Here's what I like to say: Everyone wins today!
Andrew Cashner made his first appearance of the year today and a couple of other promotions in the system, too.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs silenced the Nashville Sounds, 3-0.
Esmailin Caridad rebounded from his last start with a pretty dominating performance today. Caridad threw seven innings and allowed only three hits. He walked two and struck out five as his record improved to 3-1.
Kevin Hart and Chad Fox finished out the game by each throwing a perfect inning. Fox struck out one batter on the way to his second save of the season.
Catcher Chris Robinson provided all the runs in today's game with a three-run home run in the seventh inning. Robinson had a 2 for 4 afternoon with a double and the home run.
Tennessee Smokies
The Smokies skinned the Carolina Mudcats, 4-3.
Marcos Mateo got promoted to AA and had some trouble throwing strikes. Mateo only allowed one run on one hit over 3.2 innings, but walked four and hit a batter. He struck out three.
James Russell pitched out of the bullpen for the first time this season and picked up his first win. Russell did allow two runs over 3.1 innings, but both runs were a pair of unearned runs in the sixth inning. Russell allowed two hits, walked nobody and struck out two.
Vince Perkins continues to be unscored upon this season. He pitched two innings without allowing a hit to record his first save of the season. Perkins walked one and struck out two.
Shortstop Darwin Barney was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Left fielder Ty Wright reached base all four times up today. He was 2 for 2 with a walk and a hit by pitch. Wright doubled, scored once and batted one in.
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs caged the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 5-3.
Andrew Cashner made his first appearance of the season today. Cashner allowed one run on one hit over 2.2 innings. Cashner struck out two. He walked one and hit a batter as well. Not bad for his first appearance of the season.
Henry WIlliamson got the win in relief. Williamson allowed one run over 3.1 innings. He gave up three hits and walked two--not exactly dominating. He also failed to strike out a batter.
Jake Muyco allowed an unearned run over 1.2 innings to get his first save of the season. Muyco gave up two hits. He neither walked nor struck out anyone.
DH Jovan Rosa had a big day. Rosa finished the day 2 for 4 with a double and his first home run of the season, a third inning solo blast. Rosa scored the one time and had three RBI.
First baseman Russ Canzler hit his first home run on the year too, also a solo home run. He went 1 for 4.
Peoria Chiefs
The Chiefs' bullpen imploded to allow three runs in the top of the ninth, but the offense came roaring back in the bottom of the inning to score three times and stun the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 9-8.
Justin Bristow made his first appearance of the season as well today. Bristow only pitched two innings and allowed two runs, both scoring on a first-inning two run home run. Bristow gave up two hits, walked two and struck out one.
Josh Whitlock got the Chiefs in trouble in the ninth inning with the three runs allowed in two innings. He gave up five hits, walked none and struck out one. Ryan Buchter got the win with a scoreless inning, although he did allow two of the baserunners inherited from Whitlock to score. Buchter gave up one hit. He didn't record a walk or a strikeout.
Shortstop Junior Lake was 3 for 4 with a double. He scored once and had an RBI. Center fielder Kyler Burke went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Tony Campana was 2 for 4 with and RBI and two runs scored. He stole his eighth base of the season, although he was caught stealing for the second time as well.
DH Josh Harrison only had one hit, but it was a walk-off triple that scored two. Harrison had a 1 for 4 day with three RBI total.
0 recs | 18 comments
I like what I see from Barney
I remember watching him play on Oregon in the College WS and I was impressed. He plays with energy and has a great attitude.
wrigleyrocker12 - April 26, 2009
Oh boy, you just stepped in it.
Barney played for Oregon State. Not Oregon. :-)
You better hide before some angry Beaver fans find you. :-)
Josh Timmers - April 26, 2009
he'd better
duck
tim815 - April 27, 2009
Well boo hoo...
wrigleyrocker12 - April 27, 2009
But seriously
Barney led Oregon State to back-to-back College World Series Championships. Not many guys get a reputation for being clutch and an on-the-field leader before they even play a professional game, but Barney did. His baseball IQ is off-the-charts, too. He’s been compared to Derek Jeter, at least on the college level.
The big question about Barney was whether or not he’d hit. So far this season, he is. He’ll never be as good as Jeter with the bat, but he’ll be better in the field. Rather than Jeter, I think a better comparison would be a Jack Wilson who gets on base a lot more.
Josh Timmers - April 26, 2009
I was going to comment about Barney
So, yeah, he’s like, hitting this year. Pretty wild. If he hits even adequately, he becomes a very good prospect, no?
Brett Taylor - April 27, 2009
Yeah
I wouldn’t count on him joining the Ramirez/Reyes/Rollins triumvirate of NL shortstops, but he could be a solid glove with a bat that won’t hurt you. And he won’t give anything up to Theriot in the “scrappiness” department.
Josh Timmers - April 27, 2009
Barney again
If he’s Jack Wilson thats a pretty good draft in the 4th round to get an everyday shorstop in the 4th round.
