Clippers 5, Bats 4

Justin Campbell’s awaited AAA debut wound up ending before it could even start. He was scratched from his start after injuring his oblique in warmups. As someone who was waiting all week to watch this start, it was very disappointing but I am also very glad that it appears we avoided the worst case scenario here. Trent Denholm got the start in place of Campbell and pitched pretty well considering the circumstances. He tossed 6 innings and struck out 8 batters and allowed 3 earned runs on 6 hits. Franco Aleman lowered his ERA to 0.32 after striking out the side and recording his 9th save of the season.

The offense was powered by Angel Genao’s 4-5 performance that included an RBI single and a double. He is now hitting .283 with an .823 OPS since being promoted to AAA. P:etey Halpin also had a big game, going 3-5 which included a triple and an RBI double. Juan Brito and Dayan Frias also had multi hit performances.

RubberDucks 9, SeaWolves 18

This was the other debut I was excited to watch tonight, as Braylon Doughty had his first start in AA! It went better than Campbell’s debut, but not by too much, as he allowed 8 runs over 2.1 innings pitched. Welcome to AA kid! Doughty is an extremely talented prospect who I have no doubt will bounce back from this and I can’t wait to see his next start.

Alfonsin Rosario just keeps trucking along, going 2-4 with his 14th HR of the season. He is now hitting .260 with a .913 OPS on the season. He is starting to prove that he may be ready for a promotion to AAA. Jaison Chourio and Jose Devers also had multi hit performances. Bennett Thompson made quite a bang in his AA debut! He recorded just one hit but that hit happened to be a grand slam in the bottom of the 3rd inning.

Captains 7, Whitecaps 10

Despite losing tonight’s game, the Captains still recorded 15 hits on offense. Welbyn Francisca continues to be scorching hot at the plate, going 2-4. Nolan Schubart went 2-5 with his 17th HR of the season. Both him and Welbyn have OPS’s over .900 on the season. We also saw multi hit performances from Tommy Hawke, Jeffrey Mercedes, Esteban Gonzalez, and Tyler Howard.

Jacob Zibin fared much better in his second High-A start, allowing three runs in 5 innings and striking out four.

Howlers 5, Woodpeckers 9

We saw multi hit performances from Jonathan Martinez and Gabriel Rodriguez in this one. Juneiker Caceres went 1-4 with a walk. Cannon Peebles went 1-3 with a walk and a 2 RBI double.

Ryan Prager didn’t have his best stuff tonight, but was still able to limit the damage to just two runs over 3.2 innings pitched. He wound up walking five batters and striking out four, which is not what we are accustomed to seeing from him.

I’ve always loved the idea of a “stopper” in a baseball rotation – a guy who can be counted on to stop a losing streak or provide a much-needed win in a crucial part of the season. In my mind, it’s a different role than an ace who might be expected to provide a specific type of run-prevention performance rather than one that gives the team a chance to win on their night to pitch. Unfortunately, Zac Gallen has seemingly taken on the role of an “anti-stopper” where instead of blunting negative momentum, he blunts positive momentum. Entering tonight’s play, the team has gone a discouraging 6-11 in Gallen starts which isn’t all that surprising given his 6.15 ERA and 1.575 WHIP on the season. He’s not the only player fulfilling that role as fellow veteran Merrill Kelly has also been a net drag on the team, going just 5-9 in Kelly’s turns in the rotation. But it is frustrating to see just how far away Gallen is from the pitcher who came in the top-five of Cy Young voting in consecutive years back in 2022 and 2023.

