Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 6-23-18

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Box Scores:

 

Iowa (game one) lost game one 4-2 (7 innings) Box Score

 

RF M. Zagunis 1/2, RBI, 2 BB

CF J. Hannemann 0/4, 4 K, outfield assist at third base

1B V. Caratini 1/3, BB, K

3B D. Bote 0/3, BB, 2 K

C T. Davis 0/2, BB; defense: 0/3 CS

SP A. Mills 6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP, 1-6 GO-FO, 100-78 pitches-strikes

RP S. Simmons 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1-0 GO-FO

 

Iowa lost game two 2-0 (7 innings) Box Score

 

LF L. Adams 0/3, K

2B C. Donahue 0/3, K

C V. Caratini 0/2, BB, K; defense: PB (3), 0/1 CS

SS D. Bote 0/3, 2 K

CF J. Hannemann 0/3, K

PH M. Zagunis 1/1

SP D. Torrez 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 4-2 GO-FO, 80-55 pitches-strikes

RP D. Maples 1 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 0-0 GO-FO

 

Tennessee lost 14-4 Box Score

 

CF C. Burks 2/4, 2 R, BB, SB (6)

SS Z. Short 2/4, R, HR (8), 2 RBI, K, HBP, CS (7)

3B J. Vosler 2/4, RBI, BB, K

DH I. Rice 0/3, 2 BB, K

RF E. Martínez 1/4, K

C W. Remillard 2/4, R, 2B (1), K; defense: 0/1 CS

SP K. Thompson 3 IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 2 HR, 3-3 GO-FO, 70-43 pitches-strikes

RP J. Stinnett 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 2-1 GO-FO

 

Myrtle Beach lost game one 7-2 (7 innings) Box Score

 

CF DJ Wilson 0/3, R< BB, E (1, fielding)

SS A. Ademan 2/4, R, 2B (5), RBI

C J. Pereda 0/3

3B W. Galindo 1/3, RBI, K

DH PJ Higgins 1/3

2B A. Monasterio 2/2, BB

1B A. Upshaw 0/3, K

SP C. Abbott 3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 WP, 4-1 GO-FO, 76-48 pitches-strikes

 

Myrtle Beach (game two) PPD - Rain

 

South Bend 5-2 Box Score

 

SS J. Bethencourt 1/2, E (21, throw)

SS-3B A. Filiere 3/3, R, 2B (14)

1B J. Young 1/3, R, 2 RBI, BB, K

DH M. Amaya 0/4, K, HBP

RF B. Hughes 2/3, R, RBI, BB, SB (19)

CF C. Singleton 0/4

SP R. Lacy 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 WP, 4-4 GO-FO, 65-47 pitches-strikes

RP M. Rondón 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 1-0 GO-FO

 

Eugene lost 9-4 Box Score

 

CF F. Kelli 1/3, R, outfield assist at third base

3B C. Morel 2/4, R, 2B (1), 2 RBI, K, CS (1), E (1, fielding)

DH J. Sierra 0/2, 2 BB, K

RF N. Velázquez 0/3, BB, K

C J. Soto 0/3, BB, K, CS (1)

2B L. Díaz 0/3, R, BB, 2 K

LF-CF KM Kwon 1/3, R, 2B (1), BB, SB (2)

SS L. Vázquez 0/3, K, HBP, E (1, fielding)

SP R. Williams 2.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2-2 GO-FO, 59-41 pitches-strikes

RP E. Palma 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1-1 GO-FO, 43-22 pitches-strikes

RP S. Ridings 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 3 K, 3-0 GO-FO

 

AZL Cubs 1 lost 6-5 Box Score

 

2B C. Daniel 1/4, R, BB, SB (1), CS (1)

LF C. Coghlan 1/4, R, 2B (1), K

DH Y. Cuevas 1/3, R, RBI, BB, K

C A. Guerra 1/3, 2B (1), RBI, BB

SS J. Huma 1/3, R, BB, CS (1)

CF J. Gutierrez 1/3, R, 2 RBI, outfield assist at third base

3B O. Nuñez 1/3, 2 RBI, K, HBP

SP D. Vargas 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 7-2 GO-FO

 

AZL Cubs 2 lost 7-5 Box Score

 

CF DJ Artis 0/0, HBP - left game after HBP

2B R. Garcia 0/5, 2 K, E (1, throw)

SS L. Verdugo 1/4, BB, 2 K

C Hen. Perez 1/5, 2 K

RF D. Wharton 3/5, 2 R, 2 RBI

LF A. Gaitan 2/4, 2 outfield assists at third base, first base

SP A. Colorado 2.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 2-2 GO-FO

RP E. Herrera 4.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP, 4-2 GO-FO

 

DSL Cubs 1 lost 2-0 (Completed Early - Rain, 5.5 innings) Box Score

 

CF R. Verenzuela 1/3, 2B (3), K

3B R. Cruz 0/3

1B E. Marchan 1/2, SB (4)

SS O. Piña 1/2

SP S. Vázquez 5 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 7-2 GO-FO

 

DSL Cubs 2 suspended in the 5th inning Box Score

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Aramis Ademan with a first inning RBI double.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Ryan Williams is starting for Eugene rather than Marquez

 

Eugene now has him going tomorrow so he's not hurt. It was Williams-Marquez last time too.

