Cubs Minor League Daily: A Grand Day For South Bend, Less So Elsewhere

After pitching six scoreless frames to start the game, South Bend starter Erling Moreno allowed three runs in the seventh to put the scoreless Cubs behind. But that just set up the bottom of the eighth when Austin Upshaw gave the Cubs a one-run lead with his second South Bend homer – a grand slam.

Unfortunately that lead evaporated in the ninth, but the Cubs did force extra innings, and, in extras, it was Christian Donahue who single home the game-winner with his first hit of the day.

Other than that, and some positives in Eugene, there wasn’t a whole lot of good news from the farm system last night, so let’s go straight to the highlights:

Triple A: Iowa Cubs
Fresno 9, Iowa 1
A run in the ninth kept the Cubs from being shut out.

  • Casey Coleman: 1.1 IP, 6 R, 5 H, 3 BB, 1 K
  • Dakota Mekkes: 1.2 IP, 1 BB, 3 K
  • Dillon Maples: 1 IP, 1 H
  • Chris Gimenez (C): 1 IP, 1 H
  • Chris Coghlan: 1 for 3, 2B
  • Ryan Court: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
  • Double A: Tennessee Smokies
    Birmingham 9, Tennessee 1
    Former Cub Dylan Cease effectively silenced the bats of the current Smokies.

  • Duncan Robinson: 4.2 IP, 7 R (6 ER), 12 H, 2 BB, 3 K
  • Preston Morrison: 1.1 IP, 1 R, 1 BB
  • Eddy Martinez: 1 for 3, HR
  • High A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
    Carolina 6, Myrtle Beach 5
    At one point the Pelicans led 5-1. They led 5-4 after eight and a half.

  • Erich Uelmen: 2.2 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K
  • Ryan Kellogg: 2.1 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 2 BB, 2 K
  • Andruw Monasterio: 2 for 3, BB
  • Jared Young: 2 for 4, 2 2B
  • Yeiler Peguero: 2 for 4
  • Low A: South Bend Cubs
    South Bend 5, Lansing 4 in eleven innings
    Upshaw hit a grand slam in the eighth to give the Cubs a brief lead, and the Cubs walked it off in extras.

  • Erling Moreno: 7 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 3 BB, 3 K
  • Jake Steffens: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
  • Christian Donahue: 1 for 4, BB, SB
  • Jimmy Herron: 1 for 2, 3 BB
  • Austin Upshaw: 1 for 4, HR, BB
  • Short Season A: Eugene Emeralds
    Eugene 4, Salem-Keizer 1
    Don’t look now, but the Emeralds are in first place.

  • Zach Mort: 3 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 7 K
  • Jeffrey Passantino: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 K
  • Mitch Stophel: 1.1 IP, 2 K
  • Jonathan Sierra: 1 for 4, SB
  • Nelson Velazquez: 2 for 4, 2B, SB
  • Fernando Kelli: 1 for 2, 2 SB
  • Rookie: AZL Cubs 1

    Cubs One had the day off.

    Rookie: AZL Cubs 2
    White Sox 3, Cubs Two 0
    The Cubs bullpen pitched pretty well in this one.

  • Emilio Ferrebus: 2.2 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 1 BB
  • Elias Herrera: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 K
  • Jonathan Bruzual: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
  • Ezequiel Pagan: 2 for 3
  • Other Notes

  • Dylan Cease went to the White Sox in the Jose Quintana trade last summer, and it is good to see that he is doing well in his new organization. I’d rather see that when he isn’t holding the Tennessee Smokies to one hit over seven innings while striking out twelve, but it is still good to see.
  • Eddy Martinez hit his tenth homer of the season to account for the only Smokies run. He has exactly one hit in five of his last six games. Four of those hits have been homers.
  • I don’t know why we’re acting like the Cubs need another reliever so badly. They have two guys in Iowa who have shown they can put zeroes on the scoreboard. Just call up Chris Gimenez and Taylor Davis and call it a day.
  • Zach Mort was the eighth round pick for the Cubs in June. He’s been limited to no more than 50 pitches in each of his four starts (not uncommon for a guy drafted out of college), but he’s been pitching well. His seven strikeouts in three innings performance yesterday is particularly impressive.
  • Ok, ok, so the Emeralds are in first because the second half of the season is two days old and everyone has a 1-1 record. It still counts.
  • 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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