck out four. Dustin Sasser picked up the loss when he walked in the winning run in the tenth. Two of the three walks he issued in the inning were intentional.

Catcher Blake Lalli was 2 for 3 with a double and a home run. He also walked once. That was pretty much it for the Cub offense as they managed only three hits total.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs edged pas the Kane County Cougars, 3-2 in 11 innings.

Audy Santana was the starting pitcher and he allowed only one hit and two walks in four innings. Santana struck out three. Reliever Julio Castillo allowed two unearned runs in five innings of relief. Castillo was touched for three hits and permitted three walks while striking out one.

Jake Muyco was promoted from Boise and got the win with two perfect innings of relief. Muyco struck out four.

First baseman Jovan Rosa was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. DH Luis Bautista was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a walk.

Boise Hawks

The Hawks were mauled by the Yakima Grizzlies, 14-0.

Mark Pawelek got hammered for seven runs in the two innings he pitched, although only three of the runs were earned.

Josh Vitters was 1 for 2 before getting lifted in this blowout. This extends his hitting streak to 11 games.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the AZL Angels, 5-3.

Minor League Wrap--June 27

Josh77 — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 03:16:06 -0000

If anyone has any clean air, please send it my way. The smoke out here is terrible.

Prospect Update:

This is the end of Baseball America's top 30 that weren't on my list.

22. James Russell. Left-handed pitcher. Stock: UP

Russell didn't get ranked by me because he only threw nine professional innings last season. This year he quickly blew through the Florida State League and has been pitching in AA since early May. "The Intern" hasn't been dominating in the Southern League, but considering he's got about half a season of professional experience behind him, the fact that he's holding his own in AA is pretty good.

25. Jose Ascanio. Right-handed pitcher. Stock: UP

Ascanio has been good in AAA and pitched well in his short stint in the majors. The only reason he's not in the majors right now is there isn't a spot in the pen for him.

On to tonight's games.

Iowa Cubs

The I-Cubs swept a double header from the Albuquerque Isotopes, 8-6 in the first game and 7-0 in the second.

Justin Berg got the win in the first game despite some major control problems. Berg allowed three runs on three hits in six innings. Two of the hits left the yard. That sounds pretty good, except that Berg walked seven Isotopes. He struck out four.

Right fielder Josh Kroeger was 2 for 2 in the first game with a three-run home run. Kroeger had four RBI total and he drew a walk. Catcher Koyie Hill was 2 for 3 with a triple and a run scored.

In the first game, Isotopes third baseman Dallas McPherson tied a Pacific Coast League record by homering in his seventh straight game. Six of those games were against the I-Cubs. He did not play in the second game.

In the second game, Hector Carrasco got the win. He started and pitched magnificently, allowing no runs on three hits and walk. Carrasco struck out ten in six innings.

Right fielder Micah Hoffpauir was 1 for 3 with a three-run home run. Third baseman Casey McGehee was 2 for 3 with a double and solo home run. He had two RBI total.

Second baseman Bobby Scales and catcher Tony Richie were both 2 for 3.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies demolished the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, 12-6.

The Smokies exploded for 20 hits. Every Smokies in the starting lineup had two hits except Tyler Colvin, and he went 1 for 4 with a triple and a walk. Center fielder Sam Fuld, second baseman Nate Spears and third baseman Josh Lansford each had three hits.

Catcher Wellington Castillo was 2 for 4 with a double, a home run and a walk. DH Matt Craig was 2 for 4 with a three-run home run.

Unfortunately, starter Donnie Veal couldn't benefit from the offensive explosion. He left the game after 4.2 innings. He had allowed six runs on six hits, He walked three and struck out two.

Reliever Rocky Roquet got the win. He pitched 1.1 innings and allowed one hit, two walks and struck out two.

Daytona Cubs

Daytona split a double-header with the Lakeland Flying Tigers, losing the first 4-2 and winning the second game 3-0.

In the first game, Billy Muldowney took the loss. He started and went four innings and allowed four runs on six hits, two of which were homers. Muldowney walked two and struck out one.

Third baseman Jonathan Mota was 2 for 3 with his first home run of the season. Left fielder Ty Wright was 2 for 3.

