Cubs Minor League Daily: Smokies Sweep A Doubleheader, Hatch and Abbott Brilliant

Every game that Iowa loses to Omaha pushes Iowa further into the basement. They had pulled into a near tie with Omaha, but now Omaha has a two game lead over the Cubs (13-27). The Cubs are 13.5 games back of Oklahoma City in the division and still have the worst record in the Pacific Coast League.

The Tennessee Smokies (22-20) had pulled into second in the division had an opportunity to take first with a head-to-head series against division leading Chattanooga last week, but Tennessee lost four of five games in that series. Now the Smokies are back in third, trailing Jackson as well as Chattanooga, and are five and a half out of the lead.

Down in Myrtle Beach, the Pelicans (17-24) still hold the bottom slot in their division (six and a half games back), but they are half a game out of last place in the league.

South Bend (17-23) is not only in danger of losing the title of second best record in the Cubs’ farm system to Myrtle Beach, but they are getting close to being basement dwellers as well. The Cubs have lost four straight and are now ten games back in the division. They lead last place Great Lakes by just four games.

Triple A: Iowa Cubs
Omaha 4, Iowa 2
Iowa got the tying run on base in the ninth, but a double play killed the rally.

  • Adbert Alzolay: 4.1 IP, 4 R, 9 H, 2 BB, 2 K
  • Kyle Ryan: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K
  • Mike Freeman: 2 for 4
  • Wynton Bernard: 2 for 3, 2 2B
  • Double A: Tennessee Smokies
    Tennessee 4, Mississippi 3 in nine innings
    Tennessee 4, Mississippi 0
    The Smokies recieved very good starting pitching performances in both halves of the doubleheader.

  • Duncan Robinson: 6 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 9 K
  • Craig Brooks: 1 IP, 1 K
  • Dakota Mekkes: 2 IP, 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K
  • Charcer Burks: 1 for 3, 2 BB
  • Jason Vosler: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
  • Game Two
  • Thomas Hatch: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 7 K
  • Jeffrey Baez: 1 for 2, HR, BB
  • Jesse Hodges: 1 for 2, 2B, BB
  • High A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
    Myrtle Beach 4, Frederick 3
    The rain stayed away and a seventh inning rally gave the Pelicans a win.

  • Matt Swarmer: 7 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K
  • Wyatt Short: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K
  • Tyler Peyton: 1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K
  • Kevonte Mitchell: 1 for 4, HR
  • Connor Myers: 2 for 3
  • Low A: South Bend Cubs
    Fort Wayne 5, South Bend 4 in ten innings
    The Cubs allowed three unearned run to waste a fantastic start by Cory Abbott.

  • Cory Abbott: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 11 K
  • Chris Singleton: 2 for 5
  • Jhonny Bethencourt: 1 for 4, 2B
  • Zach Davis: 1 for 4, SB
  • Other Notes

  • Game One of the Smokies doubleheader featured a grand total of eight walks across the two teams. Six of them came in extra innings (the eighth and ninth, since it was a doubleheader) as, once again, the awful extra inning rule turned a good game of baseball into little more than walks and bunts.
  • Yesterday’s steal was number 12 on the season for Zach Davis. He leads South Bend, but is only fourth in the league.
  • It was Star Wars night last night in Tennessee, and that means the Smokies were sporting some very nice Darth Vader jerseys. And now, you can too. The Smokies are auctioning off the jerseys to benefit local charities, and the bidding should begin at the MiLB Auctions sight soon:
  • written by

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

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