The Daytona Cubs have a 3.5 game lead in the Florida State League North Division second-half standings and their chances of making the playoffs got a huge boost today when third baseman Kris Bryant and first baseman Dan Vogelbach were both promoted to Daytona from Boise and Kane County respectively. The team really needs it as tonight Anthony Giansanti was their cleanup hitter tonight. Nothing against Giansanti, but he's got one home run so far this season. Even his mom would admit he's not a cleanup hitter. Right now, the Daytona Cubs have three or four leadoff hitters in their lineup. The power is much needed.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs dunked the Sacramento River Cats (Athletics), 2-1.
Justin Grimm started and got his second Iowa win. He pitched 5.1 innings and allowed only one run on four hits. He did walk four batters, which is an issue. Grimm struck out six.
In his first game back from the disabled list, third baseman Josh Vitters smashed a ball into the left field skyboxes for his fifth home run of the season. It came in the bottom of the fourth and tied the score at 1-1. Vitters was 1 for 2 with a walk.
In the very next inning, DH Mike Olt provided the rest of Iowa's offense with an opposite field home run, his 14th of the season, 13th in the Pacific Coast League and second with the Iowa Cubs. Olt was 1 for 3.
Second baseman Edgar Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with a double.
Center fielder Jae-Hoon Ha was 0 for 4, snapping his hitting streak at 13 games.
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies swept a doubleheader from the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays), winning yesterday's suspended game 3-2 and winning the regularly scheduled game 9-4.
Matt Loosen started the first game yesterday and tossed two scoreless innings before the rains came. He also faced one batter of the third inning. Loosen gave up one hit. He walked three and did not record a strikeout.
Eric Jokisch picked up the game today in the third inning and improved his record to 10-10 as he allowed two runs over 6.1 innings. One of the two runs was unearned. Jokisch surrendered four hits. He walked two and struck out three in his first appearance after his no-hitter.
Jokisch exited after he walked a batter with one out in the ninth. He was replaced by Tony Zych, who got two flyouts to center field to end the game. It was Zych's second save.
DH Javier Baez hit a solo home run in the sixth inning to tie the game at 2-2. It was Baez's 29th home run this season and 12th with the Smokies. Baez was 2 for 4.
The Smokies took the lead in the seventh when catcher Taylor Davis, in his first game since being promoted from Daytona, doubled home Jonathan Mota from first base. Davis was 1 for 3 and Mota was 1 for 2 with a walk.
In the second game, the Smokies broke out to a 9-0 lead after three innings. Starter Yeiper Castillo got into trouble in the fourth inning, however. He allowed a single, a walk and a single to load the bases and then hit a batter to force in a run. Jeffry Antigua then relieved him and let all three runs in. Castillo's final line was four runs on four hits over 3+ innings. Castillo walked two and struck out one.
Antigua may have allowed all three inherited runners to score, but he stayed in the game for three innings and didn't allow any more runs to score. That meant he got his second win because Castillo didn't go five innings. Antigua allowed one hit. He walked one and struck out two.
The Smokies scored six runs in the first inning thanks in part to a pair of home runs. The first was third baseman Christian Villanueva's 16th of the season and it came with two men on. The next came three batters later when first baseman Jonathan Mota hit his sixth of the season with a man on.
Villanueva was 2 for 3 with a walk. He scored twice. Mota was 2 for 3 with a two-run double in the third inning, giving him four RBI for the game.
DH Justin Bour was 2 for 4 with a double. He scored once and had one run batted in. Second baseman Nate Samson was 2 for 3.
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs won their fourth straight game, 5-4 over the TampaYankees.
Ivan Pineyro won his second game with the Cubs after he allowed only one run over six innings. He did allow eight hits, but he only walked one. Pineyro struck out two.
Jeffry Lorick had to bail out Lendy Castillo in the eighth inning, and he was credited with two full shutout innings for his second save. Lorick gave up one hit but he walked no one and struck out one.
Daytona scored all five runs in the fourth inning. Third baseman Ben Carhart singled and scored in that inning. He also tripled in the sixth inning in a 2 for 4 game.
First baseman Anthony Giansanti was 2 for 4 with a triple. Left fielder Pin-Chieh Chen went 2 for 4.
Kane County Cougars
The Cougars scored twice in the bottom of the ninth inning to stun the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), 4-3.
Michael Heesch started and allowed only one unearned run over five innings. Heesch allowed two hits. He walked one and struck out one.
Andrew McKirahan pitched two innings of scoreless relief for his second win. McKirahan did not allow a hit, although he did walk two batters. McKirahan did not strike anyone out.
Third baseman Jeimer Candelario doubled to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning and would later score on a Rock Shoulders single. Candelario was 2 for 4 and also had an RBI. Shoulders was 1 for 4.
The game ended on a sacrifice fly by right fielder Reggie Golden, which scored Jose Dore, who was running for Shoulders. Golden was 1 for 3.
In his last game in Kane County, first baseman Dan Vogelbach was 2 for 4 and scored a run. Second baseman Giuseppe Papaccio was also 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Boise Hawks
Waiting for the Ems to get to town.
AZL Cubs