Cubs Minor League Wrap: South Bend slays the Dragons, 10-4

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies couldn’t hide from the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 6-4.

Grant Kipp has been on a roll to start the year, but today he got tagged for the loss after giving up five runs on six hits over five innings. Three of those runs came on a three-run home run in the second inning. Kipp struck out seven and walked four.

Frankie Scalzo Jr. tossed two scoreless innings in his season debut. Scalzo allowed two hits and issued two walks while striking out two.

DH Andy Garriola was most of the Smokies offense as he smacked two home runs tonight. The first one came with the bases empty in the third inning and the second one was with a man on in the fifth. Garriola went 2 for 3 with a walk.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs slew the Dayton Dragons (Reds), 10-4.

Cole Reynolds started for South Bend and was a little wild. He allowed two runs on just two hits over 3.2 innings, but he walked five and struck out six. He also hit two batters.

The win went to Nate Williams, who relieved Reynolds in the fourth inning and was promptly greeted with a three-run home run. But he settled down after that and allowed just one run (of his own) on one hit over 1.1 innings. He struck out three and walked one.

JP Wheat was also wild in relief. He faced five batters in the fifth inning and retired just one of them, but got out of the inning because of a pitch that got away that ended up throwing out the batter trying to score from third; and then he induced a 4-6-3 double play. Wheat threw two innings and allowed one run on two hits, five walks and two wild pitches. He struck out one. But hey, he was sitting 100 to 101 on the radar gun.

Third baseman Matt Halbach had a triple-double tonight in that he doubled three times. Halbach was 3 for 5 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Right fielder Kade Snell hit his first professional home run in the top of the ninth inning with the bases empty. Snell was 1 for 3 with a walk.

First baseman Cameron Sisneros was 2 for 5 with a double. He also scored twice and drove in two.

Left fielder Reginald Preciado went 2 for 4 with a walk and a double.

Here are back-to-back doubles by Halbach and Sisneros and an RBI single by Drew Bowser.

Here is Snell’s first home run.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans got egged by the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros), 7-1.

Pelicans starter Kevin Camacho was activated off the injured list and didn’t make it out of the first inning in his season debut. Camacho allowed four runs on one hit and four walks over two-thirds of an inning. An error by catcher Jairo Diaz meant that only one of the four runs was earned. Camacho struck out one.

Third baseman Derniche Valdez was 2 for 3 with a triple and a run scored.