Kane County Cougars

GENEVA – A blazing bullpen relay of Brian Smith, Eddie Orozco and Jeffry Antigua handed the Cougars two things Thursday afternoon.

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GENEVA – Reports indicated Cubs outfield prospect Albert Almora would return in mid-May after breaking the hamate bone in his left hand during spring training.

GENEVA – Young fans chanted for venerable mascot Ozzie T. Cougar more than they did Cubs president Theo Epstein on Wednesday afternoon.

GENEVA – Cougars center fielder Oliver Zapata made two throws to the plate on two consecutive balls hit his way Tuesday, with both seemingly beating the runner coming home.

GENEVA – Rock Shoulders’ award-winning name circulated further through baseball when the parent Cubs announced him as their top organizational player for April last week.

BURLINGTON, Iowa – Thursday night’s contest between the Kane County Cougars and Burlington Bees at Community Field has been postponed because of rain. The two teams will play a doubleheader at 5 p.m. today to finish their three-game series. 

GENEVA – Rock Shoulders, Dan Vogelbach, Willson Contreras and Oliver Zapata combined to hit each of the Cougars’ 16 home runs through Tuesday.

BURLINGTON, Iowa – Held down to only five hits, the Kane County Cougars were shut out for the first time this season as they fell to the Burlington Bees, 4-0, at Community Field on Wednesday night. 

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GENEVA – Cougars right fielder Bijan Rademacher appeared as a reliever for the second time this season Monday.

GENEVA – The Cougars were 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position in the first game of Friday’s doubleheader with Bowling Green.

Left-handed reliever Matt Iannazzo recently was perusing a USA Today in the Cougars clubhouse. Little did he know how much that endeared him to Chronicle sports reporter Kevin Druley as a good “get” for the Weekend Chit-chat. Iannazzo, who had just finished scanning Baseball America when he spoke about his start to the season, joined the Cubs organization as a non-drafted free agent in 2012. The following is an edited transcript of his conversation with Druley:

GENEVA – Cougars manager Mark Johnson finds no fault with Peoria Charter buses, the transportation his club used on its recently completed road trip to Fort Wayne and Lake County (Ohio).

GENEVA – Last week’s bullpen “stand-off” between the Cougars and Peoria Chiefs at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark figures to have legs down the road.