[Hrubes20]

D.J. Artis got HBP and immediately left the game. Here’s hoping it’s precautionary.

[CubsWin]

Wow, what a horsefeathery last few days for the Cubs organization, major league on down.

 

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[CaliforniaRaisin]

Didier Vargas is up to 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 11 K.

 

Can't wait till they update the box score tomorrow and we find out it took 3 pitchers to get through those 7 innings.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

7 walks and 3 strikeouts in 30 PA is a nice start for Jonathan Sierra. He has a 29% strikeout rate last year in the AZL.

[CubsWin]

7 walks and 3 strikeouts in 30 PA is a nice start for Jonathan Sierra. He has a 29% strikeout rate last year in the AZL.

Yeah, his start is most intriguing. The newfound selectivity at the plate (and the fact that it's been paired with good production) is quite the nice development. On a side note, in the games that I've watched, he's looked pretty rough in RF defensively (balls bouncing off his glove that he should've caught easily, bad reads/routes). Of course, he's got plenty of time to improve.

[CubsWin]

Kwang-Min Kwon has been showing the daring and baseball instincts that are usually only associated with Javy Baez lately. He's 6'2", 210 lbs., and when he was signed was thought of as a power-hitting 1B/OF. I don't know what's gotten into him but a couple of games ago, he was dancing off of first like Jackie Robinson daring the pitcher to throw over which he did several times with Kwon just getting back to the bag each time. He eventually stole 2B.

 

In this game, he hit a liner into shallow center. The CFer trapped the ball (according to the ump) and while he was holding up his glove to say he made the catch, Kwon, who never slowed down after rounding 1B, slid into 2B narrowly avoiding the tag. A batter later, he took off for 3B while the pitcher still had the ball on the mound. He got about half way there before the pitcher realized it. He threw to the thirdbaseman who wasn't at the bag yet and Kwon slid in safely.

 

I don't know if this is the "Cubs Way" or not, but he sure looks like he's having fun...

[CubsWin]

Fernando Kelli is fast. We all know that. How fast? He hit a solid 3 bouncer to short and easily beat the throw to first. In retrospect, the SS should've charged the ball instead of waiting back knowing who was running, but it wasn't a slow dribbler. It was solidly struck. Any other runner and the SS gets him rather routinely.

[Hrubes20]

Didier Vargas is up to 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 11 K.

 

Can't wait till they update the box score tomorrow and we find out it took 3 pitchers to get through those 7 innings.

 

So far so good, in regards to the AZL box score magic.

[davell]

https://bitacoradeportiva.com/2016/07/didier-vargas-quinto-panameno-en-unirse-a-los-cubs/

 

In this interview the Cubs' rep that signed Didier Vargas, Cirilo Cumberbatch, says the Cubs hope he can push 95-96 eventually. Vargas says he's 91-92 with a 12-6 curveball. Seems like there's some upside potential ceiling to develop. He's allowed just 58 hits in 74.1 pro innings at the rookie levels with 68 Ks and a HR allowed.

 

Didn't AZPhil have him mid to upper 80's in EXST? Stretching out, not overthrowing, plenty of possible reasons mid 80's was to be expected for him when Phil saw him. But, everyone else was throwing what you'd expect them to. So, it did put me off him somewhat.

 

If he's still throwing mid to upper 80's, he's not exciting at all. He's just getting thru the lower levels due to inexperienced hitters, but will get crushed in High A or Double A, as everyone does, if they've not got something actually going for them.If he's throwing 90+ then he's much more interesting.

[davell]

Good point, they do vary quite a bit, the younger they are. Hopefully we'll get Mitchell or someone else that gives us some gun readings on him this year.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Didier Vargas is up to 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 11 K.

 

Can't wait till they update the box score tomorrow and we find out it took 3 pitchers to get through those 7 innings.

 

So far so good, in regards to the AZL box score magic.

 

Knew it was too good to be true: https://www.thecubreporter.com/comment/259577#comment-259577

 

Somebody sent me an e-mail to confirm that Didier Vargas struck out 11 in 7 innings(!) for AZL Cubs #1 at AZL A's last Saturday night (which was apparently reported at several different Cubs blogs and message boards), and no, he did not. I was at the game, and for some reason the official scorer combined Didier Vargas and Maikel Aguiar into one pitcher (even though Vargas is a LHP and Aguiar is a RHP). Hopefully it will be corrected at some point.

 

So the actual "unofficial" pitching lines were:

 

1. Didier Vargas: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 4 BB, 5 K, 3/1 GO/AO, 70 pitches (33 strikes)

2. Maikel Aguiar: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 WP, 4/1 GO/AO, 54 pitches (39 strikes) - also committed a throwing error on an errant pick-off attempt at 1st base that allowed another runner to score from 3rd

 

If Vargas had pitched seven innings he was on pace to throw 150 pitches!