In the second game, Marco Carillo completely shut down the Flying Tigers. He pitched six innings and allowed two hits. He struck out five and walked no one. Matt Avery pitched the seventh for his second save.

Right fielder Ryan Harvey was 2 for 3 with a two-run home run. Center fielder Jim Adducci was 3 for 4 with a double.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to top the Kane County Cougars, 8-7.

Robert Hernandez started and got battered. He allowed four home runs in four innings. He gave up eight hits and six runs total. He struck out two and walked no one, so I guess that's a positive.

Steve Vento was the beneficiary of the comeback. He threw two scoreless innings of relief to record his sixth win of the year.

Shortstop Nate Sampson was 4 for 5 with his second home run of the season. Sampson scored twice and had two RBI. Center fielder Jonathan Wyatt was 2 for 5 with his first home run in the Midwest League. Wyatt also crossed the plate twice and knocked two in.

Boise Hawks

The Hawk beat the Yakima Bears, 7-6.

Marcus Hatley started threw four shutout innings. He allowed three hits, walked two and struck out two. Jay Jackson got the win with four innings of strong relief. Jackson allowed one run on three hits. He struck out seven and didn't walk anyone.

John Muller got the win after Bubba O'Donnell allowed five singles in the ninth inning, which led to five runs.

Shortstop Ryan Flaherty was 3 for 5. DH Rebel Ridling was 2 for 4 with a double, a walk and a run scored. Center fielder David Macias was also 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He had one RBI and one run scored.

Catcher Carlos Perez was 2 for 4 with a walk and a double in the ninth inning which led to the winning run. Left fielder Ryan Sontag's squeeze play scored pinch-runner Jake Opitz. Sontag was also 2 for 4 with a double and a walk.

Josh Vitters hit his first professional home run. It was a three-run shot in the first inning. The 1 for 5 night extended his hitting streak to ten games. He did make his third error of the season.

AZL Cubs

Beat the AZL Padres, 16-15 in a game of RBI Baseball.

Chris Huseby once again didn't make it out of the first inning, although he did get two outs this time. He allowed four runs on three walks, a HBP and a double.

Minor League Wrap--June 26

Josh77 — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:19:35 -0000

First of all, congratulations to Wellington Castillo who was named to the World roster of the Futures Game. That's the second year in a row that the World team will have a Cub catcher. May Castillo's future be as bright as last year's choice.

Prospects Update:

Again, these are players ranked by Baseball America that I didn't rank. The rankings listed are theirs, not mine.

18. Sam Fuld. Outfielder. Stock: DOWN

His stock isn't down with me, because I didn't have much of an opinion of him in the first place. That makes me think I actually know what I'm talking about sometimes. For those of you who, in spring training, thought Fuld should be our starting center fielder, he's back in AA hitting .229/.309/.321. He's still scrappy, hunky and Jewish, though.

19. Larry Suarez. Right-handed pitcher. Stock: DOWN

Suarez has been injured all season and has yet to pitch. I haven't heard whether or not they expect him to pitch again this season.

21. Ryan Acosta. Right-handed pitcher. Stock: DOWN

I have no idea what BA saw in Acosta and why they ranked him so high. It was probably his size and "projectability." It might have been that scouts who were friends of his late father raved about him. I think Acosta has a chance to be a major league pitcher, but based on both his stuff and his results, I have no idea why anyone would rank him higher than Alex Maestri, Jose Ascanio or Mitch Atkins.

Anyway, Acosta had a rough time pitching for Peoria and has been shut down for over a month now with arm problems.

I've got two more prospects to do. The news on them is a lot better. A whole lot better.

Iowa Cubs

The I-Cubs were beaten by the Albuquerque Isotopes, 9-6.

Mike Burns must have thought the game was in Albuquerque. He allowed four home runs in five innings. Overall, he allowed six runs on eleven hits and a walk. He struck out three.

Greg Reinhard allowed three unearned runs in 1.2 innings despite not allowing a hit. Of course, the five walks he allowed might have had something to do with it.

The good news was that Carmen Pignatiello pitched well, allowing only one hit in 1.1 innings and striking out three.

