Results tagged ‘ Junior Lake ’
8/21 Minor League report
Greg Rohan had two hits and one RBIs in Iowa’s 11-3 loss to Memphis on Monday night. The Iowa pitching staff gave up a season-high 11 walks in the game.
Junior Lake had two hits and two RBIs in Tennessee’s 5-1 victory over Chattanooga. Michael Brenly drove in two runs. Brian Schlitter picked up the win in relief, striking out three over two innings.
Daytona had Monday off, and returns to action Tuesday against Clearwater.
Zeke DeVoss and Tim Saunders eaach had two hits in Peoria’s 8-1 loss to Wisconsin. Joe Zeller took the loss, giving up five earned runs on 10 hits over six innings.
Dan Vogelbach and Marco Hernandez each homered in Boise’s 8-7 loss to Yakima. Ian Dickson did not get a decision, despite giving up three hits over five innings. Vogelbach finished with three hits.
Carlos Penalver had two hits and a stolen base in Mesa’s 5-1 loss to the Padres. Paul Blackburn threw four shutout innings.
– Carrie Muskat
7/26 Minor League report
Chris Rusin gave up seven runs on 10 hits over five innings in Iowa’s 10-8 Wednesday loss to Oklahoma City. The Iowa Cubs now have lost seven games in a row. Rusin struck out seven and walked two. Dave Sappelt, Adrian Cardenas and James Adduci each had two hits.
* The Cubs announced that right-handed pitcher Jairo Asencio was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa.
Junior Lake hit two home runs and drove in four runs in Tennessee’s 7-5 win over Jacksonville. Dae-Eun Rhee gave up three earned runs over five innings for the win. Nelson Perez had two hits, including a home run. Lake now is batting .285. Justin Bour had three hits and one RBIs.
Daytona was swept in a doubleheader by Brevard Count. In the first game, P.J. Francescon gave up six runs over 3 2/3 innings in a 6-4 loss. Rafael Lopez homered and had two RBIs. Matt Szczur stole three bases. In the second game, Szczur had two hits and one more stolen bases in a 3-0 loss.
Joseph Zeller gave up no earned runs in Peoria’s 8-6 win over Cedar Rapids. Javier Baez had two hits and now is batting .360 in July. Zeller has not given up an earned run in his last three appearances.
Dong-Yub Kim hit his fourth homer but it wasn’t enough in Boise’s 10-8 loss to Yakima. Daniel Vogelbach had three hits, and Rock Shoulders and Gioskar Amaya each had two.
– Carrie Muskat
6/8 Minor League report
Chris Volstad struck out seven and gave up three earned runs on eight hits over seven innings in Iowa’s 5-4 win over Nashville. Ty Wright hit his fourth homer, Josh Vitters had two hits and one RBIs, and Jeff Beliveau earned the win in relief. The Iowa Cubs have a doubleheader Friday against Nashville.
Jae-Hoon Ha had three hits and Junior Lake had three hits and two RBIs in Tennessee’s 8-7 win over Mississippi. Matt Cerda also had three hits for the Smokies, who won their fourth in a row.
Daytona’s game vs. Bradenton was rained out. The teams were scheduled to play a doubleheader Friday.
Michael Jensen gave up one hit over five innings and struck out seven in Peoria’s 2-0 win over Cedar Rapids. Hunter Cervenka converted his first save, striking out two over two innings. Taiwan Easterling and Anthony Giansanti each drove in a run.
– Carrie Muskat
5/15 Minor League report
Anthony Rizzo hit his 12th home run and Blake Lalli hit his third to back Rodrigo Lopez and lift Iowa to a 3-1 victory Monday over Sacramento. Lopez gave up three hits over five innings. On Monday, Chris Rusin was named PCL Pitcher of the Week. Last week, he was 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA, giving up one earned run over 14 innings, while striking out 12.
Trey McNutt gave up two runs on three hits over five innings in Tennessee’s 15-4 win over Jackson in the first game of a doubleheader. Logan Watkins and Junior Lake each homered. Watkins had four RBIs. In the second game, Dallas Beeler took the loss in a 3-1 decision. he gave up three runs on seven hits. Elliot Soto had two hits and the Smokies’ only RBI.
Austin Kirk gave up one run on six hits over seven innings in Daytona’s 2-1 win over Brevard County. Nelson Perez had two hits and two RBIs.
Kyler Burke gave up one run on four hits over six innings in Peoria’s 2-1 win over Burlington. Anthony Giansanti had two hits. Austin Reed picked up the win in relief.
– Carrie Muskat
5/6 Minor moves
Infielder Jonathan Mota was promoted to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, and pitcher Daniel Berlind was released by the Cubs. Mota was hitting .293 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 21 games at Double-A Tennessee. Berlind appeared in one game with Iowa after being promoted from Tennessee on April 30.
