Cubs Minor League News: Triantos raking, Verdugo clutch, Pertuz with 4 hits, more |
It has been a strange week of baseball in the Cubs Minor League system, which continued on Sunday. Not only did Myrtle Beach go through another rainout on Saturday, but game one of their doubleheader was also suspended as they played just one full game all week.
You also had the Iowa Cubs looking to rebound from a horrific game on Saturday while the Smokies looked to win five of six for the second straight week. All that put together gave the Cubs a 2-1 overall mark, as there is roughly one month to go in the regular season.
If you are a fan of a fast-moving pitcher's duel, this was the game for you, at least until late. Heading into the eighth inning, the Cubs found themselves down 2-1 and just over two hours in total game time gone by. Then came the next several innings, when time stood still, and both offenses had to scratch and claw for everything. In the end, someone had to win, and it was the Storm Chasers finding a way to get it done in 12 innings, 4-3. Adrian Houser made his second start since joining the Cubs and was about as efficient as you could be. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits in five innings, striking out one and throwing just over 50 pitches before handing things off to the pen. . @AdrianHouser12 was dealing tonight! pic.twitter.com/fCnaec9WXs He gave way to Trey Supak, who allowed one run and struck out four in three innings as the Cubs had to rally late. The lone run Houser allowed came off a Tyler Gentry single at the bottom of the third, which followed the go-ahead Kevin Alcantara single at the top of the inning. Those were the only runs either team would score for quite a while until a CJ Alexander homer gave the Storm Chasers a 2-1 lead in the sixth. Still trailing by that score in the ninth, Chase Strumpf did his best to play the late-game hero as he tied the game with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth before adding a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 11th. Down, but not out, the Storm Chasers continued to battle back with Nick Pratto tying the game on an RBI single before walking things off in the 12th on another Alexander hit. Iowa was held to five hits in the game, with James Triantos leading the way with two. Can't fault our fight. pic.twitter.com/7E5NcbLOGH
Nothing came easy for the Smokies this week, but the bottom line is that this team won five of six for the second straight week to continue their stranglehold on the division. This was an eventful game, to say the least, as the Smokies had to overcome a 4-1 deficit and a terrible strike zone that led to both Manage Lance Rymel and Felix Stevens getting thrown out. All was forgiven as Luis Verdugo came through with a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Smokies to the 5-4 walk-off win. Most of the Tennessee offense came late as they scored four times in the final two innings, with three coming in the ninth. Apart from that, this was your classic pitcher's duel with Jimmy Endersby, allowing just one unearned run in four innings before the bullpen took over. That run came on the Austin Hendrick second-inning homer as the Lookouts took an early 1-0 lead. Their lead didn't last long as Jack Reinheimer tied things up with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second, the only run Kevin Abel would allow in his five innings. That is what is frustrating for the Smokies as he walked six and struck out four as the Smokies offense let him off the hook. After retaking the lead 2-1 in the fourth, Hendrick closed out his big day by connecting for his second homer in the eighth inning to give the Lookouts a 4-1 lead. At the time, that looked like enough for the Lookouts to grab the win, but with Haydn McGeary cashing in with an RBI single in the eighth, the Smokies were within 4-2. Then came the ninth inning, when the Smokies started to show signs of life and looked like the offense everyone was waiting for. That all started with Fabian Pertuz, whose RBI double made this a 4-3 game. Pertuz led the Smokies with four hits, his second multi-hit game of the season. The biggest break of the inning came with a runner on third as Casey Opitz struck out on an inside fastball only to have the ball reach the backstop to allow the tying run to score. Two batters later, Verdugo closed out the rally as his blooper to CF was all the Smokies needed to pick up the 5-4 win. That was the third hit of the game for Verdugo, as the Smokies had 13 hits in the game. COME BACK KINGS! Luis Verdugo knocks in the game-winning RBI as the Smokies score 3 in the 9th to defeat Chattanooga 5-4! What a wild time! @zips3mincarwash
The 2024 season has been a struggle for the Cubs, but they have been playing better in the second half. That wasn't the case most of the week, and after trailing 2-0 through six, things looked bleak. That was until the Cubs' offense erupted for seven late runs, including five runs in the eighth, to secure a 7-2 win. This is one of those games the Cubs were fortunate enough to win. Erian Rodriguez had a rough four innings, walking four and striking out two. However, he only allowed two runs, turning things over to Angel Gonzalez and Luis Devers, who combined to strike out five in four scoreless frames. Both of the runs Rodriguez allowed came in the third inning as the Rosman Verdugo double gave the Tin Caps a 2-0 lead. That was looking to be enough as Jagger Haynes struck out eight in four scoreless frames while the Cubs were held scoreless through six. Then came the seventh when South Bend tied things up with a passed ball, leading to the first run ahead of the Parker Chavers sacrifice fly. In the eighth, the Cubs put the game away as they pushed across five runs to break the game open. Ed Howard doubled home the winning run in that inning to put the Cubs in front for good, while a Jordan Nwogu double extended their lead to 5-2. The @SBCubs take the lead on an RBI double from Ed Howard! pic.twitter.com/1xryGRh6vW Rafael Morel added an RBI single shortly after, with David Avitia closing out the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the Cubs 7-2 win. Morel and Garcia paced the Cubs offense with three hits, while Nwogu added two hits and two RBIs. Brad Deppermann closed things out in the ninth as his ERA sits at 3.00 since returning to South Bend. CUBS WIN!OMAHA STORM CHASERS 4 - IOWA CUBS 3 (F/12)
TENNESSEE SMOKIES 5 - CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS 4
Box Score: https://t.co/ff8DfvOJgq pic.twitter.com/fHLLPTlghiSOUTH BEND CUBS 7 - FORT WAYNE TIN CAPS 2
Cubs - 7
Tin Caps - 2 pic.twitter.com/G3oFJiZSeS
DOWN EAST WOOD DUCKS 8 - MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 0 (Suspended)
This was a week to forget for the Pelicans. Not only were four of their now five games rained out due to a tropical storm, but the only completed game on Friday resulted in a 7-1 loss. Sunday wasn't much better, as the Pelicans were held to two hits and surrendered eight runs in just two innings before the rains came.
