Cubs Minor League News: Rookie League Action |
Per the usual, Monday was your typical Rookie League Monday, but with a strange twist. Despite all three teams in action, only one team managed to finish their game: the ACL Cubs. As is the case so much during this time of year, weather in the Dominican Republic is unpredictable, and both DSL teams saw their action suspended less than three innings into the game.
Sometimes, it is not a matter of how many innings you can score, but how many you can score in an inning. The Guardians did that on Monday, as a five-run second inning would be all they would need offensively to pick up the win. Carlos Garcia got the ball for the Cubs, and despite striking out six in 3 2/3, he was responsible for the massive inning as he took the loss on the mound. The rehabbing Jake Miller opposed him, who only lasted 2 2/3, but they were an impressive 2 2/3 as he struck out four and allowed just one run. After a scoreless first inning, the Guardians busted the game open in the second and took a lead they would never give back. Jeffrey Mercedes started things with an RBI double to give the Guardians the 2-0 lead, with Esteban Gonzalez using an RBI double of his own to double the lead. Jaison Chourio added an RBI single later in the inning to cap off the massive frame as the Cubs fell into a 5-0 hole. The Cubs managed to get one of those runs back in the third on the Yahil Melendrez single, but in the fifth, they started to make a game of things. With just one swing, the Rookie Carter Trice came through with his first professional homer as he pulled the Cubs within 5-4. That was as close as the Cubs would get as the Guardians pushed across two runs in the sixth to extend their lead to 7-4, with Rafael Ramirez Jr adding a two-run blast in the eighth to cap off the scoring in what was a 9-4 win for the Guardians. Trice may have led the team with three RBIs, but another rookie, Drew Bowser, led the team with two hits.
In a strange series of events, this game was suspended almost as fast as it began. It almost makes you wonder why they even started this game if they knew bad weather was coming. Despite the Cubs loading the bases in the top half of the first on a walk by Derik Alcantara to start things off, followed by a pair of errors, no damage came from that inning as the Cubs wasted a golden opportunity early on. The game was called just one out into the bottom of the first and will be picked up later.
Despite DSL Red starting to turn their season around as they creep closer to the .500 mark, they were in for a challenging task on Monday as they took on the league-best DSL Dodgers. After a 19-0 start to begin their season, the Dodgers have continued to roll as they sit at 33-8. Even with this game lasting only until the second inning, the Dodgers offense was on full display as they have already pushed across seven runs in two frames. The first inning was when a large chunk of the game's offense was scored as six total runs came across home. Four of them came from the Dodgers as Ronny Lopez was getting shelled. Yorfran Medina opened the scoring with an RBI double, while a bases-loaded hit by a pitch from Lopez made things 2-0. A sacrifice fly from Reynerd Ortega brought home another run with the Paris Johnson single giving the Dodgers a massive 4-0 lead. DSL Red knew they were in for a tall task in this one, but they wouldn't back down without a fight. After keeping the pressure on throughout the bottom of the first, the Dodgers gifted the Cubs a pair of runs on two wild pitches as they pulled within 4-2. Unfortunately for them, the Dodger's offense was just getting started as they continued to make life miserable for Lopez early on. An Eduardo Quintero single extended the lead to 5-2, only to have the defense let Lopez down as a pair of errors gave the Dodgers two additional runs to make things 7-2. That is where things will pick up later, as this game was suspended due to Lightning. FYIACL GUARDIANS 9 - ACL CUBS 4
DSL CUBS BLUE 0 - DSL DIAMONDBACKS 0 (Suspended in the first)
DSL DODGERS 7 - DSL CUBS RED 2 (Suspended in the second)
Reggie Preciado began a rehab stint in the Arizona Complex League tonight. He hasn't played since May 18. pic.twitter.com/B4LfbLJGi3
