Results tagged ‘ Blake Parker ’
Cubs minor league recap: 4/10/13
Blake Parker became the Iowa Cubs’ all-time saves leader Wednesday. (Photo by Stephen Green)
The Iowa Cubs ended a six-game losing streak to rack up their first win of the season, while Tennessee, Daytona and Kane Count all lost on Wednesday. Here are some highlights from Wednesday’s action:
IOWA CUBS (1-6)
Iowa won its first game of the season, scoring three runs in the fifth inning to beat host Round Rock, 3-2.
- C Luis Flores (.250 AVG) went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in the fifth inning.
- RF Ryan Sweeney (.438) recorded his third multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-5.
- 3B Edwin Maysonet (.273) chipped in with two hits, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base (1).
- RHP Yoanner Negrin (0.00 ERA) tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief, striking out two. He hasn’t allowed a run in 4.2 innings of relief this season.
- RHP Blake Parker (4.50) became the franchise’s all-time saves leader, tossing 1.1-scoreless innings to notch his 35th career save with Iowa.
TENNESSEE SMOKIES (2-4)
Tennessee lost its third game in a row, dropping a 6-2 decision to visiting Chattanooga.
- 1B Justin Bour (.190) clubbed his first homer of the season, going 1-for-2 with two walks and the clout. He recorded a team-high 17 home runs last season.
- CF Rubi Silva (.235) went 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base (2).
- RHP Frank Batista (0.00) allowed two hits while striking out one in 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.
DAYTONA CUBS (3-3)
Visiting Clearwater scored five runs in the 11th inning to defeat Daytona, 14-9.
- DH-CF Zeke DeVoss (.308) went 2-for-6, homering for the second straight game … he has hit safely in five of his first six games this season.
- CF-RF John Andreoli (.478) extended his hitting streak to six games, going 3-for-6 with a double.
- 3B Dustin Geiger (.158) and LF Taiwan Easterling (.250) each clubbed their first home runs of the campaign.
- RHP Ryan Searle (0.00) struck out four in 3.2-scoreless innings of relief. He has not allowed a run in 8.1 innings this season.
KANE COUNTY COUGARS (2-5)
Kane County had its two-game winning streak snapped in a 10-4 loss to visiting Clinton.
- 1B Rock Shoulders (.467) went 2-for-5, extending his hitting streak to seven games. He has recorded two or more hits in five-straight games.
- RF-P Bijan Rademacher (.316) reached base three times, going 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. He also pitched the ninth inning, allowing an unearned run on three walks.
- CF Trey Martin (.133) went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double and a team-high two RBI (2).
- LHP Nathan Dorris (1.42) struck out five hitters in 4.0-scoreless innings of relief.
Cubs minor league recap: 4/8/13
Brett Jackson recorded a team-high two RBI for Iowa Monday. (Photo by Stephen Green)
The Kane County Cougars picked up their first win of the season Monday, while the Iowa Cubs surrendered their fifth-straight loss. Here are the highlights from Monday’s games:
IOWA CUBS (0-5)
Iowa suffered its fifth-straight loss to open the season, surrendering six first-inning runs in a 13-5 setback at Round Rock.
- 2B Logan Watkins (.368) went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, two runs scored and a RBI.
- CF Brett Jackson (.238) was 2-for-4 with a double and a team-high two RBI (2).
- SS Donnie Murphy (.300) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
- RF Brian Bogusevic (.389) reached base three times, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and an outfield assist.
- RHP Blake Parker (6.75) walked one and fanned two in 1.1 scoreless innings of relief.
TENNESSEE SMOKIES (2-3)
Tennessee lost its second game in a row, dropping a 2-1 pitchers’ duel at Pensacola.
- CF Matt Szczur (.409) reached base three times, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base.
- SS Arismendy Alcantara (.261) added two hits, going 2-for-4.
- LF Rubi Silva (.154) went 1-for-4 with a stolen base.
- LHP Zach Rosscup (0.00) allowed one hit while fanning three in 1.0 scoreless inning of relief.
- RHP Trey McNutt (0.00) fanned one in a perfect eighth inning.
DAYTONA CUBS (3-1)
Daytona had the day off. The D-Cubs return to action Tuesday, hosting Clearwater.
KANE COUNTY COUGARS (1-4)
Kane County squandered a 5-1 eighth-inning lead, but plated a run in the bottom of the 10th to defeat visiting Clinton 6-5 in walk-off fashion, snapping a season-opening, four-game skid.
- 2B Gioskar Amaya (.238) went 3-for-5 with a triple, a run scored and a stolen base.
- C Chadd Krist (.625) was 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored.