Micah Hoffpauir picked up where he left off in AAA with a 2 for 5 night that included a double and a three-run home run. Hoffpauir had four RBI total on the night.

Casey McGehee was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Josh Kroeger was 2 for 4 with an RBI.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies topped the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, 11-5.

Mitch Atkins improved his record to 7-6 by pitching 5.2 innings and allowing four runs. One of the runs was unearned. Atkins was touched for seven hits and he walked two while striking out five.

Is Tyler Colvin coming out of his funk? Because tonight, Colvin was 3 for 4 with a triple and two RBI. He scored once and hit a sac fly. He didn't walk or strike out.

Second baseman Nate Spears was 2 for 5 with a double and a walk. He scored twice and had an RBI. Right fielder Doug Deeds was 2 for 4 with a double, two RBI and one run scored. Deeds also walked once.

Daytona Cubs

Still building an ark in Lakeland.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs knocked off the Burlington Bees, 10-3.

Kevin Kreier got his third win with six shutout innings. Kreier allowed five hits and a walk while striking out three.

The Chiefs had sixteen hits, and every single Chief in the starting lineup had at least one. All but two had two hits.

Last night, both left fielder Brandon Guyer and DH Luis Bautista homered. Tonight, they both homered again. It was Guyer's sixth and Bautista's fifth. Guyer also stole his eighth base of the year.

Boise Hawks

Boise crushed the Everett Aqua Sox, 10-1.

Boise pitchers combined on a two-hitter. Starter Casey Coleman allowed one solo home run and a walk in four innings. He struck out three. Mike Perconte got the win with four inning of shutout relief, allowing only one hit and one walk while striking out an impressive seven Aqua Sox. Jake Muyco struck out two in the ninth inning to close out the game.

First baseman Ryan Keedy was 3 for 3 with a double and two walks. First round pick, shortstop Ryan Flaherty hit his second home run of the year in a 3 for 4 night. Flaherty had three RBI and scored twice. Second baseman Josh Harrison was 2 for 3 with a double and walk. Harrison scored twice and stole his fourth base already in only six games played.

Josh Vitters extended his hitting streak to nine games with a 1 for 4 effort. Vitters also had a sac fly and two RBI total.

In the Michael Brenly watch, Michael was 1 for 4 with two RBI.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the AZL Brewers, 11-7.

Minor League Wrap--June 25

Josh77 — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 03:23:37 -0000

Prospect Update:

I said I'd do an update on Baseball America's top 30 prospects that I didn't include in my rankings. The rankings listed are BA's this time, not mine.

16. Dae-Eun Rhee Right-handed pitcher. Stock: UP

Rhee hadn't pitched professionally before this season, which is why I didn't include him on my list. He pitched four games in April before running into arm problems which shut him down for over a month. But he's been brilliant when he's been on the mound, going 4-1 with a 1.22 ERA. The only loss was the game in which came up with the sore arm.

Only 19 years old, the Cubs have been babying him. The arm problems are a concern, so I wouldn't expect him to get promoted anytime soon. He might get a start at a higher level at the end of August, but I'd expect him to spend most of the year at Peoria. With luck, he'll get the start at Wrigley in July.

17. Robert Hernandez, Right-handed pitcher. Stock: STEADY

Hernandez is a guy I just flat-out missed when drawing up my list last October. His pitching line in Peoria wasn't great last year, but I forgot to take into account that he was only 18 years old and the youngest pitcher in the Midwest League.

Hernandez has been adopted by his fellow Venezuelan Carlos Zambrano as his protegee, which makes his 50 game suspension for a PED (Winstrol) all the more disappointing.

However, his suspension wasn't all that bad, as he was allowed to work out at the Cubs EXST facilities during his suspension. So the Cubs saved some wear and tear on his arm and he got more individual attention in Mesa than he would have in Peoria. Since his return to Peoria he's been quite good in four starts, posting an ERA of 3.98 and 21 strikeouts and only six walks in 20.1 innings.

I figure his stock goes down because of the suspension, then goes back up because he's showing no ill-effects from it. Consider him steady.

Minor League Wrap--Prospects Update (Part II)

Josh77 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:46:04 -0000

See part one (on the recommended list) for the details.