Through the first four innings of tonight’s game though, he looked exactly like that pitcher with a biting slider and a four-seamer that found its way past hitters and just one two-out single on his ledger. But he got ambushed in the fifth with four straight hits, including two home runs – a solo shot from Heliot Ramos to lead off the inning and a two-run shot from Victor Bericoto that gave the Giants a three-run lead. Gallen looked back in control in the sixth, collecting two easy strikeouts before committing the ultimate pitching sin: a two out walk, this one to Rafael Devers who quickly came in to score on a deep drive from Ramos that nearly left the yard and was just beyond a leaping Corbin Carroll. Ramos himself would be driven in four pitches later when Jung Hoo Lee shot a ground ball through the infield to end Gallen’s night as Torey Lovullo opted to bring in Ryan Thompson to face Bericoto. The pitching move did not pay off as Thompson gave up consecutive singles to Bericoto and Drew Cavanaugh to plate San Francisco’s sixth and final run of the night before mercifully ending the inning.

To their credit, after looking completely lifeless against Giants starter Trevor McDonald – making just his 13th career start but managing to surrender exactly one baserunner over six innings – the D-Backs finally managed to find some traction amidst the woeful San Francisco bullpen in the home half of the eighth. Nolan Arenado led off the inning with a single and came around to score on a sharp single from Pavin Smith, but Ketel Marte’s 18th double of the season was the biggest blow – plating Smith and allowing Tommy Troy to reach third. But a poor relay throw from Christian Koss doinked off Troy and out of play, scoring Troy and advancing Marte all the way to third with no outs. Sadly, Geraldo Perdomo and Carroll could only muster up a sacrifice groundout between them to score Marte for the D-Backs’ fourth and final run.

Tonight’s loss returns the team to .500 – a mark the team has struggled to escape since they swept these same Giants back at the end of May. Since then, the team has gone a dismal 12-19, the third-worst record in that time in the major leagues. While this team is clearly talented and has plenty of potential, I find myself lacking much confidence in their ability to play up to their opponents. They have feasted on bad teams with a 29-10 record against teams with sub-.500 records compared to just 14-32 against winning clubs. That does not feel like a team that is capable of making a run towards the playoffs and might find themselves overmatched if they did. They will need to find another gear if they hope to force Mike Hazen’s hand in adding to this team rather than subtracting from it with the Trade Deadline just over a month away.

It’s never a good sign when your first mile feels like you’ve already run a full marathon.    For Tatsuyi Imai, the outing was quick and ugly.    Twins 8 Astros 3.    

Imai’s early game struggles were on full display before an announced crowd of 29,179.     In the opening several minutes, Trevor Larnach would double and Josh Bell would hit a ball to dead center that’s still traveling.  Bell’s blast would officially become the fifth longest ball hit to center field since the ballyard at 501 Crawford Street opened its doors in 2000.     Just like that, it was a 2-0 lead, and the following inning Minnesota would continue the assault.    

Luke Keaschall and Brooks Lee would reach on walks, and then Kody Clemens would do his version of a deep shot to center, and the Twins had put five runs on the board.    Clemons has now hit 14 homeruns this season.   For good measure, Imai would issue another walk to Josh Bell and mercifully the curtain would come down.    Imai’s final line would read:    1.1 IP with 5 earned runs, 5 walks and 4 hits allowed, including 2 HR.   In sharp contrast was his counterpart Taj Bradley would record a season high 11 strikeouts, at one point mowing down five in a row.   

The Astros scored their initial run thanks to Jose Altuve’s leadoff walk of the game.   Altuve would advance to third on Yordan Alvarez’s first hit of the night, eventually scoring on a double play groundout by Isaac Paredes.    

The next time there would be signs of life would be in the 6th.    Brice Matthews (who replaced Christian Walker, who left the game with lower back stiffness)  and Cam Smith would reach base in consecutive fashion to start things.    Then Joey Loperfido and Nick Allen would each notch RBI’s singles, cutting the deficit to 7-3 but that would be as close as they’d get.

The final Twins run would come on Luke Keaschall’s second homer of the night in the 8th inning.      

Odds & Ends:

SS Nick Allen would relieve Raynel Delgado who exited in the top of the fifth inning with a dislocated right pinky finger while attempting to field a ball.  Delgado was attempting to field a ball that would have been an inning ending groundout, but the ball hit the second base bag and took n awkward hop. Delgado attempted to adjust to the ball with his bare hand, but the ball deflected off his hand, dislocating his pinky.     

