Once upon a time the introduction to the Minor League Daily contained homers. A lot of homers.
In fact, it contained so many homers that sometimes those homers would be broken off and turned into their own article that ran separately from the Daily. We had Rizzo homers. We had Javy homers. And Soler homers. And Bryant homers. And Schwarber homers. And Eloy homers. And plenty of homers from other players in between those homers.
I’m not going to say that those days are back, but…
Velazquez, 19, was the Cubs’ 5th round pick out of Puerto Rico last year, and he comes with huge raw power – but also a whole lot of swing-and-miss in his game, which makes it tough to realize all that power. Here’s hoping we see plenty more dingers like that one this year.
Triple A: Iowa Cubs
Memphis 7, Iowa 3
This game was close most of the way, and the Cubs led for about half of it. Memphis tacked on three in the ninth to push out the final score.
Jen-Ho Tseng: 5 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 3 BB, 7 K
Carl Edwards Jr.: 0.2 IP, 2 R, 2 BB
Mark Zagunis: 4 for 5, 2 2B
Chesny Young: 3 for 4, BB
Jason Vosler: 1 for 4, HR
Trey Martin: 2 for 4, 2B
Double A: Tennessee Smokies
Tennessee 5, Chattanooga 4 in ten innings
This one was delayed for an hour, and then went into extras.
Matt Swarmer: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K
Preston Morrison: 4 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 K
Wyatt Short: 1 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 3 K
Charcer Burks: 3 for 4, 2 2B, BB
Zack Short: 2 for 5
Ian Rice: 1 for 4, 2B
Connor Myers: 2 for 4, 2B
High A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Myrtle Beach 5, Potomac 0
Miller struck out seven for the fifth time this season.
Tyson Miller: 6.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 K
Tyler Peyton: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K
D.J. Wilson: 1 for 2, 2 BB, SB
P.J. Higgins: 3 for 4, 2B
Luis Ayala: 1 for 2, BB
Low A: South Bend Cubs
Bowling Green 6, South Bend 0
Little struggled again, and the Cubs were shut out again. And they committed two more errors.
Brendon Little: 4.2 IP, 6 R, 9 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Garrett Kelly: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Mitch Stophel: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 K
Miguel Amaya: 2 for 4
Brandon Hughes: 1 for 4, 2B
Short Season A: Eugene Emeralds
Everett 7, Eugene 4 in ten innings
The Emeralds tied it up in the ninth, but they did not score again.
Jose Albertos: 1 IP, 4 R, 1 H, 6 BB
Yan De La Cruz: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 BB
Jake Steffens: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Fernando Kelli: 2 for 5
Luis Diaz: 1 for 4, BB, SB
Nelson Velazquez: 2 for 5, 2B, HR, SB
Christopher Morel: 2 for 5
Tyler Durna: 2 for 4, 2B
Rookie: AZL Cubs 1
Cubs One 10, D-backs 7
The Cubs were out hit twelve to eight, but they clustered their hits into two big innings.
Alex Valdez: 3.1 IP, 5 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K
Jake Polancic: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 5 K
Ezequiel De La Cruz: 2.2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Yovanny Cuevas: 1 for 3, 2 BB
Luis Hidalgo: 2 for 4, HR
Jamie Galazin: 1 for 3, BB
Rookie: AZL Cubs 2
Rangers 5, Cubs Two 1
The Cubs out hit the Giants eight to six, but only coaxed a lone run in the ninth out of those hits.
Emilio Ferrebus: 2.2 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 2 H, 4 BB, 2 K
Luis Silva: 2.1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Ivan Medina: 1 IP, 2 K
Tyler Alamo: 2 for 3, 2B
Grant Fennell: 2 for 4, 2B
Jose Alejandro Gonzalez: 2 for 3
Other Notes
For the season, Brandon Hughes, a switch-hitting outfielder drafted in the 16th round last year, is hitting .257/.328/.333 with 3 homers and 19 steals for South Bend. In June, though, that jumped to .338/.361/.463. He has failed to get a hit just 3 times in his last 25 games.
In his second rehab appearance, Carl Edwards Jr. did not have his command. He walked two batters and hit a third while needing 19 pitches to toss two thirds of an inning.
As expected, the Cubs added some talent when the July 2 signing window for International Free Agents opened. It will be some time, though, likely a couple of years, before any of these players have an impact on the Cubs’ farm system rankings or their ability to make significant trades. With any luck one or more of this group will emerge as part of the Cubs’ next core of talent, after this current crop starts to leave as free agents.
It turns out that when Austin Upshaw skipped Eugene last year after being drafted, it was because he lacked a passport. And then, when he got to South Bend after his surprising promotion, he ran into a guy named Jason Heyward on a rehab assignment. Find time today to read the entire story from Myrtle Beach broadcaster Zach Bigley.
The Fourth of July Eugene Monarchas jerseys are already up for auction. None of the numbers up for auction matched the numbers on the current roster, but it is still a cool piece of memorbilia despite that.
Albertos threw 36 pitches in his one inning of work, and just eight of them were strikes. His first inning was pretty smooth – ground out, single, ground out, walk, ground out. In the second inning he walked five and uncorked three wild pitches without recording an out.
Tyler Alamo is in Arizona on a rehab assignment.
NEWSLETTER
