Cubs Minor League Daily: Jose Albertos With a Good Outing, Emeralds With a Walk-Off

Before the season started there were high expectations on right-hander Jose Albertos. He was coming off a strong 2017 season in which he showed the ability to get grounders, get strikeouts, and generally avoid walks and long balls. He already had scouts putting very high grades on multiple of his pitches, and he had the control needed to turn those pitches into outs. In short, Albertos had the highest ceiling of any pitching prospect in the system.

Then the season started and he couldn’t throw strikes. Far, far beyond typical “bad” control issues. That led to a trip from South Bend back to Mesa, and then to Eugene, and finally to last night. He still had issues throwing strikes last night, just 38 of his 69 pitches were in the zone, but he also allowed just two runs on four hits and only two walks (and two wild pitches) while striking out five over four innings of work.

This was by far his best start of the season, and while I don’t think we can say he is back to his old self yet, he may be on the way. He still bounced a lot of pitches just in front of the plate and had issues locating to the arm side of the zone, but for the most part he looked like a pitcher and not like a guy just trying to get the ball over the plate. He even lost his control a time or two, but was able to recover and keep pitching effectively. It was a good start.

And given how big it would be for this farm system if Albertos could regain his control and get back on track as a significant pitching prospect, it was a good sign for the organization as a whole. Maybe in a year we’ll look back at the Oscar De La Cruz suspension as the point where the farm system bottomed out and the rebound away from being a bottom three system in baseball began.

Triple A: Iowa Cubs
Nashville 5, Iowa 3
The Cubs rallied enough to force Nashville to use six relievers, including four in the ninth.

Eddie Butler: 3 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 1 K

Trevor Clifton: 4 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K

Dakota Mekkes: 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 K

Chesny Young: 1 for 4, BB

Trey Martin: 2 for 3, 3B, BB

Jacob Hannemann: 1 for 4, SB

Ali Solis: 1 for 3, HR

Double A: Tennessee Smokies
Montgomery 7, Tennessee 1
The Smokies were out-homered three to nothing.

Duncan Robinson: 5 IP, 6 R (5 ER), 7 H, 1 BB, 2 K

Preston Morrison: 3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 K

Scott Effross: 1 IP, 1 H

Charcer Burks: 1 for 4, 2B

Zack Short: 1 for 4, 2B

Yasiel Balaguert: 1 for 4, 2B

Eddy Martinez: 3 for 4

High A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Buies Creek 8, Myrtle Beach 7 in ten innings
Lots offense in this back and forth contest.

Tyson Miller: 5 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K

Erick Leal: 2 IP, 1 H, 3 K

Aramis Ademan: 2 for 4, 2 BB

Jhonny Pereda: 2 for 5, HR

Jared Young: 2 for 5

P.J. Higgins: 3 for 6

Luis Ayala: 2 for 5, 2B

Low A: South Bend Cubs
South Bend 10, Lansing 0
So many things went right for the Cubs, including the fact that they played error-free.

Brendon Little: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 9 K

Brendan King: 3 IP, 1 H, 3 K

Zach Davis: 3 for 4, 2 BB, SB

Christian Donahue: 1 for 4, 2B, 2 BB

Miguel Amaya: 2 for 5, HR

Michael Cruz: 2 for 5, 2 2B

Cam Balego: 3 for 5, 2B

Chris Singleton: 2 for 4, HR, BB

Short Season A: Eugene Emeralds
Eugene 4, Hillsboro 3
The pitching kept the game close, and that allowed the Emeralds to stage their four run rally in the ninth.

Jose Albertos: 4 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K

Yan De La Cruz: 2 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 K

Eugenio Palma: 3 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 4 K

Jonathan Sierra: 1 for 3, BB, SB

Tyler Durna: 1 for 4, 2B

Gustavo Polanco: 2 for 4, 2 2B

Luis Vazquez: 1 for 3, 2B

Rookie: AZL Cubs 1
Cubs One 6, Indians 1
Cubs pitching held the Indians scoreless after the first.

Justin Steele: 3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K

Corey Black: 1 IP, 1 H

Maikel Aguiar: 4 IP, 1 H, 7 K

Fauris Guerrero: 1 IP, 2 K

Clayton Daniel: 1 for 4, BB

Yovanny Cuevas: 2 for 5

Yonathan Perlaza: 3 for 5, 3B

Jamie Galzan: 1 for 3, 2B, BB, SB

Erick Gonzalez: 1 for 4, 3B

Kevin Moreno: 1 for 4, 2B

Rookie: AZL Cubs 2
Athletics 5, Cubs Two 2
The Cubs couldn’t do much against the Athletics’ bullpen.

Emilio Ferrebus: 2 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 K

Elias Herrera: 4 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K

Cole Roederer: 2 for 5, 3B

Fidel Mejia: 2 for 4

Carlos Pacheco: 1 for 4, SB

Miguel Pabon: 1 for 4, SB

Other Notes

If you are living in East Tennessee, or within driving distance of there, and you want to see one of baseball’s best up close and on the cheap, then get your tickets now. Kris Bryant is expected to be in the lineup for the Smokies tonight, and as a bonus you’ll probably get to see Brian Duensing coming out of the pen. The Smokies website says Eddie Butler will also head to Tennessee from Iowa, but since Butler just pitched yesterday I don’t expect to see him on the mound today.

If you do head to Tennessee, you’ll also get to enjoy dollar hot dogs as well as a game between the two best teams in the division. There are still tickets available, but I don’t expect that to last. This is a small park and it has a history of selling out when major players come through town on rehab assignments.

Justin Steele and Corey Black are both rehabbing with AZL Cubs 1, and both pitched well yesterday. Steele will probably head to South Bend or Myrtle Beach when his rehab ends, and Black will likely move to Iowa.

Joining the big league club with a unique walk-off yesterday, here’s how the Eugene game ended – with Fernando Kelli, who entered the game as a pinch runner, streaking home from third when a ball got by the catcher:

WALK-OFF IN EUGENE! Fernando Kelli takes home on a passed ball to cap a 4-run 9th inning in a come-from-behind win over the Hops! pic.twitter.com/hPt4pI64Te

— Eugene Emeralds (@EugeneEmeralds) July 9, 2018