July 4, 2011 • Des Moines Register, Iowa Cubs wrap up prolific homestand with 8-1 victory http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110703/SPORTS1402/110703016/Iowa-Cubs-wrap-up- prolific-homestand-with-8-1-victory?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Sports • Knoxville News Sentinel, Ryan Flaherty lifts Smokies past Mudcats, 6-5 http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jul/04/ryan-flaherty-lifts-smokies-past-mudcats-6-5/ • Daytona Beach News-Journal, Jays rally past D-Cubs http://www.news-journalonline.com/sports/baseball/daytona-cubs/2011/07/04/jays-rally-past-d- cubs.html • Peoria Journal Star, Clinton steals show from Chiefs in 10th http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1722639232/Clinton-steals-show-from-Chiefs-in-10th • Idaho Statesman, More questions than answers on new Boise Hawks stadium http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/07/04/1714336/more-questions-than-answers-on.html • Idaho Statesman, Hawks fall to Bears on road http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/07/04/1714356/hawks-fall-to-bears-on-road.html -- Des Moines Register Iowa Cubs wrap up prolific homestand with 8-1 victory By: Randy Peterson The Iowa Cubs struck gold during their longest homestand of the season — on the field and in the cash register. Iowa wrapped up a two-week stay at Principal Park on Sunday night with an 8-1 victory against New Orleans before an announced crowd of 12,153. The Cubs won 10 of 13 games against Memphis, Albuquerque and the Zephyrs, and they wrapped up the finale with the best pitching performance of the season. Jay Jackson pitched 8 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and striking out three before leaving after New Orleans scored a meaningless run in the ninth inning. He was vying for Iowa’s first complete-game shutout since Sergio Mitre did it against Albuquerque in 2004. “They were making contact, but they were hitting it to our guys,” said Jackson, who improved his record to 4-7. “Our guys play great defense. I’d say we have the best defense in all the minor leagues.” Bryan LaHair clobbered his league-leading 23rd homer, a blast well beyond the right-field fence, against Sean West in the seventh. Also in the longball category, Iowa’s Fernando Perez hit his third homer, then robbed Josh Kroeger of an eighth-inning hit — and New Orleans of two runs — with a spectacular two- out catch against the fence. “That’s what I mean,” Jackson said. “That was a great catch. He’s been doing that all season.” Newcomer Marwin Gonzalez continued to hit triple-A pitching like a triple-A veteran — which he isn’t. The crafty shortstop had three hits Sunday, and enters tonight’s game at Oklahoma City with a .550 batting average after the first 20 triple-A at-bats of his life. “Everything I do in baseball I owe to my dad,” said Gonzalez, 22, a legitimate Cubs’ prospect from Venezuela. “He taught me to play baseball when I was 5 years old. He worked with me every day.” Marwin’s father, Mario, is a scout in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Marwin’s brother, also Mario, is a scout in the Chicago Cubs system. “I talk to them every day,” Marwin said. “Sometimes more than once a day.” The prolific homestand unfolded before a total announced attendance of 104,690 for the 13-game, 12- day stay. Sunday’s throng was the second-largest of the season, and one of five above 10,000. Sunday’s crowd also rewarded Jackson with his second standing ovation in as many years. “Got one last year, too, and it was on the Fourth of July,” he said. “I love pitching on the Fourth — or around the Fourth. You always like playing when there’s that much energy and enthusiasm in the stands.” -- Knoxville News Sentinel Ryan Flaherty lifts Smokies past Mudcats, 6-5 By: Adam Greene SEVIERVILLE — For the second night in a row, the Tennessee Smokies ended an extra-inning game in walk-off fashion. Ryan Flaherty sent a long fly ball bouncing off the center-field fence to bat in the winning run and give Tennessee a 6-5 win over the Carolina Mudcats at Smokies Park on Sunday night. “These guys are battling,” Smokies manager Brian Harper said. “That was a good series. We won five out of six and they were good games.” The Smokies (50-31, 7-4 second half) and the Mudcats (27-54, 4-7) played three extra-inning games in this series. Five of Tennessee’s past 11 games have gone to extra innings. The Smokies again had trouble batting in baserunners, leaving 15 