Cubs Minor League News: Rookie League Action |
Monday is the beginning of a new week, and Rookie League Monday as the Cubs Rookie League teams took center stage. Unlike the full-season squads, which have been tearing it up this season, the Rookie League teams have been struggling, although one is inching closer to .500.
On Monday, things continued to be rough as the Cubs posted a 0-3 record for the day. It is becoming part of the norm given their struggles, but at some point, you would like to see the wins start happening, much like the full-season teams have been able to generate.
At some point, you have to feel for the Cubs Rookie League teams, especially the ACL Cubs. As the saying goes, you play to get promoted at this level, and most of the top-tier ACL players have moved up in the Cubs system. That is good news for the organization, but bad news for ACL, who lost another tight one despite scoring five runs in the sixth inning. Their big issue was pitching, as a pair of big innings allowed seven of the nine runs to come home. Three of those came off of Brad Boxberger in the first, as he lasted just 1/3 of an inning, while Carlos Garcia was lit up for six runs in three innings. Getting back to Boxberger, seeing him on the mound for the first time in three months was great, even if the results were ugly. Granted, an error led to two runs for an early 2-0 lead, but Boxberger also struggled across the board, with Adrian De Leon extending the lead to 3-0 with an RBI single. Singles from Jancarlos Cintron and Adrian Rodriguez in the second and third inning were sandwiched around the Adan Sanchez single as the Cubs trailed 5-1 after three. Following a Jose Escobar single that pulled the Cubs within 5-2 in the fourth, the Diamondbacks offense responded in a big way and pushed across four runs in the bottom of the fourth to open up the 9-2 lead. Jackson Feltner drove in the first of those runs with an RBI double, while Ronny Polanco unloaded for the three-run shot. Those were the game's final runs for the Diamondbacks, and they would need every bit of them late. Down, but certainly not out, the Cubs began to mound a furious comeback in the sixth, starting with a bases-loaded walk to Reggie Preciado and a wild pitch to make things 9-4. Another Escobar single later, it was 9-5 before the Cubs added two more runs on a Zyhir Hope walk, and the Christopher Paciolla sacrifice fly. Still trailing by two in the final inning, the Cubs continue to show some of the fight they have been lacking most of the summer, with Preciado picking up an RBI single to pull them within 9-8. They would eventually fall by that score as the Cubs couldn't get the clutch hit they needed late. Escobar led the offense with two hits and two RBIs as he was joined by Sanchez and 2023 20th-round pick Drew Bowser who is now hitting .324 in Arizona.
The worst team in the Cubs system is DSL Blue, and things continued to go downhill Monday. Despite scoring twice in the seventh inning, the Cubs also allowed three runs in the top of the seventh which was the difference in their 5-4 loss. Jerel Vizcaino set the tone for the Cubs on the mound as he gave the Cubs three innings of one-run ball as his ERA sits at 2.40. He had to be on top of his game as Nicaragua sensation Duque Hebbert went four innings for the Tigers, striking out four and allowing just one run himself. It didn't take long for the Cubs to break through as an error, and a fielder's choice in the first gave them a quick 2-0 lead. It was a lead that they made stick for a while as the pitching held their own most of the day. Willian Berti got the Tigers on the board with an RBI single in the third, while a balk in the fifth tied things up 2-2. With the game still tied and both teams down to their final at-bats, the offense took over as both teams had run on their mind. For the Tigers, it was the Luis Watter single that gave them a 3-2 lead before tacking on two additional runs to take a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Not to be outdone, Darlyn De Leon tripled home a run before coming home to score on the Derik Alcantara RBI groundout as the Cubs were within 5-4. That was as close as they would get as they were unable to push across any more runs and fell by that score. De Leon led the offense with two hits and an RBI, with Derniche Valdez also picking up two hits in the loss.
Just when it looks like the DSL Cubs are about to climb back to .500, they get on a mini skid, including their walk-off loss to the Giants on Monday. Ronny Lopez got the start and allowed just one run in three innings, but Bryan Landaez was the tough-luck pitcher in this one. Landaez allowed four runs in two innings, but the defense did him little to no favors, as none of those four runs were earned. After an error allowed the Giants to take the lead in the second, Andrews Cruz tied things up with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third. One inning later saw the Cubs grab the lead on the Yidel Diaz homer before another Cruz sacrifice fly had the Cubs in front 4-1 in the fifth. Despite their best efforts to pull away, the Giants offense had all the answers, with Oswaldo Ladera connecting for the go Ahead Grand Slam in the bottom of the fifth to put the Giants back in front 5-4. They would hold that lead until the seventh when Sandy Sanchez picked up an RBI ground out to tie things up before the game went into extras. With the Cubs going down scoreless in the top half of the eighth, it came down to pitching in the bottom half of the eighth as a pair of wild pitches from Bryan Diaz brought home the winning run in a tough 6-5 loss. Angel Cepeda paced the offense with two hits, while Diaz and Cruz each drove in two. Chicago Cubs sent RHP Brad Boxberger on a rehab assignment to ACL Cubs.
ACL DIAMONDBACKS 9 - ACL CUBS 8
DSL TIGERS 5 - DSL CUBS BLUE 4
DSL GIANTS 6 - DSL CUBS RED 5 (F/8)
RHP Landon Ginn assigned to ACL Cubs. He was signed as a nondrafted free agent out of East Carolina.
RHP Alfredo Romero assigned to ACL Cubs from DSL Cubs Red.
