AAA

Iowa 5, St. Paul 2

Game Recap

Cory Abbott worked around some walks to post one of his most successful starts of the season, allowing just one run while pitching into the 6th. All nine starters recorded at least one hit on the afternoon.

Top Performers

Cory Abbott: 5.1 IP, 4 H, R, 4 BB, 5 K (6.75)Scott Effross: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, K (S, 2, 3.73)Abiatal Avelino: 2-4, R, RBI, BB (.280)Erick Castillo: 1-2, 2B, R, 2 BB, HBP (.254)Trayce Thompson: 1-5, HR (15), R, RBI (.235)Greg Deichmann: 2-4, BB (.205)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Your @GreatClips Clip of the Game is this home run from Trayce Thompson. He is your @EMCInsurance player of the game in today’s win against St. Paul. pic.twitter.com/V2Y6UFEjz9

August 22, 2021

AA

Birmingham 4, Tennessee 3 (Game 1)

Tennessee 7, Birmingham 1 (Game 2)

Game Recap

Ryan Jensen made his AA debut in Game 1 of the doubleheader and kept the Smokies in the game, allowing three runs over four innings. The Smokies managed to tie the game 3-3 in the 5th on back-to-back doubles by Tyler Payne and Cam Balego, and then an RBI single by Carlos Sepulveda. The offense couldn’t muster much beyond that one inning however, and after the game went to extras (the 8th) and the Barons brought home their inherited runner, the Smokies couldn’t match.

Game 2 was all about Chase Strumpf and Nelson Velazquez. Both were coming off rough Game 1’s but they exploded in the nightcap. Strumpf doubled, homered, and reached safely in all four plate appearances. Velazquez also homered, and drove in five.

This is what I was hoping to see from Strumpf this year. There’s been some ups and downs but his big weakness in 2019 was not being able to damage on pitches on outer edge. He’s made strides with it this year, driving more pitches into RCF gap and flashing oppo power like this. https://t.co/BSM88oHXts

August 22, 2021

Nelson Velazquez keeps hitting. 3 hits including a HR, and 5 driven in today. pic.twitter.com/vFN6J7joED

August 22, 2021

What shouldn’t be overlooked is the job done by the three Tennessee relievers who took on the bullpen game in the second half of the doubleheader. Alex Katz gave them three strong to open the game, and then Samuel Reyes and Brandon Hughes dominated over four hitless innings, striking out 7 combined in the process.

Top Performers

Nelson Velazquez: 3-7, HR (6), 2 R, 5 RBI, BB (.328)Chase Strumpf: 2-5, 2B, HR (7), R, 2 RBI, 2 BB (.209) Carlos Sepulveda: 2-6, R, RBI, 2 BB, CS (4) (.222)Tyler Payne: 1-3, 2B, R, RBI (.231)Andy Weber: 1-5, R, 2 BB (.214)D.J. Artis: 0-1, 2 BB, 2 SB (5, 6) (.181)Delvin Zinn: 2-3, 2 CS (2, 3) (.188)Bryan Hudson: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K (3.51)Alex Katz: 3 IP, 5 H, R, 2 BB, 3 K (5.84)Samuel Reyes: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (W, 1-1, 4.26)Brandon Hughes: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K (1.76)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

It’s always important to remind yourself when dealing with prospects: development isn’t always linear:

I’ll be the first to admit when I’m wrong. I had sort of written Velazquez off in 2019. He lost athleticism and his plate discipline was a mess. He looked ticketed for a corner w/a bat that wouldn’t carry. He’s been very good in 2021 though. Athleticism has returned, PD improved. https://t.co/jhIr2PbEz9

August 22, 2021

High-A

Quad Cities 7, South Bend 1

Game Recap

The Cubs lost, but that wasn’t the most important news to come out of yesterday’s game. Nico Hoerner began a rehab stint for his strained oblique muscle but exited in his first plate appearance when he aggravated the injury on a swing. He immediately took himself out:

Here is the swing. Slider gets him swinging over the top. Immediately leaves the box and looks frustrated https://t.co/Mu9Fdvm5GO pic.twitter.com/ZuQHKxU2Bk

August 22, 2021

Nico Hoerner left his rehab game in South Bend mid-at-bat today after swinging through a pitch. According to the Cubs, he felt “increased tension along his right oblique” so he decided not to push it. They’ll reassess tomorrow.

