Tonight was the first home football game for my cheerleader daughter, so I didn’t actually see any games tonight. It was kind of interesting having the Cubs/Pirates game on my phone with the new 3D Gameday. Other than the result, of course. The overturned call in the ninth was quite confusing, however.
The Cubs today released right-hander Danis Correa. Right-hander Edwin Uceta cleared waivers and was assigned to Iowa. Left-handers Stephen Gonsalves and Bailey Horn were activated by Iowa.
It has been reported that left-hander Jordan Wicks has left the I-Cubs. One assumes he was in, or on his way to, Pittsburgh tonight.
Fourteenth-round pick, right-hander Grayson Moore, was assigned to Myrtle Beach from the ACL Cubs. Catcher David Avitia went the other way.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs were shut down Indianapolis (Pirates), 2-1.
Starter Caleb Kilian kept the I-Cubs in the game, allowing just one run on six hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked no one.
Brad Boxberger retired all three batters he faced in the seventh inning, striking out one.
Brendon Little came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth and took the loss. Little allowed a leadoff triple in the inning. After a getting an out on a ground ball back to the pitcher, Little walked the third batter to put runners on the corners with one out. The next batter hit a ground ball to the shortstop, but he beat the throw to first base to prevent the double play and score the runner from third. Little then got a line out to left field to end the inning.
Iowa’s only run came on an RBI single by shortstop Luis Vazquez in the seventh inning, scoring catcher PJ Higgins. Vazquez went 2 for 3 with a double. Higgins was 1 for 3.
That was all three Iowa hits tonight. They struck out 16 times and walked just three times. Nine of those strikeouts came in the five innings pitched by top Pirates prospect Quinn Priester.
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies blinded the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 4-0.
Starter Walker Powell improved his record to 11-5 with six scoreless innings tonight. Powell gave up five hits. He walked two and struck out five. Powell’s 11 wins leads the Southern League.
Catcher Pablo Aliendo hit a two-run home run in the second inning, his 15th of the season. Aliendo also hit an RBI double in the seventh inning, giving him three total. He was 2 for 4 and scored twice.
Right fielder Bradlee Beesley was 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.
Center fielder Jordan Nwogu went 2 for 4 with an RBI single that scored Aliendo in the seventh.
The Smokies’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 13 with 20 games to play.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs stone-ground the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), 18-2.
Brody McCullough came an out shy of qualifying for the win, but he pitched well enough, allowing just one run on three hits over 4.2 innings. McCullough walked three and struck out three.
The win went to Nick Hull, who relieved McCullough and allowed just one run on one hit and one walk over 3.1 innings. Hull also hit one batter while striking out two.
Second baseman Matt Shaw had the biggest game of his young career, going 3 for 5 with two home runs and a double. Shaw’s first home run came with a man on in the first inning and his second one happened in the second inning with the bases empty. The double scored a run in the third inning and gave him four total RBI for the game.
Shaw now has four home runs in South Bend and five overall.
Center fielder Kevin Alcántara also had a big night, going 3 for 4 with a solo home run in the second inning that was back-to-back with Shaw’s second home run. It was Alcántara’s 11th home run. He scored three times tonight.
Third baseman Luis Verdugo hit a solo home run in the third inning, his fourth. Verdugo was 3 for 4 with a double and the home run. He had four total RBI and he scored twice.
Finally, first baseman Felix Stevens crushed his 25th home run of the year and his 12th with South Bend. It came with a man on in the fourth. Stevens went 3 for 4 with a double, the homer and a walk. Stevens scored four times and had three total RBI.
Right fielder Ezequiel Pagan was 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored two times and drove in one.
Left fielder Yohendrick Pinango went 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored three runs.
Shortstop Josh Rivera was 2 for 5 with three runs batted in and he scored one run.
Highlights:
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were shot by the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox), 10-8.
Starter Kevin Valdez took the loss after getting rocked for five runs on five hits over just 2.2 innings. Valdez walked two and struck out five.
On another day, third baseman Pedro Ramirez would have been the star of the night. (That’s OK. Ramirez’s walk-off double made him the star of last night.) Ramirez hit two two-run home runs tonight. The first came in the fourth inning and the second one was an eighth-inning shot. The switch-hitting Ramirez hit the two home runs from opposite sides of the plate. Ramirez was 3 for 4 this evening. He now has six home runs this year.
Shortstop Cristian Hernandez went 3 for 5 with a double and three stolen bases tonight. Hernandez scored three times and had one run batted in.
Center fielder Brett Bateman was 3 for 5 with a stolen base. He drove in two.
Highlights.
