Iowa Cubs Tie Franchise Record with Eight Home Runs in 20-6 Rout Over St. Paul

[Travis Klosinski]

The Iowa Cubs didn’t just go deep on Wednesday: they practically sent baseballs into orbit. Their eight home runs combined for an estimated 2,909 feet of total flight distance. That’s not a typo: nearly 3,000 feet of raw power launched into the Des Moines sky.

Image courtesy of © Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

To put that into perspective, it’s like scaling the Sears Tower—twice. It's about the length of Navy Pier – which measures roughly 3,000 feet from shoreline to tip. The I-Cubs could’ve just about slugged baseballs from the base of the pier into Lake Michigan

No matter how you measure it, the I-Cubs launched their way to tying a team record with their aerial assault. They turned Principal Park into a launchpad, matching a franchise record by belting eight home runs in a commanding 20-6 victory over the St. Paul Saints.

After the team built a 7-2 lead through six innings, the seventh became an outright ambush. The Cubs hit five home runs in a single frame (a franchise first) and tacked on two more in the eighth to complete the offensive avalanche. Every home run had its moment, but collectively, the performance became a thunderclap echoing across the Cubs’ farm system.

By the end of the seventh, St. Paul’s bullpen had been through the wringer. In a moment that felt less like baseball and more like batting practice, the Saints eventually turned to utility man Anthony Prato to soak up the final outs. His ERA may never recover.

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The Home Runs, In Order

1. Moises Ballesteros – Solo home run in the 4th inning (his 1st of the game)
   Watch Ballesteros go deep 

2. Ben Cowles – Three-run blast in the 7th
   See Cowles crush it 

3. Carlos Pérez – Solo homer in the 7th
   Check out Pérez's bomb 

4. Chase Strumpf – Solo home run in the 7th (1st of 2)
   Watch Strumpf’s first shot 

5. Owen Caissie – Solo shot in the 7th
   Catch Caissie’s opposite-field blast 

6. Kevin Alcántara – Three-run homer in the 7th
   Watch Alcántara’s rocket 

7. Chase Strumpf – Two-run homer in the 8th (his 2nd of the game)
   Strumpf’s second homer is worth another look 

8. Moises Ballesteros – Two-run shot in the 8th (his 2nd of the game)
   Ballesteros wasn’t done yet 

Standout Sluggers

• Moises Ballesteros: 4-for-5, 2 HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 5 runs — tying a franchise record for most runs scored in a game earning himself the Player of the Game.
   

• Kevin Alcántara: 4-for-6, HR, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 1 SB — perhaps his most complete game as an I-Cub.
   

• Chase Strumpf: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 runs — a much-needed breakout for the infielder.
   

• Carlos Pérez: 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI — continuing his strong showing at the plate this season.
   

• Ben Cowles: His 3-run shot in the 7th helped kickstart the inning that turned into a blowout.
   

• Owen Caissie: Added his second homer of the year with a solo blast that barely needed elevation.
   

Facts From the Game

• Iowa’s 24 total hits were the most in a game since 2019.
   

• Five home runs in one inning is a franchise first — no previous Iowa team had done that at any level.
   

• Eight home runs total tied the I-Cubs all-time single-game record (last set in 2008).
   

• Every starting position player recorded at least one hit.
   

• The I-Cubs scored nine runs in the 7th inning alone, essentially ending the game before the final six outs.

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And then what?

Strumpf quickly proved that he wasn't done. On Thursday, his grand slam helped the I-Cubs win again, this time by a tamer 6-2 score. Friday night, the series with the visiting Saints will continue. We don't yet have a probable starter for the I-Cubs, but Jordan Wicks would be on full rest.

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