August 22, 2021

There wasn’t much to write home about offensively for South Bend in this one, but Max Bain did bounce back with a really nice outing on the mound. It’s all about command and control for the big righty. When he’s around the zone he finds success, and when he executes his pitches on the edges of the zone he’s as tough to hit as any hurler in the Cubs system. I can chalk his rough 1st half up to a lot of experimentation. The simplified mechanics and pitch mix of late have helped and hopefully this success is something which can help build momentum through the second half and head into the offseason with a solid foundation.

Nice outing for Max Bain today. 8 Ks, 1 BB, 1 HR, 2 ER. Somehow got a swing on this pitch. pic.twitter.com/v6KYTHzeJf

August 22, 2021

Top Performers

Max Bain: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, BB, 8 K (L, 3-8, 5.91)Tyler Durna: 1-4, HR (5), R, RBI (.222)Yonathan Perlaza: 1-3, 2B (.265)Alexander Canario: 1-3, BB (.269)Scott McKeon: 1-3 (.146)Jake Washer: 1-3 (.170)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Luis Vazquez (.324/.444/.405) drew a walk. He’s reached base in all 11 games he’s played for South Bend.

Luis Vasquez is a somewhat forgotten prospect in the #Cubs organization, but he’s a solid defender at the 6 and is showing the ability to barrel up pitches with some pop. pic.twitter.com/AjYGQqkVXd

August 21, 2021

Low-A

Fayetteville 9, Myrtle Beach 7

Game Recap

Daniel Palencia was throwing smoke, working on a no-hitter while shutting down the Woodpeckers through four innings. He’d reach his pitch limit in the 5th after recording just one out and walking two batters. Both would eventually come around to score, but the Pelicans still held a two-run advantage.

101 (again!) from Palencia for the K. pic.twitter.com/fCuynOXsWi

August 22, 2021

Is it good when you can hit the corners too? 8 straight retired, 4 Ks through 3 IP. pic.twitter.com/szCEQfcB8g

August 22, 2021

When Ed Howard added an insurance run on an RBI single in the 6th the Pelicans seemed to have the game well in hand. But Fayetteville stormed back. They plated three off Jarod Wright in the 7th to tie the game. And then even after Myrtle Beach retook the lead 7-5 on a fielder’s choice by Casey Opitz and a sac fly by Howard, the Woodpeckers didn’t give up. They scored four times in the bottom of the 8th off the normally reliable Gabriel Jaramillo to turn a two-run deficit into a two-run victory.

Ed Howard has the opposite field stroke working lately. Nicely done automatic double. pic.twitter.com/Ex6EpNA90y

August 22, 2021

Ed Howard knocks him in with his second hit of the day. pic.twitter.com/OmmHkB3lXo

August 22, 2021

Top Performers

Daniel Palencia: 4.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 5 K (5.06)Ed Howard: 2-2, 2B, R, 2 RBI, SF, HBP (.195)Casey Opitz: 2-4, 2 R, RBI (.333)Ezequiel Pagan: 1-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI (.245)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Daniel Palencia is not the most athletic pitcher, but he’s big and strong, and there’s some lightning in the arm. He projects as a reliever in my eye, as I doubt the command/control ever reach acceptable starter levels, but it’s always nice to know a reliever has triple digits to fall back on.

Ed Howard (.195/.247/.261) has looked a bit better at the plate over the past week. He has a hit in 5 of his last 6 games, after going hitless his previous 5. It’s been a struggle, and his mechanics at the plate are not as fluid as I would like to see. He’s seemed to be fighting himself to varying degrees throughout the year, rarely getting everything in sync. We knew he’d be a bit of a work in progress as a hitter, and the tools are still there (I like the bat speed and he’s grown into his frame well since his prep days).