16. Mitch Atkins Right-handed pitcher. (Baseball America ranking: Not rated) Stock: STEADY

I may have had Atkins ranked a little high last October, but he's done well pitching for the Smokies, and he's only 22 years old. I very much like his K:BB ratio (72:24 in 90 innings pitched). One thing I don't like is that he considers himself a sinkerball/ground ball pitcher, yet his ratio of ground outs to air outs is pretty much 1:1.

Still, I think I had Atkins pegged better than Baseball America, although they did have him at #29 for 2007. Scout.com ranked him at #16 like I did, but I'm hesitant to mention it because they ranked Justin Berg at #11, which kind of blows their credibility. I mentioned before that silly rankings like that one encouraged me to do a prospect list, on the belief that I couldn't do any worse.

17. Darwin Barney. Shortstop. (BA ranking: 24) Stock: DOWN

Barney is projected to be a defense-first shortstop at the major league level, but there is a certain level of hitting that you have to have just to play in the majors. If you're 22 years old and hitting .255/.314/.349 in the Florida State League, that just isn't going to cut it and it doesn't matter if you're Ozzie Smith out there.

Barney also seems to be making more errors than a defensive wizard should be making, but since defensive stats for the FSL aren't quickly available, I should stress that's just my impression and not the facts.

Barney's is still only a year away from college, so he's got a little time to turn it around.

18. Nate Spears. Second baseman (BA: Not rated) Stock: STEADY

For the life of me, I don't understand why Nate Spears doesn't get more respect. He's only 23 and while that isn't young for the Southern League, it's not old either. He's hitting .303/.403/.404. I don't see him playing anywhere other than second base, so I don't believe his defense is terrible. He's got Matt Murton disease, which is getting on base without a lot of power or speed, but the issue with Murton is that he's a left fielder. Spears is a second baseman and the offensive requirements for that position are a lot lower than they are for left field.

Spears walks more than he strikes out. I always consider that a good sign in a minor league prospect.

Does everyone else know something about this guy that I don't know? I'm not saying that he should be a top prospect, but I don't understand why he doesn't get any mention at all. He's short (5'11"). That may be the issue.

By the way, the Cubs acquired Nate Spears from Baltimore for Corey Patterson.

19. Billy Petrick. Right-handed pitcher. (#11) Stock: DOWN

From the majors last season all the way down to the Florida State League. Petrick has been battling shoulder problems all season and hasn't pitched much. When he has pitched, the results haven't been good.

20. Kyler Burke. Outfielder. (#13) Stock: DOWN

Burke's disappointed two organizations now. Last season he struggled in the Midwest League for the Padres, so the Cubs sent him to Boise when they acquired him and he did adequately in the NWL. This season the Cubs sent him back to the Midwest League and he was even worse than he was for the Padres, hitting .208/.278/.305. Now he's back in Boise to see if he can get himself straightened out. But after two failures in the Midwest League, I don't have much hope left.

21. Josh Lansford. Third baseman. (#28) Stock: DOWN

That's down, I guess. Lansford is a guy that I've never liked, and ranked him only because all the scouting reports I read said he was a good prospect. I should have trusted my own eyes over the reports of others, because Lansford hit a "Neifi-riffic" .249/.297/.309 for Daytona in the FSL.

Still, he got promoted to Tennessee under the Jeff Samardzija plan where you promote disappointing players and they improve. Let's hope it works for Josh.

22. Mark Pawelek. Left-handed pitcher. (NR) Stock: DOWN

That's not down much because Mark didn't have much farther to fall. He'd been rebuilding his pitching motion all spring and didn't pitch until Boise started play last week. The reports we were getting out of Mesa were all good, but then he pitched for Boise and he's walked seven in only five innings.

23. Steve Clevenger. Catcher. (#29) Stock: STEADY

Clevenger was aggressively promoted to AA this spring, despite playing only 43 games above the Northwest League before this season. He struggled for the Smokies and got demoted to Daytona, where he's ripping the cover off the ball again.

