Cubs Minor League Daily: Smoothies and a Lot of Doubles

cat whaleLong time readers of Bleacher Nation are aware of the significance of the peppermint chocolate chip milkshake. Unfortunately, the One Milkshake To Rule Them All is not available all year. When the weather is cool and prosecutors are preparing to charge a certain fat elf with breaking and entering, that is when The Most Marvelous of Milkshakes is available. For the rest of year, life is dry and flavourless.

Or, rather, it was. On my latest return from family events in the Midwest (and yes, I am back now and should be appearing more semi-normally on Twitter and in the comments), I discovered a delectable concoction that may, perhaps, bring some joy back to months deprived of that delightful nectar.

First, though, you need to find a Sheetz. This may be a problem for many of you since they pretty don’t exist any further west than, oh, Zanesville, Ohio. Once you have cleared that hurdle, proceed within and indulge yourself in a delightful experience that masks itself behind the artfully innocuous name of banana fluffernutter smoothie.

I’d describe it, but those of you who live near a Sheetz are already sprinting down the street to obtain such succulence, and the rest of you are cursing your geographic fate and calling your Chamber of Commerce to request, nay, demand that they act immediately to rectify the destitute culinary status of your region. So perhaps we should just move on to the recaps.

[Brett: So, you’re wondering why there’s a picture of a cat whale in this post. Well, while trying to find an appropriate picture for today’s post, I stumbled across that one. And when you find a picture of a cat whale, you share it with the world. The end.]

Scores From Yesterday

Iowa – Iowa waited out a long rain delay before they could start the doubleheader, and then lost the first game 1-0. Game Two was a completion of an earlier game, and the Cubs lost 2-1.
Tennessee – Once again the Smokies lost a very close game. This time the final was 2-1 in eleven innings.
Daytona – The Cubs slid back to ten games under .500 with this 7-2 loss.
Kane County – Kane County was firing on all cylinders in this 7-1 road win.

Performances of Note

  • [Iowa] Arismendy Alcantara, Brett Jackson, and Eli Whiteside had the only hits for the Cubs in Game One. Christian Villanueva reached on a walk.
  • [Iowa] Javier Baez spent Game One striking out. Three times, to be exact. He had a couple singles in Game Two.
  • [Iowa] Dallas Beeler pitched a pretty nice game, though. Over 6.1 innings (a complete game for a minor league doubleheader featuring a walk-off homer) he allowed the game winner on a solo homer, but finished having allowed just 5 hits and a walk while striking out 5.
  • [Tennessee] Kris Bryant finished 4 for 4 with a pair of singles, a double, a homer (number 14) and a walk. That’s 5 walks in two games for those who are counting.
  • [Tennessee] Dae-Eun Rhee pitched 7 innings of one run ball, allowing that run on 7 hits and a walk while striking out 8.
  • [Tennessee] Hunter Cervenka (2 IP, 2 H, 2 K) and Arodys Vizcaino (1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K) both pitched pretty well in relief.
  • [Daytona] Dan Vogelbach doubled and walked in this one. Jeimer Candelario also doubled, but he struck out 3 times.
  • [Daytona] Gioskar Amaya doubled for the 6th time and struck out twice in his 2 for 4 game. Albert Almora also struck out twice as he finished 0 for 4.
  • [Kane County] Daniel Lockhart doubled and finished 3 for 5. His May OPS is now .708, up from .550 in April. Trey Martin also doubled and finished with 3 hits.
  • [Kane County] Ben Carhart (DH in this one) and Shawon Dunston Jr. both doubled as part of their 2 hit performances.
  • [Kane County] The line is sort of ugly, but he got the job done. Paul Blackburn lasted just 4.2 innings and allowed 10 hits and 2 walks against just 4 strikeouts, but the only run he gave up scored on a solo homer. His groundout-flyout ratio was 6-0.
  • [Kane County] Zak Hermans pitched 3.1 innings, allowed nothing, and struck out 4.
  • Other News

  • Love baseball but hate the crowds? Minor league games are here for you. Just 904 people watched Kane County play in Clinton yesterday, and that despite Clinton being the third place team in the division trying to take down the first place Cougars at home. Those lower crowd numbers are not uncommon for a lot of weekday minor league games, and that makes those games a great time for the crowd-adverse to get to the ballpark. No lines, cheap parking, cheap tickets, (relatively) cheap food, awesome seats, great baseball… what’s not to love?
  • Need still more draft information? Baseball America has their Top 500 prospects available in neatly searchable format. I will be keeping that page open constantly during draft weekend. For a different take, check out the Top 350 from Minor League Ball.
  • written by

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

    more cubs news

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 5, Pirates 4 – May 12, 2024

    It's Mother's Day. I'm hanging with the family. I don't feel like being as pissed off as a game like that threatened to make me. So I am QUITE relieved by that 10th inning (and the fact that the Cubs...

    Christopher Morel Kicks Off Mother’s Day With Some Love

    I'll just presume he was sending this one out for mom. And I'll also presume that the knee is indeed feeling good. Home run number nine on the season for Christopher Morel: https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1789713524052087082

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Pirates (12:35 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    CUBS LINEUP — The Cubs have played thirteen series so far this season, and this is already their eighth rubber match. Let's see if Kyle Hendricks and the Cubs can bring this one in. Chicago Cubs Lineup: Nico Hoerner, SS...

