Iowa Cubs RHP Yacksel Rios was released.
Shortstop Alex Madera was demoted from Double-A Knoxville to Single-A South Bend.
Right-hander Jhon Rosario was promoted from rookie ball ACL Cubs to Low-A Myrtle Beach.
The Dominican Summer League started on Monday. As always, I don’t report on the comings and goings of the DSL because I can’t think of much that’s more worthless to player evaluation than DSL stats. Or at least the daily comings and goings of a bunch of 17-year-olds. But I did want you to know
that the DSL is underway.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs laid an egg against the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers), 16-1.
Starter Ty Blach got hammered for ten runs, nine earned, on ten hits over 4+ innings. Three of those hits were home runs including a grand slam in the fifth to the final batter Blach faced. Blach walked one and did not strike anyone out.
The I-Cubs bats were stymied by rehabbing Justin Verlander, who went five scoreless innings, giving up just four hits. It was the first Triple-A win for Verlander in his career. Iowa only had six hits total.
Three of those six hits came off the bat of second baseman James Triantos, who was 3 for 4 with a double and the only Iowa run scored.
Shortstop Scott Kingery was 2 for 2 and was hit by a pitch.
Matt Shaw played six innings in center field in a rehab assignment. He was o for 3.
Triantos’ double off of Verlander.
Knoxville Smokies
The Knoxville Smokies were feudalized by the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 7-6.
The Smokies went with an opener and Frankie Scalzo Jr. pitched the first inning without allowing a run. Scalzo did give up one hit and one walk. He struck out one.
Yenrri Rojas pitched the next three innings and took the loss. Rojas allowed seven runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out three.
The Smokies then got three scoreless. innings of relief from Tyler Santana and two from Marino Santy.
Right fielder Alex Ramírez went 2 for 4 with a stolen base. He scored one run and drove in one.
DH Owen Ayers was 1 for 3 with two walks. He scored once.
A nice outfield assist from Ramírez.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs arrested the Quad Cities River Bandits (Royals), 8-4.
Starter Alfredo Romero put South Bend in a hole by giving up four runs on two hits and five walks over three innings. Romero struck out one.
Jackson Brockett pitched the next four innings, didn’t allow a run, and got the win. Brockett surrendered just two hits and one walk. He struck out two.
Kenyi Perez got a two-inning save. He faced seven batters. He walked one of them. He struck out the other six. That’s pretty good, right?
Center fielder Josiah Hartshorn hit his third home run in the Midwest League in the first inning with the bases empty. It was Hartshorn’s eighth overall home run. He finished the night going 3 for 5 with a double and the home run. His single in the ninth drove in two, so he had three total RBI. Hartshorn scored twice.
First baseman Drew Bowser was 2 for 4 with a two-run double in the fourth. He scored once.
Third baseman Matt Halbach was 2 for 5 with a double and one runs scored.
Right fielder Miguel Olivo was 2 for 4. He drove in a run with a single in the ninth and scored on Hartshorn’s single.
I’m pretty sure Hartshorn’s home run bounced int0 the the Mississippi.
RBI doubles for Miguel Useche and Bowser. Useche was 1 for 4.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were bitten by the Charleston RiverDogs (Rays), 4-3 in ten innings.
Starter Edwardo Melendez gave up two runs on six hits over 3.2 innings. Melendez walked three and struck out two.
Daniel Avitia threw the next 3.2 innings and didn’t allow a run. He surrendered one hit and walked four. He struck out two.
Aiden Moffett went the rest of the way, gave up two runs in the bottom of the tenth and got the loss. Moffett allowed two runs, one earned, on one hit over 1.2 innings. He struggled with control as Moffett walked two (including walking in the winning run) and threw three wild pitches.
Second baseman Alexis Hernandez was 2 for 4 with a walk and two steals. He scored one run.
Edward Vargas drove in the automatic runner in the tenth with a single. He was 1 for 4.
ACL Cubs
Losing to the Guardians, 9-6 in the eighth.