runners stranded Sunday. Tennessee hits the road tonight to begin a four-game series against the Montgomery Biscuits. The Smokies return to Smokies Park on Friday for a four-game series against the Southern League North- leading Chattanooga Lookouts. Flaherty’s RBI double to win the game was an accident. When the team home run leader walked to the plate in the bottom of the 10th with runners on first and second, Harper called a bunt. With two tries, Flaherty bunted foul and was forced to swing. “It was embarrassing that I couldn’t get the bunts down, so I had to save myself somehow,” Flaherty said. “They ended up throwing me a fastball and I was able to hit it out there.” Smokies starter Trey McNutt is still working his way back to full strength after his third stint on the disabled list. In just his third game back, McNutt pitched well for the first four innings, but had a disastrous fifth. McNutt gave up four hits, including a triple and a three-run homer to put Tennessee in the hole, 5-2. McNutt pitched 5 2⁄3 innings, giving up 10 hits and five runs, all earned, with a walk and six strikeouts. “There were some positives tonight,” Harper said. “He (McNutt) had better breaking stuff. He ended up throwing 70 pitches. He hung a breaking ball to (Neftali) Soto for the three-run homer, but it was definitely better than his last two starts.” The Smokies began chipping away at Carolina’s lead in the bottom of the fifth. Left fielder Rebel Ridling scored on a Matthew Spencer ground-out RBI with the bases loaded to pull within two. Spencer picked up another RBI in the seventh on a single that scored catcher Steve Clevenger. Nelson Perez, who replaced an ejected Brett Jackson, kept the spot in the line up productive with an RBI base hit that put first baseman Josh Vitters across the plate to tie the game 5-5. The Mudcats drew first blood in the second with a sacrifice fly from catcher James Skelton. A Flaherty RBI single tied the game for the first time in the third. The Smokies took a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a Jackson RBI. Notebook: Ridling extended his hitting streak to seven games. Ridling was 2-for-5 Sunday night. McNutt has not recorded a win on the mound since April 26. McNutt (1-3) has made 15 pitching appearances this season. -- Daytona Beach News-Journal Jays rally past D-Cubs By: Staff DUNEDIN -- The Daytona Cubs pounded out 12 singles and took an 8-6 lead with a five-run sixth, but could not hold off the Dunedin Blue Jays in a 9-8 loss Sunday. Dustin Harrington went 3-for-4 and Jae-Hoon Ha 3-for-5 with two RBIs for the Cubs. -- Peoria Journal Star Clinton steals show from Chiefs in 10th LumberKings notch 3-2 victory to keep Chiefs tied for last in West By: DAVE REYNOLDS For the 4,541 fans at O’Brien Field on Sunday night, two out of three wasn’t bad. A pleasant evening in the 70s and a solid fireworks show took the sting out of a 3-2, 10-inning Peoria Chiefs loss to Clinton in the first of a six-game homestand. The Chiefs led 2-0 after four innings. But the LumberKings scored once in the fifth and seventh before winning it extras. For the visitors in the 10th, Mike McGee doubled with one out, moved to third on Carlos Ramirez’s single and scored on Mickey Wiswall’s sacrifice fly. “We had opportunities to execute offensively and we didn’t,” said Chiefs manager Casey Kopitzke. “First and third, nobody out (in the fifth) and first and second, nobody out (in the sixth, coming up empty both times). It comes down to execution offensively and defensively.” The key blunder on defense was a two-out throwing error by third baseman Brandon May on a routine grounder in the seventh. The runner, Anthony Phillips, would score on a Carlton Tanabe single. The Chiefs scored both runs in the third inning. Anthony Giansanti and May led off the frame with walks and Arismendy Alcantara dropped down a bunt single to load the bases. One out later, Rubi Silva drove in one with a fielder’s choice groundout and Rohan followed with an RBI single. Peoria dropped to 3-7 and is tied for last place in the second half of the Midwest League’s Western Division. “We try not to think about the first half,” said Chiefs infielder/outfielder Greg Rohan. “This is kind of a new birth for us and we’re off to a little slow start. If we get our pitching and hitting going together, we can get the second half going.” The Chiefs received a strong start by left-hander Graham Hicks, who yielded just one hit in five innings, leaving with a 2-1 lead.