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Cubs Minor League News: Perlaza raking, Horton impressive, Rojas homers, Caissie hot, more
Photo courtesy: Iowa Cubs

Cubs Minor League News: Perlaza raking, Horton impressive, Rojas homers, Caissie hot, more
by - Senior Writer - Thu Aug 17 11:16:30 GMT-04:00 2023

You knew at some point there would be a lot of makeup games on the horizon for the DSL, and that is starting to become the case right now. In what is typically an off day for all Rookie League squads, both DSL teams were on the field Wednesday, giving the Cubs six games to keep track of.

The results were much better than Tuesday as the Iowa Cubs got off to a great start and never looked back.

IOWA CUBS 10 - LOUISVILLE BATS 5

No one will argue with you about how successful this Iowa Cubs season has been thus far. Entering Wednesday, you had a team looking to win their season-high seventh straight game while also putting themselves 21 games over .500 for the first time in 15 years.

Even with Shane Greene starting in what was a bullpen day, the Cubs rallied from an early deficit and used a six-run fifth inning to seize control before pulling away 10-5. Greene struggled in his 2 2/3, walking four and striking out five while allowing four runs. Once he left, the Cubs pen was very good, as the combination of Samuel Reyes, Anthony Kay, Danis Correa, and Cam Sanders allowed just two hits the rest of the way.

After grabbing an early 1-0 lead on the Jared Young RBI in the second inning, the Cubs were trailing and searching for answers. Since his return to the Louisville line, Jason Vosler has looked very good as he came through with a massive Grand Slam against his former team in the third to put Louisville on top 4-1. That was the brunt of the Bat's offense in this one, as the Cubs didn't waste any time battling back.

Still trailing by three in the fifth, Jake Slaughter started things off with a single before Pete Crow-Armstrong and Miles Mastrobuoni reached base to load the bases. Matt Mervis kept the line moving as his sun-aided RBI double pulled Iowa within 4-3.

PJ Higgins followed that up with a sacrifice to tie things up, while Yonathan Perlaza picked up his 32nd double of the season to put the Cubs in front 5-4.

Even with four runs already across, Iowa wasn't done as Alexander Canario capped off a six-run fifth inning with a laser shot to left as his two-run blast put the Cubs in front 7-4.

This was when Iowa began to take over as their bullpen came in to silence the Louisville offense making it easier for the Cubs offense to keep the pressure on.

A double from Slaughter in the seventh pushed across the eighth run of the game for Iowa, while Crow-Armstrong pushed the lead to 10-4 with his two-run single. Monday was about the PCA offense and his walk-off two-run shot, while Wednesday showed his entire skillset as he came away with two more RBIs while making a pair of outstanding defensive plays as the Cubs rolled 10-5.

Perlaza had a day at the plate, picking up four hits and two doubles as he is now three doubles away from tying his career high.

Slaughter added three hits from the No. 9 spot, with Armstrong picking up two more to lift his average to .306 as this was the 21st time this season the Cubs have scored 10 or more runs and are 16-5 in those games.

TENNESSEE SMOKIES 4 - ROCKET CITY TRASH PANDAS 3

One night, after getting drubbed by Rocket City, the Smokies turned to their Ace Cade Horton to even things up. Horton did his part on the mound, allowing just two unearned runs on three hits while striking out five. He did take a no-decision, but with an ERA of 1.38 since coming to AA, he has more than held his own.

Horton was locked into a great matchup with Robinson Pena, who also gave Rocket City five innings, allowing just two runs. Ironically, both of the runs Horton would allow came in the first three innings as the Smokies were trailing again. Sonny DiChiara delivered a sacrifice fly in the first, with Nolan Schaunel adding an RBI single in the third for the 2-0.

It didn't take Tennessee long to respond as Owen Caissie delivered the game-tying single in the bottom of the third. If it weren't for Crow-Armstrong, Caissie would be miles away from the MILB player of the year in the Cubs system this season, and he still has a chance. That 2-2 score held until the seventh when David Calabrese picked up an RBI single to put the Trash Pandas back in front 3-2.

Needing some late-game magic, the Smokies delivered, but it was unconventionally, as a pair of eighth-inning wild pitches allowed the tying and winning runs to score in a 4-3 Smokies win.

WEST MICHIGAN WHITE CAPS 4 - SOUTH BEND CUBS 3 (F/10)

Things continue to get worse and worse for the Cubs as they continue to find new ways to lose. Despite a fabulous pitching performance from Connor Noland, who allowed just one run in five innings, this game remain tied 1-1, as nine innings wouldn't be enough.

