Minor League Wrap: Higgins leads Iowa past St. Paul, 10-3

The only blemish on Mother’s Day was a game 2 loss by the Pelicans

A happy Mother’s Day to each and every mother out there. I spent the day calling my mother and spending time with the mother of my daughter. Also known as my wife.

It’s the “everyone wins!” edition. Except the Pelicans also lost one.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs excommunicated the St. Paul Saints (Twins), 10-3.

Caleb Kilian continues to dominate at the Triple-A level as he pitched five innings today without allowing a run. Kilian surrendered four hits. He walked two and struck out five. It was Killian’s first win of the season.

Luke Farrell gave up two runs on two hits and two walks in his first two innings back in the Cubs organization. He struck out three.

Third baseman P.J. Higgins was unstoppable on Mother’s Day as he went 5 for 5 with a double. He scored twice and had one RBI.

Left fielder Jared Young blasted his eighth home run with the bases empty in the sixth inning. Young also doubled and walked twice as he was 3 for 4.

Shortstop Ildemaro Vargas went 3 for 6 with a double. He drove in two runs and scored once.

Catcher Tyler Payne was 3 for 4 with a walk. He scored two runs and batted in one.

Andrelton Simmons was the DH for six innings and he was 1 for 4. He singled home Payne in the second inning.

Iowa and Tennessee split the six-game series with three wins apiece.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies usurped the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 9-4.

Cam Sanders wasn’t as good as he was the last time out, but he was still pretty good. Sanders allowed two runs on four hits over 4.2 innings. The final batter he faced in the fifth inning hit a two-run home run, accounting for both runs he allowed. Sanders struck out six and walked two.

Kyle Johnson relieved Sanders in the fifth and was awarded the win. Johnson threw 1.1 scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit. Johnson struck out two and walked no one.

Center fielder Christopher Morel went 3 for 4. He scored one run and had one run batted in.

Second baseman Andy Weber was 3 for 5. He scored two times and drove home one.

Right fielder Yonathan Perlaza was 2 for 3 with a double and he was hit by a pitch. He also stole a base. Perlaza had two RBI and scored once.

Catcher Bryce Windham was 2 for 4 with one run and one run batted in.

First baseman Bryce Ball went 2 for 5. He scored once.

The Smokies went 4-2 in Birmingham.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs hosed down the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals), 2-0. With the win, the SB Cubs swept the six-game series with the Chiefs.

Starter D.J. Herz threw 50 pitches over 2.1 scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit and one walk. Herz struck out two.

The win went to Eduarniel Nunez in relief. Nunez pitched two innings and only allowed one baserunner via an error. He did not strike anyone out.

Jeremiah Estrada pitched the ninth inning and picked up the save, but not without some drama. Estrada walked the first batter of the inning and after retiring the next two batters, Estrada walked two more batters to load the bases. But then he struck out Mack Chambers to end the game. That was Estrada’s only strikeout.

The Chiefs only had two hits tonight. Bailey Reid had 1. 2 innings of relief and Nicholas Padilla had two.

Both South Bend runs came in the sixth inning. Catcher Pablo Aliendo doubled home Jordan Nwogu and then Aliendo later scored on a Yohendrick Pinango ground out.

Aliendo was 2 for 3. Pinango went 1 for 4. Nwogu went 0 for 2 and was hit by a pitch.

Highlights:

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans split a doubleheader with the Salem Red Sox. They won game one 8-3 and dropped the nightcap 5-3.

Luis Devers started game one and got the win. He pitched five innings and allowed three runs on four hits. Devers struck out seven and walked just one.

Third baseman James Triantos was the big bat in game one, hitting a pair of doubles in a 3 for 4 game. He scored twice.

First baseman Liam Spence went 2 for 3 and scored twice.

Catcher Malcom Quintero was 2 for 4. Quntero had an RBI single as part of a five-run third inning and later scored on a wild pitch.

Tyler Schlaffer started game two and got the loss. He surrendered two runs on three hits over 2.1 innings. Schlaffer walked two and struck out two.

Left fielder Ezequiel Pagan hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, his first of the year. Pagan was 1 for 3.

Pete Crow-Armstrong went 1 for 4 in game one and 1 for 3 with a walk in game two, extending his hitting streak to 14 games.

The Pelicans won four of six in Salem.