In his latest rehab start, Lance McCullers pitched four innings of one hit ball in OKC on Wednesday Night.   41 of his 60 pitches were strikes.     

After an off day on Thursday, Spencer Arrighetti will attempt to notch his 8th win of the season on Friday night when Tampa comes to town to complete this current homestand.    The last time Arrighetti registered a win was back on May 28th.

South Bend first baseman Josiah Hartshorn and right-hander Mason McGwire were named to the Futures Game roster.

Right-hander Kenten Egbert went back from Triple-A Iowa to High-A South Bend.

Right-hander Eduarniel Núñez, whom the Cubs designated for assignment last week, cleared waivers and was assigned to Iowa.

The Cubs signed third baseman Michael Hallquist from the Milwaukee Milkmen of the independent American Association and assigned him to South Benc.

Everyone lost tonight. That stinks.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were chicken against the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers), 7-4.

Starter Doug Nikhazy didn’t make it out of the first inning. Nikhazy got pummeled for five runs on two hits and four walks while just retiring one batter. At least that one out was a strikeout.

Aaron Bummer made his Cubs debut in this game, pitching the sixth inning. Bummer faced four batters and retired three of them. The other one hit a solo home run. Bummer did not have a strikeout.

Liam Hendriks made his Cubs debut in the bottom of the seventh. He allowed a single and a walk, but no runs in his one inning of work. Hendriks struck out two.

Left fielder BJ Murray hit his tenth home run of the year with the bases empty in the sixth inning. Murray went 1 for 3 with a walk. He scored twice.

Right fielder Ben Cowles was 3 for 4 with a steal. He singled home Murray in the fourth innning.

Second baseman Owen Miller went 2 for 4 with a double and two steals, one of which was a steal of home as part of a double steal with Cowles. He drove in one with an RBI groundout. Miller also scored one run.

Murray’s home run.

The double steal of second and home.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies got squeezed by the Columbus Clingstones (Braves), 8-3.

Brooks Caple gave the Smokies a good start, but he ended up getting the loss anyways. Caple allowed two runs on three hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out three.

This game 2-1 Columbus until Frankie Scalzo Jr. gave up six runs in the top of the ninth.

Center fielder Andy Garriola hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth, his 17th on the season. Garriola went 1 for 4.

First baseman Edgar Alvarez was a perfect 3 for 3 with two doubles and a walk. He drove in one run.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were dropped by the Beloit Sky Carp (Marlins), 9-8 in ten innings.

Mason McGwire threw the first three innings and surrendered one run on three hits. McGwire struggled with control as he walked three and hit two batters. McGwire struck out two.

After the Cubs failed to score in the top of the tenth, Grayson Moore entered the game, trying to send the game to the 11th inning. Instead, he gave up a walk-off two-out RBI double. Moore’s final line was one run on one hit over two-thirds of an inning. The run was earned—the automatic runner was doubled off of second on a lineout. Moore did not walk anyone but he did hit a batter who turned out to be the winning run.

South Bend blew a 7-1 lead in this game after five-and-a-half innings.

In his affiliated baseball debut, second baseman Michael Hallquist hit a two-run home run in his first at-bat in the second inning. Hallquist went 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.

Catcher Logan Poteet hit his first South Bend home run in the sixth inning with the bases empty. It was Poteet’s 15th overall home run. Poteet went 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored two runs and had two RBI.

DH Jose Escobar connected on a solo home run in the top of the seventh. It was his fourth home run with South Bend and sixth overall. Escobar went 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.

Hallquist’s home run.

Poteet’s round-tripper.

Jose Escobar really got a hold of this one.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were allergic to the Hickory Crawdads (Rangers), 6-2.

