Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: Florentino Shines at Myrtle Beach, Murray Jr. Continues Power Surge in Knoxville

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Cubs Affiliate Overview (July 31 – August 1)

• Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Series vs. Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates): Tied 2-2
Season Record: 53–52

• Double-A Knoxville Smokies
Series at Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Smokies lead 4-0
Season Record: 48-51

• High-A South Bend Cubs
Series vs. Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): River Bandits lead 3-1
Season Record: 38–61

• Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Series at Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays): Tied 2-2
Season Record: 49–48

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs
Season Record: 53–52
Series Opponent: Indianapolis Indians (63–42)
Series Standing: Tied 2-2

July 31: The Iowa Cubs captured a 6-2 victory over the Indianapolis Indians, winning their second-straight game. Miguel Amaya, making his third rehab appearance with the team, went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Owen Caissie went 2-for-3 with a run and a double to finish his scorching July with an overall slash of .333/.398/.744 with eight doubles, eight home runs and 14 RBIs. Hayden Cantrelle recorded his second-straight multi-hit effort, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI, and also slugging his first Triple-A home run of the season Brandon Birdsell improved to 1-0 on the season by tossing his first quality start of the campaign. He blanked the Indians over six innings of work, yielding two hits and striking out six.

Aug. 1: The I-Cubs dropped Friday’s ballgame to the Indians, 8-5, in 10 innings. Iowa jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first thanks to RBI-knocks from Kevin Alcántara (1-for-5) and Ben Cowles (1-for-4). Will Sanders took no-decision in his second quality start with the Cubs, allowing two runs on two hits over six innings of work, striking out eight batters. After Indianapolis took a 5-3 lead in the eighth, James Triantos (2-for-4) launched a two-run blast in the home-half of the frame to level the contest. The Indians, however, would plate three in the 10th to even the series.

Double-A: Knoxville Smokies
Season Record: 48–51
Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (52–44)
Series Standing: Lead 4-0

July 31: The Knoxville Smokies pushed their winning streak to five games, and clinched at least a series split, with a dominant 11-3 victory over the Chattanooga Lookouts on Thursday. Five of the nine Smokies hits in the ballgame went for extra bases, with Casey Opitz’s 3-for-4 performance leading the charge offensively. BJ Murray Jr.’s (2-for-4) three-run blast in the fourth opened the scoring in the contest and put Knoxville ahead for good. Grant Kipp picked up the win to improve to 6-3 on the season. Kipp allowed one run on two hits over five innings of work, striking out six without issuing a walk.

Aug. 1: The Smokies pushed their season-long winning streak to six games with an 8-1 victory over the Lookouts to clinch a series victory. Eight of the nine Knoxville starters recorded a at least one hit in the ballgame and combined to draw six walks from Chattanooga pitching. BJ Murray Jr. went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Murray Jr. has driven in 11 runs in his last eight games and has hit safely in seven contests during that span, which includes four multi-hit performances.

High-A: South Bend Cubs
Season Record: 38–61
Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (59–40)
Series Standing: Trail 3–1

July 31: The South Bend Cubs got on the board in the series with a 5-1 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits. Brian Kalmer’s (2-for-4) two doubles in the ballgame drove in four of the Cubs’ runs, with his three-run double in the bottom of the eighth putting the contest out of reach. Kevin Valdez turned in a quality start in his second-career Double-A start, allowing one run on two hits over six innings of work, picking up two strikeouts. Luis Martinez-Gomez worked two scoreless innings in relief, whiffing one.

Aug. 1: The Cubs dropped Friday’s contest to the River Bandits, 5-3. After trailing 5-0 through five, South Bend got on the board with three runs in the eighth but were ultimately unable to complete the comeback. All six of the Cubs’ hits were limited to singles and they were limited to just three at-bats with runners in scoring position, going 1-for-3.

Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Season Record: 49–48
Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (54–44)
Series Standing: Tied 2-2

July 31: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans blanked the Charleston RiverDogs, 3-0, on Thursday to snap a brief two-game losing skid. Eli Lovich went 3-for-4 on the night and was the lone Pelican batter to record multiple hits in the contest. Walker Powell earned his first win of the season in the start, tossing five scoreless frames while allowing four hits and striking out two. Kevin Camacho worked three shutout frames in relief, whiffing four batters, and Ethan Bell earned his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

Aug. 1: The Pelicans evened the series with a 5-1 victory over the RiverDogs on Friday. Matt Halbach’s (1-for-4) three-run blast in the sixth was the decisive swing of the contest. Eli Lovich (2-for-4), Derik Alcantara (2-for-4) and Christian Olivo (2-for-4) all posted multi-hit efforts. Jostin Florentino continued his stellar work on the mound, twirling his fourth quality start at the Single-A level. Florentino allowed just one run on three hits over six innings of work, striking out six.

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