Slamdog - April 26, 2009
I went to the Smokies game yesterday
and Darwin Barney did look good. Mateo looked very uncomfortable the first two innings, but he has not even been in Tennessee long enough to even get his jersey filled out so I think he will be fine once he settles in. It was a good game today but it was hot as hell!!
TennesseeCub - April 27, 2009
2009 vs 2008
Looks like most of our clubs have started fairly decent this year. Last year was really dismal for almost two months, alot of players were off to rough years and this year it doesnt seem to be happening as much. Hopefully its an upward trend.
Slamdog - April 27, 2009
Is there a minor league game at Wrigley this year?
drodd - April 27, 2009
Yes.
It will be on Sunday, August 9, in the afternoon. This year, it’s a Triple-A game: Iowa vs. Las Vegas. Vegas is the Blue Jays’ AAA affiliate this year. Time & ticket prices have not yet been announced.
Al Yellon - April 27, 2009
Chiefs game..
Went to the game, missed the top of the first, so I missed half of Bristow’s outing. From what I did see in the 2nd, he wasn’t doing anything special. Working in the 88-90 range with his fastball and he was elevating them. The Chiefs had a guy warming up in the 2nd, so it was clear that he was only out there for 2 innings only. Beliveau piggy-backed him, and he threw 86-88. He’s a lefty, and has a good delivery, but really didn’t look all that special. The Kernels were hitting the ball hard off of him, even when they weren’t scoring runs. The 3 runs he gave up were all in the same inning. Whitlock was more of the same..upper 80s, decent breaking pitch.
Junior Lake was the star hitting-wise, going 3 for 4. They list him at 6’2 but he seems taller than that, just by standing next to Vitters. He’s so lanky too..he looks real raw defensively, made a bad throw on a double play attempt (even though no error was charged). Vitters continues to hit the ball HARD. He was just 1 for 4, but in his 2nd AB he absolutely CRUSHED one for a HR, except the home plate ump called it foul. I had a real good look at it, and I think the call was blown..as did the Chiefs manager who complained about the call. Would have been easily 400+ feet down the line. For those of you who’ve been to O’Brien, it cleared the street behind the stadium down the LF line and ended up in the Cat parking lot. ’Twas a mammoth shot.
Let’s see..what else. Cliff Andersen led off with a would-be double that was just ROPED, went over the CF’ers head, but he pulled up lame heading into first, and was pinch-ran for. The PR was subsequently thrown out trying to steal. Why you try to steal with a guy just off the bench who hasn’t stretched out is beyond me. Brenly caught today and shows a real nice catch and released..he gunned out a guy trying to steal 2nd.
Great crowd, great weather, and a great comeback win.
mikew - April 27, 2009
Thanks for the report!
Yeah, I don’t know anyone who has actually seen Josh Vitters play who actually wants to part with him for anything.
It was Tony Campana who got thrown out trying to steal. You steal with him because that’s what Campana does.
Josh Timmers - April 27, 2009
same here
I was at the game also. I ALSO missed most of the top of the 1st. Vitters looked real nice on his one play where he backhanded a grounder & threw a BB to first. I wonder if he EVER swings late at a pitch? He has a real quick bat, and is “loose” at the plate ala Raffy. Brenley also made a nice play on a foul ball straight back by diving and catching. Looks to need work on hitting the curveball, but he’s a large kid for a backstop. Almost looks like Fisk (size wise) back there.
KedzieKid - April 27, 2009
Nice to see Caridad had a good game.
He looks to have the potential to be scary good. He also has the potential to give up a lot of runs very quickly, given his piching style. By my figures, he should be pitching shortly after the I-Cubs come back to DSM next time, so hopefully I can get another look at his stuff soon.
znohitter - April 27, 2009
Esmailin Caridad --wow!
I sat behind the Cub ondeck circle yesterday on an awesome day weather wise. Thought my knowledge of the Cub prospects was reasonable—but for whatever reason don’t recall having ever seen his name before.
He looked terrific yesterday—the best player on the field except for Milwaukee’s next Ryan Braun—Matt Gamel. Esmalin looked solid in almost every aspect of his game—fields his position well—bulldog attitude on the field—clearly wants to compete. The wind was blowing in pretty hard—so he got a little help—but definitely a name to watch.
There were at least 5 scouts in the next section over from us—and one thing everyone had to notice was how well Gamel fielded his position. In a deja vu to 2007 where Braun was held to AAA ball to work on his D at 3rd—Gamel same way—hits a TON—but he looked like Ron Santo yesterday with his glove—I don’t see Bill Hall keeping his job all season.
Chad Fox made the hitters he faced look flat out silly—they flailed away like a drunk at a pinata…Jake Fox can still rake—and duBois also holds his own—but they seem to be the proverbial AAAA players.
Was going to go tonite for dollar Chicago dog night—but the planting of shrubs or a divorce lawyer await me—i’m sharpening my shovel. Will try to catch the 11am game tomorrow on a long lunch.
cubfever7 - April 27, 2009
Beware the dollar dog.
znohitter - April 27, 2009
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Bleed Cubbie Blue to post a comment.