    Cubs Roster Move: Kyle Hendricks Activated to Start Today

    No surprises here, as the decision to start Kyle Hendricks this afternoon against the Pirates was made yesterday, but the news has officially hit the wire, and here it is. Kyle Hendricks Activated Kyle Hendricks is returning from his short...

    Horrible History, Morel’s Knee, Almonte’s Shoulder, Hoerner, Wesneski, Hendricks, Mervis, and Other Cubs Bullets

    Happy Mother's Day to the mothers among you, and to the mothers in my life! I'll be doing some extra family stuff today, so I'm gonna cruise through these Bullets ... Up front, because this was certainly the thing most...

    Kyle Hendricks Will Start for the Big League Cubs Tomorrow

    The Sunday TBD has been D'd, and it's going to be Kyle Hendricks coming back an outing early. Instead of making another rehab start at Iowa, Hendricks is going to be activated from the IL to rejoin the rotation tomorrow:...

    Enhanced Box Score: Pirates 10, Cubs 9 – May 11, 2024

    The Cubs came within 90 feet of keeping that ridiculous game going. No dice. Stupid game. Early on, it just kinda seemed like the Cubs might lose a perfectly normal - bad, but normal - game. Justin Steele did not...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Pirates (3:05 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    CUBS LINEUP — After a little tease yesterday, Seiya Suzuki is actually, officially in the Cubs lineup today. And he'll be greeted with a tough matchup against the top pitching prospect in Major League Baseball. Welcome back! Chicago Cubs Lineup:...

    Oh, Good, Yency Almonte is Now Also Hurt

    Today the Chicago Cubs placed reliever Yency Almonte on the Injured List with a right shoulder strain. Jose Cuas has been recalled from Iowa to take his place in the bullpen. Almonte, together with Mark Leiter Jr., had been performing...

    Credit to Assad, Huge Ups to Brown, Hopes for Taillon, Happ’s Bat and Glove, Bellinger History, and Other Cubs Bullets

    How did I not know that the Aurora Borealis was going to be visible last night?!?!? I woke up this morning to all these awesome pictures from friends and other people in the area, and I'm MISERABLE ABOUT IT. With...

    Latest News

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 5, Pirates 4 – May 12, 2024

    It's Mother's Day. I'm hanging with the family. I don't feel like being as pissed off as a game like that threatened to make me. So I am QUITE relieved by that 10th inning (and the fact that the Cubs...

    Nikola Jokic Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Timberwolves – Conference Semifinals Game 4, Sunday, May 12, 2024

    Nikola Jokic must make two 3-pointers to beat his prop when the Denver Nuggets play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday at 8:00 PM ET, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs.Nikola Jokic's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs....

    Michael Porter Jr. Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Timberwolves – Conference Semifinals Game 4, Sunday, May 12, 2024

    To beat his 3-point over/under, Michael Porter Jr. must make three from beyond the arc on Sunday, when his Denver Nuggets face the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, starting at 8:00 PM...

    Anthony Edwards Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – Conference Semifinals Game 4, Sunday, May 12, 2024

    On Sunday at 8:00 PM ET, the Minnesota Timberwolves play the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and Anthony Edwards' 3-pointer over/under for this matchup requires three treys.Anthony Edwards' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs....

    Jamal Murray Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Timberwolves – Conference Semifinals Game 4, Sunday, May 12, 2024

    To beat his 3-point over/under, Jamal Murray must make two from beyond the arc on Sunday, when his Denver Nuggets face the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, starting at 8:00 PM ET.Jamal...

    Karl-Anthony Towns Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – Conference Semifinals Game 4, Sunday, May 12, 2024

    Karl-Anthony Towns must make two 3-pointers to beat his over/under when the Minnesota Timberwolves play the Denver Nuggets on Sunday at 8:00 PM ET, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs.Karl-Anthony Towns' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs....

    Top Player Prop Bets for Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Western Conference Semifinals Game 4 on May 12, 2024

    Player prop betting options for Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokic and others are available in the Minnesota Timberwolves-Denver Nuggets matchup at Target Center on Sunday (starting at 8:00 PM ET).How to Watch Timberwolves vs. NuggetsDate: Sunday, May 12, 2024Time: 8:00 PM...

    Christopher Morel Kicks Off Mother’s Day With Some Love

    I'll just presume he was sending this one out for mom. And I'll also presume that the knee is indeed feeling good. Home run number nine on the season for Christopher Morel: https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1789713524052087082

    Rome Odunze Missed Saturday’s Bears Rookie Minicamp Practice

    I was rounding up this morning's set of Bears Bullets when I saw this note from the Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer on rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze sitting out Saturday's practice with hamstring tightness and I knew I had to...

    Cubs Roster Move: Kyle Hendricks Activated to Start Today

    No surprises here, as the decision to start Kyle Hendricks this afternoon against the Pirates was made yesterday, but the news has officially hit the wire, and here it is. Kyle Hendricks Activated Kyle Hendricks is returning from his short...

    more cubs news