JP Wheat continues to struggle with his command as he walked four in just 2/3 of an inning while failing to record a strikeout. You also had Kenten Egbert go through his worst outing of the season, as he was charged with five runs in one inning. Three of the eight runs Down East scored came in the first inning, with Echedry Vargas opening the scoring with an RBI single before tacking on two additional runs.
Their offensive onslaught continued into the second as a trio of RBI singles from Julian Block, Pablo Guerrero, and Ben Hartl led to four additional runs and a bases-loaded walk, bringing home the final run. Cristian Hernandez and Carter Trice had the two hits for the Birds.
Today’s game has been suspended and will be completed at a later date in Myrtle Beach.
— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) August 11, 2024
Down East leads 8-0 entering the third inning.
CLEBURNE RAILROADERS 10 - CHICAGO DOGS 9
In what will be the longest series of the season for the Dogs (6 games), Chicago was hoping at the very least to salvage what has been a tough week. Despite falling behind by six runs early, the Dogs found a way to battle back, only to get walked off in the ninth.
Chicago couldn't have asked for a worse start as they spotted the Railroaders six runs in the first inning. Brian O'Grady and Korey Holland provided the power with a pair of homers, while an error led to the final run of the inning to put the Dogs in an early 6-0 hole. The Dogs got one of those runs back in the second off the Jhonni Turbo homer, with Narcisco Crook pulling them to within 6-3 with a two-run shot in the third.
After the Blake Grant-Parks double pushed the Railroaders lead to 9-3 in the fourth, it was all Dogs the rest of the way as their comeback bid was underway. That all started with a Chase Harris solo shot in the fifth, while Zion Pettigrew added a single to make this a 9-5 game. Harris was just getting started as he connected for his second homer in as many at-bats in the sixth to pull the Dogs within 9-6.
Trailing 9-7 entering the ninth, it was that man Crook again leaving the building as his two-run shot was not only his second homer of the night, but his fifth homer of the series as the Dogs were back to even 9-9. Unfortunately for them, the Railroaders would get the last laugh as Holland led off the bottom of the ninth with a triple before coming home on the Bret Boswell sacrifice game to walk off the Dogs 10-9.
Final.
— Chicago Dogs (@TheChicagoDogs) August 12, 2024
📺https://t.co/ZyIk7dOVpK |🌭#NoKetchup pic.twitter.com/ciXUSn1FYL
WASHINGTON WILD THINGS 5 - WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS 2 (F/10)
Looking to avoid a home sweep against the Wild Things, the Thunderbolts found themselves locked in a 2-2 tie with extra innings set to decide things. That is when the Wild Things put the game away as they scored three times in the top of the 10th to pick up the sweep 5-2.
Will Armbruester got the start, and took a no decision as he tossed five innings of two run (1ER) ball with four punchouts. He gave way to a trio of relievers, including Bryce Hellgeth, who struck out three in three scoreless frames. Opposing Armbruester was Zach Kirby who also gave up two runs on four strikeouts, but managed to pitch six innings.
It didn't take the Wild Things long to open the scoring as the Tommy Caufield sacrifice fly gave the Wild Things a 1-0 lead in the first before tacking on a second run on a passed ball. Those would be the only runs of regulation for the Wild Things and the only runs of the game until the fifth, when Reed Chumley picked a great time to connect for his first homer of the season to tie things up 2-2.
That score would hold until the 10th inning when the Wild Things broke open a 2-2 game and turned it into a 5-2 lead. Wagner Larange broke the tie with a game-winning RBI single, but the Jalen Miller double closed out the scoring and capped off the 5-2 Wild Things win.
