As you probably know by now, I was at the Boise Hawks game tonight. I need to thank the Hawks, communications director Courtney Garner and broadcaster Mike Safford who hooked me up with press access. I got interviews with Hawks manager Gary Van Tol and Cubs legend Bill Buckner. I'll have those up sometime next week.
If you want to ask me any questions about what I saw at the Hawks game, I'd be glad to answer them.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs dropped a doubleheader to the Albuquerque Isotopes (Dodgers), 10-3 in a completion of yesterday's game and 1-0.
Jake Arrieta made his Cubs debut yesterday, it only lasted one inning plus the first three batters of the second inning. He loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batsman in the second, but I'm guessing the rain had something to do with that. His final line on the game was 1+ innings, allowing one run on one hit. He walked two and struck out two.
Esmailin Caridad started today and took the loss. He pitched three innings and allowed two runs on three hits. One of those runs was unearned. Caridad walked one and struck out two.
Second baseman Logan Watkins was 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI single.
In game two, starter Barret Loux pitched a six inning complete game defeat. He gave up one run on four hits. He did show some wildness as he walked four, hit a batter and had a wild pitch. Loux struck out six.
To add insult to injury, the only run of the game was scored by Ian Stewart.
The Cubs had five hits, all singles. Second baseman Tim Torres was 1 for 2 with a walk.
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies were outshone by the Huntsville Stars (Brewers), 8-2.
Rough start for Austin Kirk, who didn't make it out of the third inning. Kirk's final line was six runs on seven hits over 2+ innings. He walked three and struck out two.
Third baseman Christian Villanueva hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, his 11th of the season. Villanueva was 1 for 4.
Rubi Silva was 2 for 4.
Shortstop Javier Baez played his first game in Double-A. You probably heard he hit a home run in his first at-bat. You can see it here. He was 1 for 4. Ball went far.
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs had a 6-0 lead going to the bottom of the eighth and held on for an 6-5 win over the Dunedin Blue Jays.
There were no problems from starter Pierce Johnson, who got his first Daytona win with five shutout innings. He surrendered five hits. He walked one and struck out five.
After Austin Reed threw two innings of scoreless relief, Jeffrey Lorick got into major trouble in the eighth. He pitched one inning and allowed five runs on four hits, including a three-run home run. He walked one and struck out two.
Dayan Diaz got his first save with the Cubs, but it was an ugly save. Diaz gave up two singles put runners on first and third with no outs. He got the next batter to hit a ground ball to shortstop Elliot Soto, who threw out the runner at third trying to score. Then Diaz allowed his third single to load the bases with one out, but he got a shallow fly ball and a ground out to end the game.
Right fielder Bijan Rademacher had two doubles in a 2 for 4 game. He scored one run and had one batted in. Center fielder Zeke DeVoss was 3 for 5 with three RBI and one run scored. Third baseman Ben Carhart was 3 for 5 with two RBI and one run scored.
Kane County Cougars
The Kane County Cougars were shut out by the Quad City River Bandits (Astros), 5-0.
Starter Jose Rosario allowed runs in four of the five innings he pitched. He allowed two runs in the third inning, just to make up for that scoreless first inning. Rosario allowed five runs on six hits over five innings. He walked four and struck out one.
The Cougars managed three hits, all singles, One of those hits was by center fielder Albert Almora, who was 1 for 2 before leaving in the sixth inning. According to this report, Almora was suffering from trying to be like George Brett too much.
Boise Hawks
The Boise Hawkswere dusted by the Tri-City Dust Devils (Rockies), 5-3.
James Pugliese took his first loss of the season after he allowed five runs on eight hits over five innings. Pugliese walked two and struck out six.
Zack Godley was successful in his Boise debut, throwing a scoreless 1-2-3 eighth inning. He struck out two.
First baseman Jacob Rogers accounted for all three runs with a moonshot home run in the third inning, his third of the season. Rogers was 2 for 4.
Second baseman Danny Lockhart was 2 for 4 and scored once. Also, he's an incredibly good bunter. With runners on first and second and no outs in the seventh inning, he laid a bunt down the third base line that hugged the line until about ten feet from third base when it rolled foul. So he then bunted towards third again on the next pitch and this one stayed fair for a hit, loading the bases with no outs. Naturally, Boise failed to score in the inning.
Center fielder Shawon Dunston was 0 for 3 with two walks. That's five walks (and only one hit) in the past three games. Are we sure he's not adopted?
AZL Cubs