Minor League Wrap: Birds are hot, 9-1 over RiverDogs

Wins today for South Bend and Myrtle Beach. Iowa lost. Knoxville got rain.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs lost to Indianapolis (Pirates), 12-4.

Jameson Taillon’s first rehab appearance didn’t go that great, although as I always say, the most important part is how he felt after the start. Taillon got the loss after giving up seven runs on seven hits over 3+ innings. Two of those hits were home runs. Taillon struck out one and walked no one, although he did hit two batters.

Shortstop Ben Cowles hit a solo home run in the second inning, his eighth on the season. Cowles went 2 for 4.

Moisés Ballesteros entered the game to catch in the fifth inning after Miguel Amaya exited. Ballesteros went 2 for 2 with a solo home run in the eighth inning and a two-run single in the ninth. Ballesteros now has ten home runs this season. He was also hit by a pitch.

Amaya was 0 for 2 before leaving.

Cowles home run.

Ballesteros bomb.

Knoxville Smokies

Their game at Chattanooga was canceled due to wet grounds. It will not be made up.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs apprehended the Quad Cities River Bandits (Royals), 6-2.

Yenrri Rojas turned in a great start, keeping Quad Cities scoreless over five innings on just two hits. Rojas struck out seven and walked two.

South Bend coughed up the lead in the top of the sixth when they committed three errors, causing Luis Martinez-Gomez to be charged with two unearned runs in one inning of work.

Yency Almonte was impressive in his rehab appearance, retiring all six batters he faced over two innings. He struck out one.

Almonte got the win when the Cubs exploded for five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. First baseman Brian Kalmer connected on a two-run home run in the eighth, his fifth on the season. Kalmer went 2 for 4 and scored twice.

Third baseman Reginald Preciado was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI single with an RBI single in the second inning.

Kalmer’s home run.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans chained up the Charleston RiverDogs (Rays), 9-1. The Pelicans are now 26-9 in the second half and have a five-and-a-half-game lead in their division. They went 25-39 and finished last in the first half.

Alfredo Romero pitched the first four innings and allowed just one run on two hits. He walked two and struck out three.

Charlie Hurley pitched the next two scoreless innings and got the win because Romero didn’t go five innings. Hurley gave up one hit. He walked one and struck out three.

First baseman Matt Halbach was 3 for 4. He scored two times and had two runs batted in.

Second baseman Ty Southisene continued to turn his season around, going 2 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored. Southisene hit .151 with a .318 OBP in the first half. He’s hitting .286 with a .414 OBP in the second half.

Center fielder Leonel Espinoza went 2 for 5 with an RBI double. Espinoza also stole a base. He scored once.

DH Jose Escobar was 2 for 5 with an RBI.

Espinoza’s RBI double.

An RBI double for shortstop Angel Cepeda. He was 1 for 5.