This Week In The Minors: All Playoffs

tennessee smokiesThis will be the final “This Week In The Minors” of the 2013 season, and for this edition I’ll be breaking from the usual format.  We have some playoffs to talk about.

Once the playoffs have wrapped up and the Cub teams have all dispersed for the winter, my minor league coverage will also take a break until after the World Series. At some point this fall, though, we’ll start breaking down the numbers from the minor league season, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the system, and taking hard look at this farm system from the point of view of the Cubs rebuilding efforts.

But for now we have the playoffs, and two teams in this organization are well on their way to a Championship right now while a third is just starting to show some signs of breaking out. We’ll start this run down in the Northwest with the…

Boise Hawks

The Hawks are one win away from taking home the title. They won the first game of the best of three Northwest League Championship Series 5-0 at home on Friday night, and Game Two is in Vancouver today.

Playing in Canada will deplete Boise’s roster a little, but it might not matter. The Hawks are sending Paul Blackburn to the mound, the same Paul Blackburn who allowed just two hits and struck out eight over seven innings in shutting down Salem-Keizer in Boise’s postseason opener. If Blackburn turns in another performance like that we just might see a league title awarded today.

Pitching for Vancouver will be Kyle Anderson. Anderson has fared very differently in his last two appearances against Boise. On July 12th he pitched five scoreless frames and struck out two. On August 10, though, Boise rocked him for five runs on nine hits over four innings.

Game time is 2:05 Mountain Time. There will be no video stream for this one, but you can listen for free from the Hawks website.

Daytona Cubs

Daytona is also one win away.

Yesterday the Cubs got yet another shutout from their pitching staff and turned that into a 2-0 Game Two win. The Florida State League Championship Series is a best of five affair, and the Cubs have a commanding 2-0 lead in that series. One win today in Charlotte and the Cubs are going home with another FSL title.

Yesterday the great starting performance came from Ivan Pineyro. Pineyro allowed just three hits and struck out seven over seven innings. Frank Del Valle pitched the final two innings to seal the win.

Pin-Chieh Chen and Zeke DeVoss split four hits as the first two hitters in the lineup, and the young slugging tandem of Daniel Vogelbach and Kris Bryant doubled (as did Anthony Giansanti and Chadd Krist). Those four extra base hits were all Daytona could come up with, but thanks to the great pitching they were all the Cubs needed.

If you’re counting, over the course of this postseason the Daytona Cubs have allowed just one run, and that was unearned. Through four playoff games this entire team has an ERA of 0.00. We are witnessing one of the most impressive stretches of starting pitching put together by any minor league team at any level of any system this season, and there is no reason to think it can’t last one more game.

No starter has been announced for today’s game yet, but I suspect Corey Black will be taking the mound for the Cubs. Black kicked off this incredible run of postseason pitching earlier in the week.

Game time is 5:00 Eastern Time, and the radio feed will be available for free from the Daytona website.

Tennessee Smokies

The first round of the Southern League playoffs is a best of five series, and that means the Smokies are still alive. Tennessee dropped the first two games on the road in Birmingham before finally finding their offense late in yesterday’s 9-2 victory.

Eric Jokisch has emerged as the late season ace for the Smokies, and he came through for Tennessee again on Saturday. Through 7.2 innings he allowed just two runs on five hits while striking out four. Armando Rivero and Frank Batista finished off the game in scoreless fashion.

Javier Baez hit his first postseason home run as he finished with two hits in this game and John Andreoli added two doubles to complete the extra base hits for the Smokies. Matt Szczur and Christian Villanueva also had two hits.

Now the focus turns to this afternoon when Eduardo Figueroa takes the mound to try to tie the series up. Figueroa shut out Birmingham through six innings in mid August, and his Southern League ERA is a solid 2.38. Birmingham will send the lefty Scott Snodgress to the mound. The Smokies had trouble with Snodgress when they faced him on August 1, but over the course of the season this guy has been hitable. Tennessee will need to hit him if they are to force a decisive Game Five.

Game time is 3:00 PM Eastern Time.  In addition to the free radio feed from the Smokies website, this game will also be available on MiLB.TV.

written by

Luke Blaize is the Minor League Editor at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @ltblaize.

more cubs news

The Morel Foul Ball, Madrigal’s D, Busch Heads Up, Langford Respect, and Other Cubs Bullets

Ah, now the obligatory off-day after Opening Day. And an Opening Day loss no less, which always makes today that much better, right ... You could hang on so many things from the opening loss - one-run losses in heavily-scrutinized...

Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

*SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

Latest News

Marlins vs. Pirates Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Miami Marlins (0-1) are favorites (-132) on the moneyline when they square off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (1-0) Friday at 7:10 PM ET, live on BSFL.Miami's Andrew Jacob Puk and Pittsburgh's Martin Perez have been named the starters for...

Rays vs. Blue Jays Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) and Toronto Blue Jays (1-0) meet Friday at Tropicana Field, starting at 6:50 PM ET on SNET. The Rays are -122 moneyline favorites for the contest, however, the Blue Jays are favored against the spread...

Astros vs. Yankees Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

The New York Yankees (1-0) visit the Houston Astros (0-1) for a road game on Friday at 8:10 PM ET.The Astros will look to Cristian Javier versus the Yankees and Carlos Rodon.Astros vs. Yankees Pitcher Matchup and Game InfoWhen: Friday,...

Bet $5 with FanDuel Promo Code, Win $200 Bonus Including NCAA Tournament

This weekend is packed with great sports action including the NCAA Tournament, MLB, and NBA for bettors. Check out the FanDuel promo code to score a $200 bonus if your first $5 bet wins! If you live in NC, you...

DraftKings Promo Code: Get $150 for $5 Bet on College Basketball and More Sports

This time of the year on the sports calendar is truly special with the MLB season starting, college basketball in full swing, and much more! Don't miss out on the chance to grab a bonus by using the latest DraftKings...

Rays vs. Blue Jays Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

The Toronto Blue Jays (1-0) play on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) at Tropicana Field. The game is set to start at 6:50 PM ET on Friday.The Rays will call on Aaron Civale versus the Blue Jays...

Marlins vs. Pirates Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

The Pittsburgh Pirates (1-0) play on Friday in Miami against the Miami Marlins (0-1). First pitch is at 7:10 PM ET.The Marlins will call on Andrew Jacob Puk against the Pirates and Martin Perez.Marlins vs. Pirates Pitcher Matchup and Game...

Duke vs Houston Predictions and Odds: March Madness Best Bets

We have a couple of number-one seeds in March Madness action tonight including Houston (32-4) as the Cougars take on Duke (26-8). Check out the odds and more for Duke vs Houston which tips off tonight at 9:39 pm ET...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offseason Preview: 2024 Free Agents and Team Needs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enjoyed a successful 2023 season, capturing their third straight NFC South title and pushing the Detroit Lions in a thrilling Divisional Round matchup. This strong showing translates to a relatively stable roster with few glaring weaknesses...

Fanatics NC Promo Code Scores Up to $1,000 in Bonus Bets Over 10 Days: Dive into North Carolina Sports Betting

After a long wait, legal sports betting has finally arrived in the Tar Heel State. Fanatics NC, along with host of other sports books are up and operating in North Carolina. This exciting development opens doors for fans to wager...

more cubs news