Minor League Notes

  • Austin Bibens-Dirkx struck out 8 batters and only allowed 2 earned runs over 7.0 innings pitched
  • Francory Pineda struck out 6 batters and only allowed 2 earned runs over 6.0 innings pitched yesterday
  • Rebel Ridling hit 2 extra-base hits

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Right-hander Austin Bibens-Dirkx allowed one earned run on seven hits with eight strikeouts over seven innings Thursday as the Peoria Chiefs topped the Beloit Snappers, 7-2. The 24-year-old Oregon native has yielded four earned runs over 24 innings in winning his last three starts. Austin Bibens-Dirkx is 4-1 with a 2.18 ERA in seven appearances this year. (Bill Mitchell/Four Seam Images)

Friday

Carlos Zambrano – had to come out of his last start after three innings because of back stiffness. He gave up two runs on three hits in the brief outing, his shortest of the season. He will be vying for his fourth straight win. On the road, Zambrano is 5-2 with a 3.17 ERA. The right-hander is winless in three starts at Coors Field.

Ubaldo Jimenez – Was the gun at Great American Ball Park a little off Saturday night? It clocked Jimenez as reaching 100 mph on multiple occasions. But that actually wasn’t important. Jimenez and catcher Yorvit Torrealba realized the Reds were sitting on his fastball, no matter how hard he threw it. So Jimenez went eight innings and didn’t let a runner past first base after the second inning. He struck out eight in a 6-2 Rockies victory. In his next start, Jimenez will face the Cubs at Coors Field, where he is 4-4 with a 3.99 ERA. (MLB.com)

Owns a devastating combination of high-90′s heat and a jaw-dropping curve. His change-up is also a pretty good pitch. Has been known to struggle with his mechanics and his command, which leads to big innings and high pitch counts. A very good mid-rotation starter. (TSN.ca)

Saturday

Ryan Dempster – threw six shutout innings in his last start against the Marlins but did not get a decision as Florida rallied for a walk-off win. The Cubs limited him to 97 pitches, but now, Lou Piniella says he’ll turn Dempster loose. This was the right-hander’s second start since coming off the disabled list and they were just being careful. Dempster did walk four. Coors Field has not been kind to Dempster, who is 0-2 with a 15.23 ERA in seven games there.

Jason Marquis – was cruising toward his 13th victory until he ran into problems in the seventh inning. With the Rockies leading 3-0 against the Reds last Sunday, Marquis gave up a double to Brandon Phillips, hit Scott Rolen with a pitch in the head and then allowed a three-run homer to Laynce Nix which tied the game. Marquis only scattered four hits on three runs and had been almost perfect before the seventh. Marquis will look to beat the Cubs, a team he pitched for last season. He beat them April 15 for his second win of the season when he pitched seven innings and gave up one run on five hits in a 5-2 win. (MLB.com)

Marquis has a solid fastball and is able to keep the ball in the park by inducing ground balls with his biting slider. He handles hitters equally well from both sides, keeps runners close, and doesn’t let that leadoff man do any damage. While his pickoff move may keep runners from stealing, base-runners seem to preoccupy him. He loses focus on the batter and gives up an uncharacteristic number of walks when he already has runners aboard. Solid mid- rotation starter. (TSN.ca)

Sunday

Randy Wells – is on cruise control. The rookie picked up his fourth straight win in his last outing against the Reds, giving up one run on six hits over 7 1/3 innings. He struck out five. Wells is the first Cubs rookie to win four straight since Kerry Wood did so April 30-May 17, 1998. Three Cubs pitchers have won five in a row, including the late Jeremi Gonzalez, who did so June 23-July 16, 1997.

Jason Hammel – After taking a beating to the tune of five runs and seven hits in 1 1/3 innings against the Mets on July 30, Hammel displayed improved fastball command and devastating off-speed pitches in a victory over the Phillies on Tuesday night. Hammel gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six, including Ryan Howard with the bases loaded in the third, and did not walk a batter. Going into the home start against the Cubs, Hammel’s struggles at Coors Field are well-documented (1-3, 7.20 ERA). However, in his last home start, on July 24, Hammel held the Giants to three runs and seven hits in a respectable six innings of a loss. (MLB.com)

His darting heat sits in the low-to-mid-90′s and he also boasts an effective curve ball. Adds a change-up, good command and versatility. Leaves his fastball up in the zone and is often too straight to be effective. Left-handed hitters have success against him. He’s jittery with runners on. A possible mid-rotation starter or reliable reliever. (TSN.ca)

Monday

Tom Gorzelanny – made a great first impression in his Cubs debut. The lefty, acquired in a five-player deal with Pittsburgh on July 30, gave up one run on three hits over 7 1/3 innings against the Reds. Gorzelanny walked one, and cutting down on free passes is something he’s been working on. He also helped himself with a RBI single but cautioned not to get too used to seeing him hit.

Jorge De La Rosa – The Cubs are clearly contenders and have dangerous hitters in their lineup, but De La Rosa can take comfort and pleasure in the fact he’s not facing the Phillies, who hit three home runs off him and scored seven runs in five innings on him Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Nothing against the Cubs, but De La Rosa is 0-3 with a 9.78 ERA career against the Phils and 0-2 with a 15.12 ERA at Citizens Bank Park. He doesn’t have a harrowing history, or much of any type of history, against the Cubs (1-0, 0.00 ERA in four relief appearances covering 6 1/3 innings). (MLB.com)

Pounds hitters with blazing heat and throws them off balance with a strong curveball. His left-handed heat makes him tough against left-handed hitters. He’s prone to bouts of wildness and needs to develop much more stamina as a starter. He could also refine his change-up a bit. A decent bullpen/rotation swing man. (TSN.ca)