Bottom line: Cubs 2 out of 3. Not bad. Since Myles had a hard night last night, which we'll blame on the newborn, I volunteered to fill in today with my semi-annual OV post. You get what you pay for.
Iowa Cubs vs a Better Team: postponed.
Divine intervention saves us again.
Tennessee Smokies
Eric Jokisch was named Cubs Minor League pitcher of the month for April, and he earned it too. 26K, 6BB. That’s pretty good. .240 BAA, which I guess probably means his BABIP was about normal when you factor out the strikeouts, so I assume that’s not a fluky month. If you want a really sabery analysis of the minor leagues, you need to go help Myles change diapers or work the kinks out of dmick’s back. For me, sabermetrics are like dogs and cats, I like them a lot, when someone else takes care of them. Traditional stats: 3-1, 1.84 ERA over 5 starts. Check that shiny ERA. It would be nice if this guy could stay healthy. 149 IP at AA over three years suggests that is an issue.
So to celebrate his success, the Smokies started Jokisch last night.
Tennessee Smokies 0, @ Mississippi Braves 8
Jokisch now has an ERA of 3.34. 6 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks in 3 innings will do that to you. Math sucks. The Smokies only had 4 hits and two walks, no one had 2 of any of these and no power at all. Jae-Hoon Ha hurt his back the other day and hasn’t played since. So the star of the day yesterday was the sun, which is producing some pretty spectacular solar storms right now that shawndgoldman is not keeping us in the loop about. Shawn’s been totally unreliable now that he has a real job.
By the way, the Smokies website banner is using “It’s a 9 inning vacation” as a theme. Wow. They are Committed.
OK, let’s talk about some baseball now.
Daytona Cubs 11 @ Lakeland Flying Tigers 5. 6th win in a row.
I don’t know the rules about the jinx the DylanJ and dmick have on last night’s starter. So let’s just say his first name is the initials of the clothes that kids wear to bed, and his last name is a combination of the words that fill in the blanks: _________ Fries (or ________ Toast) and not pro but _____. Anyway, this nameless guy really un-sucked. 6.0 IP, 5K, 3H, 1BB 0 Runs. I guess he’s had some bad luck this year, because his ERA is 4.80 but he’s struck out 27 against only 7 BB and 29 H in 30.0 innings. His K:BB ratio is up 54% compared to last year, so far. In 1.2 innings, Starling Peralta tried to give it all back, allowing all 5 Flying Tiger runs on 6 hits. Cubs were up 9-0 before Peralta got started, so I guess he had some breathing room.
With 11 runs, you’d expect some great hitting lines, and you would not be disappointed. Here is the best one: John Andreoli—3 for 4 including 2 triples. Scored 3, drove in 1 and added a walk. The batting by the rest of the team was pretty balanced, which you really have to like, eh? Nine other players scored 1 run each. Only one other Cub had 2 hits, Ben Carhart, plus he had a SB. Everyone else contributed. Jorge Soler hit his 3rd HR of the year, a solo shot, his only hit of the night, but he walked twice and drove in another run. Taylor Davis, whose name I can’t recall ever seeing at OV before, added a 2-R pinch homer. Javier Baez and Zeke DeVoss each drove in 2 runs without getting a hit. Baez’s RBI’s came on a sac fly and a bases-loaded HBP. DeVoss drove in runs with a walk and a sac fly.
Kane County Cougars 6 vs Dayton Dragons 1.
Fifth win in a row to climb to .500 and 4th in the MidWest Western Division. What’s with the naming convention in this league? It’s a geographical muddle. MidWest Eastern and MidWest Western. Ugh. Surely with their legendary history, they could be leaders on division names.
Felix Peña gets his first win of the year with a good night. 7.0 IP, 4H, 1BB, and 7 K, giving up one run. Justin Amlung closed the game with 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 BB and a K. Oh, and a balk. A based-loaded double play saved Amlung in the 8th.
Dan Vogelbach displayed his peripheral skills with 2 BB in 4 PA and scored a run. Plus he got his third stolen base of the year. He is fourth on the team in steals, with 10% of the team total. What month is it again? Jeimar Candelario had the same line as Vogelbach, but no SB. What is this, Mirror day? YOu have to like it when hitters contribute even if they don't hit that day. The Cubs Way seems to be working on the first Saturday in May in low minors, but I don't want to get over-enthusiastic yet. Bijan Rademacher was 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and an RBI. Oliver Zapata hit a 2-R HR while batting 2 for 4. Everyone else had a hit. Wilson Contreras’s hit was a 3-R double.
Comments
Cubs and Reds are MLB Free TV game of the day.
SVBQuote Reply
FP Cheese-amateur?
GWQuote Reply
Halladay gave up five runs in the first to the mighty Stanton-less Marlins offense. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him retire before the ASB.
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ GW:
Cheese toast?
SVBQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
9 ER in 2 1/3. Only 4 hits allowed.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ SVB:
you, with your fancy book-learning and your “grilled cheese”….
/scoffs
GWQuote Reply
@ GW:
(dying laughing). My fancy book lernin took me to latin america where I am becoming unable to communicate in both english and spanish! I figure when I move back I’ll have to start in Texas.
SVBQuote Reply
You know who I’m sick of? Joey Votto.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Joey’s been on base 3 times each game this series.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat wrote:
BerseliusQuote Reply
Votto’s kind of predictability is just boring.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Well, them too.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ SVB:
(dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
How do the ads work here? I have a Rod Stewart ad between the OV banner and post title. First I’ve seen that. Are they somehow targeted to content of the blog?
SVBQuote Reply
@ dmick89:
Thanks. I really wanted to put Iowa sucks as a tag, but I thought you might interpret that in too general of a way instead of in an I Cubs way. (dying laughing)
SVBQuote Reply
Philip Humber’s ERA since his perfect game: 7.84
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
Yeah. That poor guy is going to be a trivia question forever.
SVBQuote Reply
@ SVB:
Worse, he’s a Houston Astro.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Thanks SVB, great write-up.
MylesQuote Reply
9th inning rally!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
False.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Camp needs to be DFA’d. We don’t need to consider sample size when a pitcher can’t throw a hot knife through a barn door made of butter.
JQuote Reply
@ J:
The Cubs should have been happy with what they got from last year and moved on without re-signing him.
dmick89Quote Reply
@ Myles:
Happy to help. It’s fun to do once in a while. Glad you do it the other times!
SVBQuote Reply
@ J:
Between him and Villanueva, the Cubs have 2 of the softest-throwing righties in baseball.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Sappelt —–> Iowa
Sweeney —–> Cubs
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Yay! Our season is saved!
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Can Sweeney throw? Maybe he could strengthen the bullpen.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
Bring back Brooks Kieschnick!
SVBQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
I’m sure he can throw somewhat, he isn’t a DH, right?
WaLiQuote Reply
New shit http://obstructedview.net/minor-leagues/jot-cubs-minor-league-recap-5-5-13.html
dmick89Quote Reply