NEWSLETTER
Is anyone else ready for the Northwest League to finally begin? Even though I am already closely following six minor league teams, I am ready to add a couple more to the list and to see this talented Boise team in action. From the Boise Hawks website, it looks like Jose Arias will be pitching the season opener. Arias is a 6’5″ right hander who just turned twenty one in January. He has put up some impressive numbers in the Dominican Summer League; now we get to see what he can do against much tougher competition.
But before the Boise players can play a game, they need a place to sleep. That is where the Host Family Program comes into play. Local families in the Boise area take in the Cubs’ prospects for the season and provide them with a room, food, and a safe and comfortable place to rest up between days at the ballpark. After watching this quick interview, it sounds like a great program.
AAA – Iowa Cubs. 29 – 37
Iowa fell behind in the first inning and never managed to recover. The game ended as a 9-4 loss.
Chris Volstad gave up five runs in the first, but after that he pitched fairly well. That five run meltdown was enough to saddle him with his first Triple-A loss of the season.
Ryan Rowland-Smith pitched an inning of relief in which he allowed three more runs to score, but none of them were earned. Michael Bowden followed up with two scoreless frames, and Scott Maine pitched a scoreless ninth.
Anthony Rizzo was 0 for 2. He also gave Cub fans a scare when he was pulled from the game with an apparent knee injury after making a sliding catch near the dugout. Fortunately, all he has is a bruised knee. The Cubs may keep him out of the lineup for a day or so out of an abundance of caution, but it looks like he will be just fine.
Luis Valbuena hits his eighth home run of the season to lead the Cubs’ offense. Ty Wright had two hits, including a double, and the rehabbing Geovany Soto doubled in four at bats.
AA – Tennesse Smokies. 31 – 34
Tennessee was off on Tuesday night. They will be at home tonight as they continue their efforts to push their record back to .500.
High A – Daytona Cubs. 29 – 34
Daytona used a starter-by-committee approach in this game, and they still walked away with an 8-3 win.
Eduardo Figueroa pitched the first three innings. He allowed two runs on five hits while striking out four; that’s not too bad. Ryan Searle earned the win by pitching the next two innings in scoreless fashion. Joseph Zeller matched that accomplishment, and Jeffrey Lorrick finished the game off with a single run in the final two frames. Add it all up and you get four pitchers, eight strike outs, three runs, and one win.
Daytona got some big hits from Nelson Perez (his eleventh home run) and Chad Noble (his first triple), but offense really was not a problem in this game. Greg Rohan had another two hit night and John Andreoli hit two of his own while Perez finished the game with three. Bases were stolen by Rubi Silva (his fourth) and Andreoli (his eighteenth).
Low A – Peoria Chiefs. 32 – 33
Well, that didn’t last long. Peoria surged their way to .500 with a seven game winning streak, but they lost as soon as they got there. It was a close one, but Peoria fell on the road 5-4.
Michael Jensen‘s record fell to 6-3 on the season as he could not get out of the fifth inning. He did strike out five, but he also allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits. Larry Suarez and Felix Pena did not allow any runs in relief, but the Chief’s offense could not make up the lost ground.
Javier Baez led the team with two hits, both singles, and his sixth stolen base of the season. He did make three errors, though. Zeke DeVoss doubled and walked, and Yaniel Cabezas hit his first triple of the year. Peoria did well in scoring four runs given their limited chances. They just needed more chances.