A middle-infielder by birth, Clevenger was converted to catcher last season. He's an OBP machine, but he doesn't have the power you'd like in a catching prospect. His arm is strong but the rest of his game behind the plate is a little shaky. He still has a good chance to be a major league backup and a real good pinch-hitter off the bench. But he has to prove he can make the jump from High-A to AA soon.

24. Jacob Renshaw. Right-handed pitcher. (NR)

After I made my list, Renshaw was sent to Baltimore as the PTBNL in the Steve Trachsel trade. I don't think we miss him, but that still was a terrible trade.

25. Marquez Smith. Second baseman/third baseman. (NR) Stock: UP

That's really a very tentative up. Smith has been doing really well in the notoriously pitcher-friendly Midwest League, hitting .296/.363/.509 with eleven home runs in half a season. He's also been playing a lot of second base, which would greatly increase his value if he can stick there.

The problem is that Smith is old for the Midwest League at 23. He needs to get promoted, and I assume the only reason he hasn't is because they want him to work on his defense, but I don't know.

Take the "UP" with a grain of salt.

26. Jonathan Wyatt. Center field. (NR) Stock: DOWN

After a very successful season in Boise last year, Wyatt was skipped past Peoria and sent straight to Daytona, where he struggled. He did draw more walks than strikeouts there, so I guess that's a good thing. But after hitting .230, they sent him down to Peoria, where he's doing very well so far.

The problem is that Wyatt turns 24 in September. If he wants to be a major leaguer, he's going to need to be able to skip some levels to catch up to the players his age. He doesn't seem to be able to do that.

I still love his defense, speed and plate discipline. I doubt he'll be on my top 30 list this year, but I'm keeping an eye on him.

27. Matt Camp. Utility Player. (NR) Stock: UP

Boy oh boy, if Camp ever makes it to Wrigley. If Fontenot is an "8" on the "Scrappiness Scale" and Theriot is a "10," then Camp is probably a 13.

He's a fast guy who can draw a walk and has zero power. It's not unusual to see minor leaguers with OBPs higher than SLG, but almost thirty points?

Camp's line of .253/.315/.288 may make people wonder why I have him ranked "UP." First, it's not a big "up" and he's starting from a low ranking. But it's because he's playing shortstop right now and if he can play shortstop, that means he can play every position on the diamond except catcher and pitcher. I've never heard of him playing first, but I'm sure he could do it. But someone who can play seven positions is valuable.

The problem is, as a hitter, Freddie Bynum might be his upside.

28. Wellington Castillo. Catcher. (#15) Stock: UP

That's a big up for me and even an up for Baseball America.

I wanted to rank Castillo a lot higher last October, but I couldn't get a definitive statement on his defense. I heard some reports that he was great and some that he was not so good. The numbers of errors and passed balls were high, and SB/CS ratios for catchers in the Midwest League were hard to come by.

But I now have heard definitively that Castillo is a defensive wizard. He had some troubles in the Midwest League, but apparently he's got a cannon for an arm. The errors were a result of him trying to do too much and the passed balls were part his fault and part his pitching staff's.

This year he did OK in the Florida State League (.273/.299/.339) but got promoted to AA and has been tearing it up there. Although it's only 15 games, Castillo is hitting .340/.397/.585 and has three home runs already. Did I mention he's only 21?

Everyone who sees him compares him to Yadier Molina. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Castillo as Geovany Soto's backup next season.

29. Ty Wright. Outfielder. (NR) Stock: UP

After a successful first professional season in Boise and Peoria, Wright got sent to Daytona where he's been a bright spot there, hitting .297/.354/.357. I really don't understand why his power numbers are so poor. Maybe it's the Florida State League and maybe it's just dumb luck, but I expect his power to come around.

30. Jake Fox. First baseman. (#19) Stock: DOWN

Fox still has tremendous power. He still makes way too many outs. After hitting some tremendous home runs and making a lot of outs in the PCL, he's back in AA where he's destroying the Southern League. But that really doesn't matter, because he turns 26 next month and he's in AA.

There were eight players ranked by Baseball America in their top thirty that I didn't include. Two of them, Tim Lahey and Jose Ascanio, were acquired by the Cubs after I wrote up my rankings. Lahey is gone already, so I won't cover him. But I'll cover those seven players as part of my regular Minor League Wraps.