Cubs Minor League Weekend Recap: Ryan Gallagher Makes Double-A Debut, Pelicans Sweep Bolsters Playoff Hopes

[Billy Reich]

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

Cubs Affiliate Overview (July 19 – July 20)

• Triple-A Iowa Cubs
  Series vs. Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): Win 2-1
  Season Record: 49-46

• Double-A Tennessee Smokies
  Series at Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Loss 0-3
  Season Record: 42-47

• High-A South Bend Cubs
  Series vs. Beloit Sky Carp (Miami Marlins): Loss 0-3
  Season Record: 34-56

• Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
  Series vs. Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): Win 3-0
  Season Record: 42-45

Triple-A Iowa Cubs

Season Record: 49-46
Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians)
Series Standing: Win 2-1

July 19: The Iowa Cubs trimmed down the Clippers with an electric 7-2 victory on Saturday. Will Sanders took the mound for the Cubs and delivered an absolute gem, pitching five and ⅔ innings, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out eight batters. Sanders continues to make strides in the minors, displaying his force as a genuine top arm in the Cubs system. He’s had an incredible July, posting a 2.55 ERA and 17 Ks in 17 and ⅔ innings of work.

Tommy Romero picked up his first save in relief, going three and ⅓ while allowing just two hits.

The offense exploded thanks to Christian Franklin and Ben Cowles. The two of them put up six of the team's seven hits, with both of them going an identical 3-for-4 with a home run. Ben Cowles gets the nod as MVP today, as he blasted two homers to Franklin's one.

Ben Cowles got on the board first (and second), but Franklin drove in more.

July 20: The Cubs dulled the Clippers and took home the series win with a 5-1 win on Sunday. Connor Noland made his best start of the season, pitching an electric seven innings of shutout ball. He allowed five hits but struck out seven, advancing to a career high 9-3 with a 3.95 ERA. Noland is having himself quite the July as well, boasting a 1.95 ERA and 20 Ks in 18 and ⅓ innings of work. The Cubs’ Triple-A system has been producing a ton of growth and quality arms this season.

Nate Pearson closed out today’s game, once again showing why he’s too good for Triple-A. He struck out two of the three batters he faced, continuing a red hot July. This month he’s made six appearances, going scoreless in five of them with a 1.50 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, and 10 SOs in six innings of work. I’m really curious to see if the Cubs hang on to him in their system or dangle him as surprise trade bait at the deadline.

The offense was bright once again, driving in five runs on just five hits. Owen Caissie went 1-for-4 and led off the scoring with a two RBI double off the wall in the sixth.

Ben Cowles came up two hitters later and did his best Owen Caissie impression, launching a three-run moonshot to left field.

Double-A Tennessee Smokies

Season Record: 42-47
Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox)
Series Standing: Loss 0-3

July 19: The Smokies were doused by the Barons in a 4-2 loss on Saturday. Pitching phenom Jaxon Wiggins returned to action, taking the mound for the first time since June 20th. There’s no current injury concerns for Wiggins, but the development team wants to get a full season of pro ball out of him after his season was cut short to injury last year. He’s already exceeded his inning totals from 2024, and will likely be on added rest and inning restrictions for the remainder of the year to make sure they’re going slow and steady with stretching out his arm.

Wiggins looked incredible in his return, he struck out five of the six batters he faced, allowing one walk and no hits in his two innings of work.

Things were quiet for the Smokies on offense, scoring just two runs on six hits. Felix Stevens went 2-for-3 and Pablo Aliendo went 1-for-4 with a double, but it was left fielder Andy Garriola who put the runs on the board with a two RBI double for the teams only runs.

July 20: The Smokies got swept by the Barons, losing the series finale on Sunday 6-1. Fellow future ace Ryan Gallagher was promoted to Double-A and made his first start for the Smokies today, looking intimidating to opposing batters at the higher level. The Southern League is a major barometer for young pitchers. Warmer weather, more slug in bats, top prospect central. Gallagher took the challenge in stride, pitching five innings of no run ball and striking out three batters. He finished the day going 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, getting out to an early 1.80 ERA. Making it to Double-A in his first pro season at just 22 years old in a massive feat for the rising star.

It wasn’t enough to keep the Smokies in the game as the offense mustered up only one run. Felix Stevens continued his hot weekend stretch going 3-for-3 with a walk, but nobody could get him across the plate. Andy Garriola added the lone run in the fifth inning with an RBI triple.

High-A South Bend Cubs

Season Record: 34-56
Series Opponent: Beloit Sky Carp (Miami Marlins)
Series Standing: Loss 0-3

July 19: The Cubs were dive bombed by the Sky Carp, dropping Saturday's game 3-1. Evan Aschenbeck took the mound for South Bend and put up one of his better performances of the season, going 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1K - lowering his season ERA to 2.97. Kenten Egbert came out in relief and picked up his seventh loss of the season, allowing two runs on three hits in his two innings of work.

The team was nearly blanked on offense, but Carter Trice launched his 11th home run of the season to get the Cubs on the board late in the game and avoid the shutout.

July 20: The Cubs got swept by the Sky Carp, getting shut out 1-0 on Sunday. Yenrri Rojas was promoted from Low-A and made his impressive debut for the Cubs today. The 21 year old righty dazzled, hurling six innings of one run ball. In his first matchup against higher level opposition, he went 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 K.

Pitching kept the Cubs in the game, but the offense couldn’t get anything going. The highlight of the day was Rafael Morel’s ground-rule double in the second inning.

Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Season Record: 42-45
Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves)
Series Standing: Win 3-0

July 19: The Pelicans demolished the GreenJackets in a 12-1 romp on Saturday. Ethan Flanagan picked up his third win of the season after going 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K in today's game, advancing to 3-0 on the season with a 1.04 ERA. Cole Reynolds, Dominic Hambley, and Ethan Bell combined to put up four innings of scoreless ball in relief.

Flanagan’s impressive performance was overshadowed by the electric offense, putting up 12 runs on 13 hits. Angel Cepeda went 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs on the day and led off the scoring with a two run home run in the second inning.

Leonel Espinoza went 2-for-5 on the day and followed Cepeda up with a two run blast of his own in the third.

Ty Southisene and Jose Escobar round out the multi-hit performances on the day. Southisene went 2-for-5 and Escobar went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a double.

July 20: The Pelicans gulped the GreenJackets and completed the sweep in spectacular fashion, stepping things up with a 14-2 win on Sunday. Alfredo Romero took the mound for Myrtle Beach, tossing three innings of no run ball. Thomas Mangus picked up the win, throwing two relief innings, racking up two Ks and allowing just one hit.

Once again the offense was the star of the show, scoring 14 runs on eight hits. The bulk of the damage came during an other worldly seventh inning, where the birds scored 11 runs in the bottom half of the frame. Angel Cepeda and Eli Lovich score on wild pitches, Alexey Lumpuy hits a two RBI single, Owen Ayers hits a ground rule double, and Eli Lovich knocks an RBI single to get the party started. The Pelicans would go on to score three more times due to wild pitches and heads up base running.

Notable Promotions / Injury Notes

• ACL Cubs activated RHP Spencer Turnbull

• Iowa Cubs activated RHP Connor Noland

• Iowa Cubs placed RHP Chris Clarke on the 7-day injured list

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[We Got The Whole 9]

That 11 run inning by the Pelicans was probably the least impressive big inning I've ever seen. The catcher allowed 4 runs by himself because he couldn't catch a pitch. Only 1 ball was hit hard.