Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 9-17-24

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Southern League Division Series (best-of-3):

Game 1: Tennessee vs. Birmingham, 6:00 pm CT

RHP Antonio Santos (70 IP, 3.99 ERA, 3.98 FIP, 80 K, 25 BB)

Scheduled Regular Season Game:

Iowa at Rochester, 5:05 pm CT

RHP Hayden Wesneski

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Cam Smith has been on twice in 2 PAs - walk and a HBP - and scored once.

Smokies are up 2-0 in the middle of the 4th.

[Donzo]

All four of them are probably ready for Chicago.

[Irrelevant Dude]

27 minutes ago, Donzo said:

All four of them are probably ready for Chicago.

Line change!

[Bertz]

Not especially prospect driven but good lord striking out 18 opposing batters in the first game of a playoff series is a statement.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Tennessee won 3-1. Game 2 is Thursday.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

1 hour ago, Bertz said:

Not especially prospect driven but good lord striking out 18 opposing batters in the first game of a playoff series is a statement.

Amusingly, Tennessee was still out-hit.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://www.thecubreporter.com/cubs-bats-fine-tuned-timely-success-mesa

Quote

Ivan Brethowr (RBI double), Pedro Ramirez (RBI triple), Brian Kalmer (RBI single), Jan Luis Reyes (RBI single), and Angel Cepeda (a pinch-hit solo HR belted over the left-field fence that landed on Field # 2) drilled run-scoring hits, and Alfredo Romero hurled three innings of no run / no hit ball in relief to earn the save, as the Cubs used timely hitting to rally from an early 3-1 deficit and best the Athletics 6-3 in Arizona Instructional League game action Tuesday morning on Field # 1 at the Cubs Sloan Park Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

Not only did the Cubs defense not commit any errors in the game, they also turned in two eye-popping plays in the field. The first was by shortstop Christian Olivo, who ranged far behind 2nd base to flag-down a grounder headed for CF before leaping into the air, spinning 360-degrees, and throwing a laser-strike to 1st base to retire the batter. The second outstanding play was a sliding catch across the RF foul line by rightfielder Ivan Brethowr, who snared a bloop pop fly that initially appeared to be uncatchable. 

Cubs catcher Jairo Diaz made his first game appearance since sustaining a left shoulder injury while sliding head-first into 3rd base in an ACL game on July 20th, working six innings behind the plate and going hitless in his two PA. (The switch-hitting Diaz was batting a robust 355/417/435 with 36% CS at the time of his injury in July and had emerged as the Cubs # 3 catching prospect, behind only Moises Ballesteros and Pablo Aliendo). 

The AZIL Cubs are now 2-0-1. This was the team's first game since last Thursday (this past Saturday's game at Angels was canceled as the result of the Halos deciding to close camp and bang their entire instructs schedule after their final Arizona Complex League Continuation Camp bridge league game a week ago Saturday).