However, extra innings or not, the Cubs still found a way to lose despite scoring twice in the 10th as West Michigan used a three-run bottom of the 10th to walk off the Cubs. Matched up with Noland was Troy Melton, who, despite striking out one in six innings, tossed six scoreless innings on the mound. He scattered three hits to lower his ERA to 1.80.

With the score knotted 0-0 in the bottom of the third, Austin Murr set things up for the West Michigan offense with a two-out triple before coming home on the Carlos Mendoza single to make things 1-0. That would be the games only run until the eighth, when Felix Stevens left the building to tie things up and helped forced extras.

Stevens was just getting started as he continued to come through in the clutch and delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the 10th to put the Cubs up 2-1. Ezequiel Pagan also added an RBI single in the Cubs half of the 10th as they took a 3-1 lead with just three outs to go.

Looking to close things out was Yovanny Cruz, and after a perfect ninth inning, things went south for him in the 10th. What started with a Gage Workman single to pull West Michigan to within 3-2 was followed by a Eliezer Alfonzo sacrifice fly, and just like that, we were tied again 3-3. Things only got worse from there as Cruz walked Dom Johnson with the bases loaded, forcing in the winning run.

MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 7 - COLUMBIA FIREFLIES 4

The Pelicans may not be in first place in the second half, but after winning the first-half crown, they will make things difficult for whoever wins the second half. Sparked by a four-run fifth and a strong pitching performance from Jackson Ferris, the Pelicans took care of business again 7-4.

When it comes to Ferris, he has been outstanding since arriving in Myrtle Beach, but this may have been his best start yet. The left-hander gave the Birds five innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out six. His ERA is 3.27 for the season as he is starting to come into his own. The same can be said for Ben Hernandez, who also through five innings. Despite allowing five runs, only one was earned as his ERA fell to 2.79.

Trailing 1-0 after the Lizandro Rodriguez single in the second, the Pelicans tied things up in the fourth on the Andy Garriola sacrifice fly before exploding in the fifth. Most of the Pelicans damage came after an error as Reivaj Garcia reached via an error which gave the Pelicans the lead for good, 2-1.

Brett Bateman would come through with an RBI single later in that inning to extend the lead to 3-1, while Jefferson Rojas delivered the big blow with his two-run blast that pushed the lead to 5-1.

Over the course of the next few innings, the Fireflies did a great job of battling back, with Austin Charles going deep in the sixth to make things 5-2 and Roger Layton picking up a single in the seventh to pull within 5-3.

There was also a wild pitch by the Pelicans during that seventh that led to an additional run as they saw their lead cut to 5-4. Fortunately, that is as close as things would get as Myrtle Beach tacked on two massive insurance runs in the ninth off an Ismael Mena homer to pick up another win.

Mena had a massive day from the No. 9 spot, picking up three hits and two RBIs. Rojas added two hits and two RBIs, with Miguel Pabon adding two.

DSL CUBS BLUE 2 - DSL RED SOX 1

At long last, the DSL Blue squad found a way to beat the Red Sox, as it took strong pitching to get things done. Adrian Santana was solid in his four innings, wiggling around command issues to allow just one run on one hit. That run came in the fourth as an RBI groundout had the Red Sox in front 1-0.

Apart from that run, the Red Sox offense didn't do much of anything, but the same can be said for the Cubs, as the Red Sox pitching was slightly better. That was until Darlyn De Leon came through with a massive two-run triple in the fifth, as those were the only runs the Cubs would need in the win.

DSL CUBS RED 5 - DSL ORIOLES 3

Looking to get back on the winning track after dropping a few games recently, the DSL Red squad took the field for one of their many makeup games. Led by a three-run fourth and an excellent pitching performance, the Cubs found a way to get the job done as they took care of business 5-3.

Right from the start, you saw a little more pep in the Cubs step than in games past as Joan Delgado gave them a 1-0 lead in the first off a sacrifice fly. After a costly passed ball tied things up in the top of the second, the Cubs took the lead for good in the bottom of the second on the Andres Bonolis RBI double.

For the second time in the game, it was the Orioles battling back, with Adriander Mejia tying things up in the third with an RBI single as the back-and-forth affair continued. The same can be said in the fourth, but this time the Cubs offense made sure they would do enough damage for the Orioles to be put in a big hole.

All they needed was one swing from Luis Maza, whose first homer of the season gave the Cubs a 5-2 lead. That is all they would need, as the Orioles would add an additional run in the fifth before falling 5-3.

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