The Smokies made a move and added infielder Junior Lake to the roster. Lake, 22, will see his first action of the season. He spent last year between Class A Daytona and Tennessee. Lake had been bothered by back problems and was rehabbing at the Cubs extended Spring Training facility in Mesa, Ariz.
– Carrie Muskat
4/30 Extra bases from Des Moines
Notes from a trip to see the Iowa Cubs:
* You’ve heard about Brett Jackson and Anthony Rizzo, but they may not be the best player on the Triple-A Iowa roster. Keep an eye on Adrian Cardenas.
“I think he’s the best hitter on our team, in my opinion,” Rizzo said of Cardenas, whom the Cubs claimed off waivers from the Athletics in February.
The infielder appreciated the compliment from his Iowa teammate.
“It might have a lot to do with the fact that I don’t chase that many pitches,” Cardenas said. “I’m not for making contact and putting the barrel on the ball most of the time. I’ve taken it to another level on timing and when to be aggressive and when to take it back.”
He gives credit to working with Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo and Iowa hitting coach Dave Keller.
“I feel I’m becoming an all around real good hitter,” Cardenas said.
Through Saturday, he was batting .324. He’s focused on baseball as well as his studies. Cardenas, 24, had a 10-page final due Monday to complete his African-American literature class at New York University. He’s not just trying to win a job on the Cubs roster; he’s working on his degree. This summer, Cardenas will be playing for the I-Cubs and working on a report for his studies, focusing on Cuba and the Cuban revolution. Cardenas is Cuban-American.
“It’s something I’m passionate about and something I’m excited to learn about,” he said.
At the ballpark, he’s all baseball. On Friday, when the Iowa Cubs game against Nashville was postponed by rain, Cardenas was one of many players in the batting cage, getting extra work.
“I’ve never seen so many people have the same goal in mind which is to get better and take their game to the next level,” he said of the Minor League team. “It’s everybody, from top to bottom.”
* Rizzo can only play first base and knows that Bryan LaHair is doing well at that position with the Cubs.
“People always say, ‘LaHair’s doing great, what are you going to do?’” Rizzo said. “Well, LaHair is a great player. I’ve said that to every one of my friends, my parents. He’s a good hitter and I remember seeing him last year here and the numbers he put up. It’s just something I can’t control.
“I’m here,” Rizzo said. “There’s nothing I can do about it. Every day here, when I don’t feel like doing something, I just think of the massive contracts signed by a few other guys in the league and it’s motivation.”
LaHair is able to play the outfield corners, so the Cubs could make room if they felt Rizzo was ready. The two talked about being in the same lineup some day.
“That’d be pretty cool,” Rizzo said. “I’d catch if I had to.”
He’s that eager to get to the big leagues. Blake Lalli, now the No. 1 catcher for Iowa after Welington Castillo was called up, had to pitch one day this season.
“I’d pitch, too,” Rizzo said.
* Brett Jackson has 27 strikeouts in 21 games, which is higher than he’d like.
“I haven’t had the April I’ve wanted,” Jackson said. “You always want to have higher numbers than .250 and 25 strikeouts or whatever. It’s been an adjustment for me. I feel as if I’m adjusting into the player I want to be and I don’t think strikeouts will be a concern in the future.”
Iowa hitting coach Dave Keller isn’t worried about Jackson. This is part of the young outfielder’s development.
“It takes awhile for every hitter, I don’t care who it is, whether it’s Manny [Ramirez] or [Albert] Pujols or [Alex Rodriguez] or [Derek] Jeter,” Keller said. “Ask anybody and they’ll tell you it takes awhile before you understand how to hit with two strikes and there’s no panic that’s involved.”
* The pitcher to watch at Triple-A Iowa is Chris Rusin. He has a 2.63 ERA in five starts, giving up eight earned runs over 27 1/3 innings. He’s struck out 13 and walked six.
* Junior Lake has not joined one of the Cubs’ Minor League teams because he’s been rehabbing at the extended Spring Training camp in Mesa, Ariz. Lake has been slowed by back problems. The Cubs hope he’ll be assigned to a team in the next 10 days or so.
* Edgar Gonzalez, who was batting .286 in nine games with the Iowa Cubs, has been released and will reportedly join the Tokyo Giants. He is the brother of Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
– Carrie Muskat
3/17 Rangers 12, Cubs 7; Athletics 4, Cubs 3 (ss)
What went right:
In Las Vegas, Jeff Samardzija gave up one run on three hits over four innings, striking out three. Adrian Cardenas had three hits, including a solo homer, and Steve Clevenger and Junior Lake each hit solo homers. Joe Mather made a great diving catch in center field. In Phoenix against the A’s, Geovany Soto was 2-for-2 with a solo homer and Starlin Castro and Marlon Byrd also each had an RBI.
What went wrong:
Trever Miller, a veteran lefty vying for a spot in the bullpen, gave up five runs on four hits in one inning, and Casey Weathers served up three runs on one hit and two walks in Vegas. The pitching has been a little shaky. The Cubs have lost six of their last six games (taking split squads into account), and been outscored 48-21 in those games.
