Iowans, mark your calendars. On June 20 and June 21 Bleacher Nation will be visiting your fair state in person. Well, part of Bleacher Nation anyway. I will be in the stands when the Cubs take on El Paso that Friday night and Albuquerque on Saturday.
Additional details will follow in the weeks ahead. If there is enough interest we can look to set up some sort of a meet up at a nearby establishment around one or both of the game times. This will be my first trip to Des Moines in a decade or so, and my first ever into Principal Park, so I will have to defer to you for recommendations.
Regardless, it should be a great weekend, and one I have been looking forward to for a long time now. I know Bleacher Nation has a sizable following in the Iowa area, and I hope to meet a small army of you at the ballpark the weekend of June 20.
Scores From Yesterday
Iowa – Iowa had the day off. Tennessee – The Smokies game was rained out. Daytona – Daytona scored four in the eighth for the 6-2 win. Kane County – A run in the first was all Kane County scored. They lost 2-1.
Performances of Note
[Daytona] Albert Almora launched his 2nd home run of the season and finished 2 for 4. Tim Saunders also finished 2 for 4 with this 2nd homer of the year.
[Daytona] Dan Vogelbach finished 2 for 3 with a walk.
[Daytona] Yao-Lin Wang struck out 4 and allowed 2 runs (one earned) on 3 hits and 3 walks in his 4.2 innings of work.
[Daytona] Zack Godley allowed a hit and struck out a pair in his 2 innings of relief. Starling Peralta pitched 2.1 innings of relief and allowed a hit and a walk while striking out 3.
[Kane County] Ben Carhart, at third base in this game, drove in Carlos Penalver for the Cougars’ only run.
[Kane County] Cael Brockmeyer singled twice for Kane County’s only multi-hit game.
[Kane County] Juan Paniagua walked 4 and struck out 3 in his 3.2 innings on the mound. He allowed both runs to score on 4 hits.
[Kane County] Justin Amlung had a very nice apperance. Over 3.1 innings he allowed no walks, no hits, and struck out 3. Tyler Bremer put up a row of zeroes in his one inning of work.
Other News
One factor to keep an eye on as pitching prospects start to surface in Cubs trade speculation and rumors is ground ball rates. As we saw in This Week In The Minors on Sunday, ground balls are generally a win for the pitcher. A pitcher who produces a lot of grounders is probably going to give up fewer extra base hits and home runs than a pitcher who produces more line drives and fly balls. In checking the fly ball rates that have been floated in speculation lately, we have Colorado’s Eddie Butler with a GO/AO of 1.29, Toronto’s Marcus Stroman with a minor league GO/AO of 2.23, and Miami’s Andrew Heaney with a GO/AO of 1.45. There are more stats to consider than just GO/AO, but that number is one of the reasons why I would be very happy to welcome Stroman to the Cubs system in a trade.
The Cubs may have won last night's game because of Shota Imanaga's dominance, Chris Morel's sac fly, Cody Bellinger's homer, and Michael Busch's lightning-fueled walk-off. But the game was saved by two huge defensive moments from Ian Happ and Nico...
Rehab start number two for Kyle Hendricks was another largely successful one, with both results and good health (he got up to 85 pitches). https://twitter.com/IowaCubs/status/1787992856868561361 https://twitter.com/voiceofcohen2/status/1788009083930304736 https://twitter.com/AlyssaHertel/status/1788021711008391636 The fact that the rotation at the big league level has been doing...
As the rains were coming down hard, it was fair to wonder whether the Cubs and Padres were going to get to finish that game before going into a rain delay. I'm sure nobody really wanted that to happen, which...
You don't see a triple-play too often (there had been just one in all of MiLB before last night), so it's awfully fun when it happens. One of the most fun parts is thinking, in advance, about what TYPE of...
This is one of those fun bits of baseball that pretty much speaks for itself. Watch and enjoy the best no-hitter jinx in recent memory. https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1788032742707368313
Cody Bellinger's first plate appearance of this game (and first PA since returning from two fractured ribs) may have ended in a fly out to right field, but that was after an impressive 12-pitch at-bat. That, alone, was a welcomed...
Well ... THANK FREAKIN' GOD, EH? In case you weren't watching tonight, this was one of those games that FELT like the Cubs were up by five runs, even though it was 1-0 through the seventh inning. And that's because...
Oh my god, thank you, Michael Busch. After Shota Imanaga's stellar start was looking spoiled by a weak offensive showing, the Cubs were able to tie things up in the 8th inning and shut down the Padres in the top...
Oouuuuuch. Anyone who's watched Willson Contreras play - or has read the stories - knows that the former Cubs catcher is one of the toughest players in MLB. He always played through injuries and would hobble up to his post...
CUBS LINEUP — With Dylan Cease scheduled to pitch for the Padres in the finale tomorrow, the Cubs are really going to want to take this game tonight. Fortunately, they have Shota Imanaga on the mound ... and CODY BELLINGER...
The Chicago White Sox (8-28 look to avoid the sweep when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays (19-18) in the final game of a three-game set. Oddsmakers have listed the Rays as -238 favorites, while the White Sox are +194...
Entering Wednesday's matchup with the New York Yankees (24-13), the Houston Astros (12-23) are on a three-game losing streak. The contest starts at 7:05 PM ET on SCHN with the Yankees listed as -145 favorites, while the are +121 underdogs...
The Cincinnati Reds (16-19) will try to end their six-game losing streak when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks (16-20) on Wednesday at 6:40 PM ET on BSOH. Bookmakers consider the Diamondbacks to be -119 favorites for the contest, while the...
The Washington Nationals (18-17) hope to complete a two-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles (23-12) when the teams meet at 6:45 PM ET on Wednesday. The Orioles are -177 favorites to prevent the Nationals from completing the sweep.Baltimore's Kyle Bradish...
Expect a display of power when Marcell Ozuna (10 HR) and the Atlanta Braves (21-12) take on Tyler O'Neill (9 HR) and the Boston Red Sox (19-17) at Truist Park at 7:20 PM ET live on NESN. Ozuna and the...
The Seattle Mariners (20-16) go on the road at Target Field against the Minnesota Twins (20-15) at 7:40 PM ET on Wednesday.The Mariners will call on George Kirby (3-2) against the Twins and Chris Paddack (3-1).Mariners vs. Twins Pitcher Matchup...
The Cubs may have won last night's game because of Shota Imanaga's dominance, Chris Morel's sac fly, Cody Bellinger's homer, and Michael Busch's lightning-fueled walk-off. But the game was saved by two huge defensive moments from Ian Happ and Nico...
Following a stretch of four consecutive wins, the New York Yankees (24-13) meet the Houston Astros (12-23) at 7:05 PM ET on Wednesday.The Yankees will give the nod to Carlos Rodon (2-2) against the Astros and Spencer Arrighetti (0-3).Yankees vs....
The Boston Red Sox (19-17) visit the Atlanta Braves (21-12) for a road game on Wednesday at 7:20 PM ET.The Braves will give the nod to Chris Sale (4-1) versus the Red Sox and Nick Pivetta (1-1).Braves vs. Red Sox...
The Baltimore Orioles (23-12) go on the road at Nationals Park against the Washington Nationals (18-17) at 6:45 PM ET on Wednesday.The Orioles will give the nod to Kyle Bradish and the Nationals will counter with Mitchell Parker (2-1, 2.53...
NEWSLETTER
Iowans, mark your calendars. On June 20 and June 21 Bleacher Nation will be visiting your fair state in person. Well, part of Bleacher Nation anyway. I will be in the stands when the Cubs take on El Paso that Friday night and Albuquerque on Saturday.
