It finally happened. Since the day the Cubs announced they were adding a second team to the Arizona Rookie League I have been aware of this moment.
Last night, AZL Cubs 1 played AZL Cubs 2, and that means I have to decide how to handle that in the Daily. Do I link the box score twice, once for each team’s section? Do I treat it more like how I do a doubleheader? Do I come up with a new framwork for the rare times when we get a game the Cubs are guaranteed to win?
I don’t know. No, really, I don’t. I haven’t typed it up yet. That means I have five other teams to type up before I have to figure it out. No worries.
But before we dive into that, let’s take a look at a couple of highlights from 2018 first round pick Nico Hoerner’s debut with South Bend. First we have his first Midwest League hit, and then we have a pretty nice catch.
Triple A: Iowa Cubs
Nashville 8, Iowa 7
Iowa got back in the game with a five run eighth, but couldn’t finish the rally.
Alec Mills: 2.1 IP, 5 R, 5 H, 4 BB, 3 K
Brad Markey: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 5 K
Chris Coghlan: 3 for 5, HR
Mark Zagunis: 2 for 5, 2B, SB
Taylor Davis: 2 for 4, 2B, BB
Jason Vosler: 2 for 5, 2B
Ryan Court: 1 for 4, 2B
Bijan Rademacher: 1 for 2, 2B, 2 BB
Double A: Tennessee Smokies
Birmingham 8, Smokies 5
It was a good day for offense, and a rough day for the Smokies bullpen.
Keegan Thompson: 5.1 IP, 2 R, 8 H, 3 BB, 4 K
Scott Effross: 1 IP, 2 K
Charcer Burks: 2 for 3, HR
Trent Giambrone: 1 for 4, BB, SB
Yasiel Balaguert: 2 for 5
Eddy Martinez: 2 for 4, 3B
P.J. Higgins: 1 for 4, 2B
High A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Myrtle Beach was rained out.
Low A: South Bend Cubs
Beloit 8, South Bend 1
Years from now, all we’ll remember is that Nico Hoerner had a good debut.
Erling Moreno: 5 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 3 BB, 1 K
Brendan King: 2 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Nico Hoerner: 2 for 4
Michael Cruz: 2 for 4, 2B, HR
Cam Balego: 1 for 3, BB
Short Season A: Eugene Emeralds
Eugene 9, Spokane 4 in eleven innings
Eugene escape from a bases loaded, no one out jam in the tenth to set up the eleventh inning rally.
Zach Mort: 2 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 1 K
Faustino Carrera: 5 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K
Eugenio Palma: 1 IP, 1 K
Jake Steffens: 3 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Fernando Kelli: 2 for 6
Clayton Daniel: 2 for 4, BB
Luis Diaz: 2 for 6
Tyler Durna: 4 for 6, HR
Kwang-Min Kwon: 0 for 2, 2 BB, SB
Gustavo Polanco: 2 for 6
Luiz Vazquez: 1 for 4, BB
Rookie: AZL Cubs 1
Cubs Two 8, Cubs One 2
Seven total errors in this game, five of them committed by Cubs One.
Didier Vargas: 5 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 K
Brady Miller: 1.1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 BB
Josue Huma: 1 for 2, BB
Luke Reynolds: 1 for 4, 2B
Yonathan Perlaza: 2 for 4
Jamie Galazin: 1 for 4, 2B
Rookie: AZL Cubs 2
Same game and same score as listed under Cubs 1. In the case of Cubs 2, though, the bigger story is the pitching that struck out twelve total other-Cubs.
Eduarniel Nunez: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 K
Luis Silva: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K
Sucre Valdez: 2 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Cole Roederer: 2 for 4, 2 BB
Reivaj Garcia: 2 for 5, SB
Tyler Alamo: 1 for 3, 2B
Henderson Perez: 2 for 3
Luis Verdugo: 2 for 4, 2B
Other Notes
On July 12, the Cubs farm system was led in home runs by … Trent Giambrone (tied with Jason Vosler) with 15. On that same day the leader in stolen bases was … Zach Davis (26), but Giambrone was second with 21. I think it has been a long time since the same player led the organization in both homers and steals, but Giambrone has a shot at it.
Not a very good shot, granted. I think he’ll keep up just fine on the home run side, but steals are a different story. In just 26 games Fernando Kelli is already up to 17. Unless he gets hurt, I don’t really see anything stopping him from taking the lead and leaving everyone else in his dust.
There are several players in Iowa who could play a role down the stretch for the Cubs, and many of them got off to slow starts. Now, though, they are playing pretty well.
Chesny Young, for example, could provide backup across the infield. He opened the year in an awful slump but is now back to a line of .274/.312/.310. In July that line climbs to .314/.351/.343.
Mark Zagunis started hot (April OPS .895), but cooled in May and June. In July his OPS is 1.005, and for the season he is now hitting .269/.391/.343.
Taylor Davis seems like a solid candidate to be back with the Cubs in September as an extra catcher. His season line reads .290/.366/.355.
NEWSLETTER
