Featured Photo of a 7/3/2023 Walk-off Celebration by Rich Biesterfeld

The week started off well for the Cubs as they won the first 2 games before dropping the next 4 to give them a 9-17 record for the year at the All-Star break.

The Cubs started the week with a rare Monday day game. It was scheduled for 7 innings and the Cubs trailed most of the contest until tying it up in the bottom of the 6th. Neither team scored in the 7th but the Cubs tallied the ghost runner in the 8th on a single by Jose Escobar which led to a fun celebration on the field involving several cooler dumps on the heroes!

While the Cubs lost to the A’s on Friday evening by a score of 3-2, I believe it was the best all around game I’ve seen the ACL Cubs play this year. The defense was outstanding and even made the difficult plays look routine with no errors, passed balls or wild pitches. The pitching staff issued 8 walks, but only allowed 5 hits to limit the total damage. It was a crisp and well-played game that showed the progress the team is making as a unit.

Some Highlights from the Week:

  • Eligio Paredes made 2 appearances covering 3.2 IP. He collected the win in the walk-off victory and had 3 K’s while holding hitters to a .182 BA on the week.
Eligio Paredes
  • Christian Franklin seems to be finding his batting stroke going 7-17 with a home run and 7 RBI’s while playing the outfield and spending some time at DH.
Christian Franklin
  • After a bit of a slow start, Frank Hernandez has begun to heat up going 4-7 with a triple and a homer.
Frank Hernandez
  • Alexis Hernandez was 5-13 on the week with his first ACL home run and a pair of triples. In addition to his offensive contributions, he played a slick shortstop and has been a key contributor to help stabilize the infield defense.
Alexis Hernandez
  • Chris Paciolla has had his batting average on a steady climb with a 5-14 week! He has been driving the ball and using the opposite field more which has led to better contact.
Chris Paciolla

Comings and Goings:

Additions to the roster: MLB vet Shane Greene who recently signed with the Cubs was added to the roster but has not made an appearance. Bradlee Beesley began an injury rehab assignment from the Tennessee Smokies.

Departures from the roster: Max Bain was assigned to the South Bend Cubs.

A Look Ahead:

The Cubs will be off for the All-Star break from 7/9 – 7/12. They will play the cross-town rival White Sox on Thursday, the Giants on Friday and the Dodgers on Saturday.