Quotable:
“Obviously, they’ll make their decisions based on what they feel is best for the team. I feel like I’ve accomplished what I wanted to show in camp and obviously we still have a ways to go. I had to come in and show I wasn’t going to give any free bases and attack the zone and I feel I’ve been doing that. When you do that, you see what happens today, and you get quick outs. Then when you do get in trouble, you still have the pitches to work with and your pitch count isn’t up and you know you can battle and get on to the next inning. I’m happy and it’ll be interesting to go through the lineup a couple times. I’m right where I want to be.” — Jeff Samardzija
Injury report:
Blake DeWitt was back in the Cubs lineup on Saturday in Las Vegas, starting at third, and played nine innings. Ian Stewart and Darwin Barney could return on Sunday. Stewart has been sidelined with tightness in his right quad. Barney had tightness in his left side.
Up next:
The Cubs continue split squad games on Sunday. Chris Volstad will start in Las Vegas against the Rangers while Andy Sonnanstine will face the White Sox in Mesa. It’ll be Volstad’s third start, and he has yet to give up a run over six innings. The Rangers are the home team on Sunday and Alfonso Soriano will be the designated hitter for the Cubs. The Cubs-White Sox game in Mesa will be broadcast on Cubs.com.
– Carrie Muskat
3/15 D-Backs 12, Cubs 2; Rockies 7, Cubs 5
What went right:
Michael Brenly hit his first spring homer with proud dad, Bob Brenly, watching. Carlos Marmol didn’t have a 1-2-3 inning but it was much improved. Junior Lake hit his first spring homer in the Cubs’ split squad game against the Rockies. Marlon Byrd, Starlin Castro and Geovany Soto each had two hits against the D-Backs; Bryan LaHair was 3-for-5 against the Rockies.
What went wrong:
Cubs pitchers gave up 16 hits and walked six vs. the Diamondbacks. Jeff Beliveau walked two batters with the bases loaded to force in two runs and then served up a grand slam to Paul Goldschmidt in a seven-run seventh.
Quotable:
“I felt different. [Dale Sveum] talked to me [Wednesday] and I feel different. I was myself, I calmed down a little bit. It’s good the manager gives you the opportunity and he lets you know that he thinks about the players.” — Carlos Marmol on a conversation he had with the Cubs manager
Injury report:
Blake DeWitt came out of Thursday’s game against the Rockies after getting hit in the right hand with a pitch. He underwent X-rays. Ian Stewart was scratched from Thursday’s game against the Rockies because of a sore quad. Darwin Barney did not start Thursday’s game against the Diamondbacks because of tightness in his left side. Stewart may be sidelined two to three days, while Barney was day to day.
Notable:
The Cubs will send Minor League pitcher Aaron Kurcz to the Red Sox to complete their part of the compensation package for Theo Epstein. A 10th round pick in 2010, Kurcz went 5-4 with a 3.28 ERA in 32 games last season with Class A Daytona. He struck out 139 over 109 2/3 innings and walked 45. On Feb. 21, the Cubs sent pitcher Chris Carpenter to the Red Sox, and at that time, the two teams also agreed to exchange Minor League players, to be named later. The Red Sox still owe the Cubs a Minor League player to complete the transaction.
Up next:
Matt Garza will make his third Cactus League start on Friday when the Cubs play host to the Giants at HoHoKam Park in Mesa. So far this spring, Garza has given up six runs on six hits and two walks over 3 1/3 innings, serving up four of those runs in 1 1/3 innings in his last outing against the Dodgers. In that game, Garza stuck to two pitches and said he expected to add more in his next start. Friday’s game will be broadcast on Cubs.com. Plus, the final four of the bunting tournament will be held after batting practice. It’ll be Paul Maholm vs. Casey Coleman and Welington Castillo vs. David DeJesus.
– Carrie Muskat
3/15 Cubs roster moves
The Cubs trimmed the spring roster by seven on Thursday. Pitchers Jeff Beliveau, Alberto Cabrera, and John Gaub and infielder Josh Vitters were optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Infielder Junior Lake and outfielder Matt Szczur were optioned to Double-A Tennessee, and catcher Jason Jaramillo was assigned to the Minor League camp. With the moves, the Cubs spring camp roster is at 48.
– Carrie Muskat
11/26 Winter ball update
Cubs prospect Junior Lake homered in the first inning to help Estrellas de Oriente beat Toros del Este, 11-1, in Dominican Winter League play on Friday.
* Marwin Gonzalez will join the Cubs training in Mesa, Ariz., this offseason. The second baseman played his last game Friday with Caracas. According to reports, the Venezuela Winter League is upset that Gonzalez is leaving and want him to continue playing the remainder of the season. Gonzalez was batting .333 in 26 games with Caracas, with three doubles and 13 RBIs. He hit .301 in 64 games with Double-A Tennessee, and .274 in 60 gmes with Triple-A Iowa.
– Carrie Muskat
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