David Bracho started, gave up one run in the first, three in the second and two in the third. Bracho’s final line was six runs on seven hits over three innings. He walked three and struck out two.

Yoendris Gonzalez and Anhuar Garcia then each threw three innings of no-run, no-hit baseball. Both of them struck out five. Gonzalez walked one. Garcia hit one batter. It was Garcia’s Myrtle Beach debut.

Catcher Jairo Diaz hit an RBI double in the bottom of the ninth. He was 1 for 4.

Highlights, such as they are.

ACL Cubs

Off day.

Garrett Mitchell had just 10 starts against a left-handed pitcher all season long coming into the night. He had just a .547 OPS against lefties coming into the night, so it has been fairly understandable why. But Pat Murphy gave Mitchell the start on Wednesday night against Reds southpaw Andrew Abbott and he had a career night helping deliver the Crew a 4-2 victory.

Mitchell started the night with a single against Abbott in the first inning after the Brewers had already scored a pair of runs on an RBI groundout by William Contreras and a sac fly from Jake Bauers.

Then in the 3rd, Mitchell dropped in a one out double just barely fair down the left field line. Controversy later struck in that inning when Mitchell was running home on a safety squeeze bunt from Cooper Pratt. Spencer Steer glove flipped the ball to Tyler Stephenson and Mitchell was ruled out at the plate. After a lengthy review in which multiple replay angles seemed to show Mitchell beat the tag, the call somehow stood and he was ruled out. But was Mitchell out?

“No. Absolutely not.” Mitchell said.

“Our guy that does video, he’s the best there is and [Mitchell]‘s safe in his mind and he has a picture of him being safe….There is a picture of him touching the plate. We can see it from the angle we have, and I’m sure they have that angle.” Pat Murphy said.

The game remained tied at 2-2 and it stayed that way until the 7th inning. Andrew Vaughn ripped a two-out double to center past the diving Matt McLain to start the rally. Garrett Mitchell, after just missing a home run in the 5th inning and having to settle for another double, then ripped a triple off the angled wall out in center, his fourth hit of the night. It scored Vaughn to give the Crew the lead. Mitchell then scored a few pitches later on a wild pitch and this time there was no controversy at the plate.

Mitchell finished the night 4-for-4 at the plate, just inches away from a cycle. He raised his batting average on the season to .264 after coming into the night hitting .251. Mitchell’s OPS now sits exactly at .800.

“Take any other player in baseball that’s been missing for four years, to have him play this way particularly tonight. The four at-bats, the baserunning, the whole thing, I mean, I didn’t think it could happen. I didn’t expect anything close to this for this kid. I’m really happy for him. He’s just played every day, done whatever, hitting against lefties tonight, that’s something that he’s just gotten better and better. I commend his teammates for welcoming him back and seeking to understand what he’s been through, watching us play for four years. So it’s a great story” Murphy said.

Shane Drohan had another strong performance out of the rotation, even though he was pitching against the Reds in back-to-back outings.

“We worked on some stuff in the bullpen a couple days after the start in Cincinnati. Really just feeling out the direct line we wanted for the slider, it felt like in Cincinnati that was where I came up short, just not throwing good sliders late in counts. So we worked on that in the bullpen the other day and threw it well tonight, but I think it still goes back to that fastball.” Drohan said.

Drohan exited after 5.2 IP, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out seven. Coming on in relief of Drohan was Aaron “The Vulture” Ashby. Ashby pitched in parts of three scoreless innings and was the pitcher of record when Mitchell gave the Brewers the lead in the 7th.

As a result, Ashby was able to earn his major league-leading 12th win of the season and improve to 12-1. Abner Uribe, who was feeling under the weather and a little dehydrated, was able to lock down the 8th after the Brewers were unsure if he’d be available tonight. Then Trevor Megill closed things down in the 9th.

The Brewers have a chance to completely sweep the Reds in this four game series on Thursday afternoon and they’ll have their ace on the bump in Jacob Misiorowski.