- RF Bijan Rademacher (.214) added three hits, going 3-for-5 with a team-high three RBI and an outfield assist.
- 1B Rock Shoulders (2-for-5, R) and LF Pin-Chieh Chen (2-for-5, R) both had multi-hit performances.
Cubs invite 22 non-roster players to Mesa
Reliever Jaye Chapman was one of 22 players invited to Spring Training Friday.
(Photo by Stephen Green)
The clubhouse in Mesa, Ariz., will be a little more crowded later this month as the Cubs have invited 22 non-roster players to major league Spring Training camp. For some of the younger ballplayers, the invite serves as a chance to get acclimated to major league hitting or pitching. For the veterans, it could be another shot to break camp with a big league team.
The Cubs non-roster invitees include a mix of top prospects (Javier Baez, Nick Struck), familiar faces (Jaye Chapman, Casey Coleman, Blake Parker) and former major leaguers (Brent Lillibridge, Brian Bogusevic, Darnell McDonald).
Pitchers and catchers report to Mesa Feb. 12, and the first full squad workout is Feb. 17. Below is the complete list of non-roster invitees:
Right-handed pitchers: Drew Carpenter, Jaye Chapman, Casey Coleman, Dayan Diaz, Jensen Lewis, Barret Loux, Blake Parker, Zach Putnam, Nick Struck, Cory Wade
Left-handed pitchers: Hisanori Takahashi
Catchers: J.C. Boscan, Michael Brenly, Rafael Lopez
Infielders: Javier Baez, Alberto Gonzalez, Brent Lillibridge, Edwin Maysonet, Brad Nelson
Outfielders: Brian Bogusevic, Johermyn Chavez, Darnell McDonald
Cactus Notes: Cubs reduce roster to 31 players
Mesa, Ariz. — The Cubs are closer to finalizing their Opening Day roster after sending nine players to minor league camp Thursday, trimming their ranks from 40 players to 31.
Left-handed pitchers Scott Maine and Travis Wood, righty Randy Wells, outfielder Dave Sappelt and catcher Welington Castillo have all been optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Infielders Edgar Gonzalez and Matt Tolbert, righty Blake Parker and catcher Blake Lalli—all non-roster invitees—were assigned to minor league camp.
Manager Dale Sveum announced his Opening Day rotation will consist of Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija, Chris Volstad and Paul Maholm.
Wood and Wells were in the rotation mix heading into Spring Training, but were outpitched by Volstad and Samardzija. Wood struggled in Mesa, with a 17.28 ERA in 8.1 innings, surrendering 16 earned runs and three home runs. Wells, on the other hand, didn’t give up a run in his 7.1 spring innings, surrendering just four hits.
Castillo spent much of the spring battling Steve Clevenger for the backup catcher position. Though the 23-year-old Castillo hit .324 in 37 at-bats in the preseason, including a pair of home runs, the Cubs ultimately liked Clevenger’s lefty, line-drive bat and poise.
The roster, which needs to be cut down to 25 by next Thursday, currently sits at 16 pitchers, two catchers, seven infielders and six outfielders.
Watch top Cubs prospects in AFL Rising Stars Game
Want a sneak peek at some of the top prospects Vine Line has been covering in the Minor-League Notebooks?
Tune in to the MLB Network this Saturday at 7:15 p.m. CT to see pitchers Andrew Cashner and Blake Parker, and infielders Starlin Castro and Josh Vitters. All four will be playing for the East Division in the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game.
And when it comes down to top prospects in the Cubs organization, you can’t get much bigger than these four. Vitters and Cashner are the Cubs’ 2007 and 2008 first-round draft picks, respectively. At just 19 years old, Castro might just be the Cubs prospect gaining attention the fastest. And Parker is a converted infielder who looked good as a part-time closer in Double and Triple A this season.
Vitters is hitting for a .360 AVG/.385 OBP/.460 SLG line over 12 games in the Arizona Fall League, but he has made it his goal to work on his third-base defense while playing with the game’s top minor-leaguers.
“I know my bat will be there,” Vitters told Vine Line earlier this year. “I want my defense to be up there with the best of them.”
With the system stocked with good infielders, vice president of player personnel Oneri Fleita has been able to slowly move Vitters up the ladder, splitting his time between Class-A Peoria and Daytona this season. But the 20-year-old’s natural hitting ability has only drawn rave reviews.
“When you first watch him take batting practice, he can really drive the ball,” Peoria manager Marty Pevey told Vine Line. “He has as quick of hands as any young player. I’d say his hands are as quick as Bob Horner back with the Braves when he came out of Arizona State.”
The Vine Line blog will have more on Castro, Cashner and Parker later this week.
– Sean Ahmed
Photo credit: Jamie Squire / Getty Images
