Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: Florentino's Dominant Run Continues, Kane Kepley Shines in Debut

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Cubs Affiliate Overview (August 7-8)

Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Series at St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Tied 2-2
Season Record: 55–56

Double-A Knoxville Smokies
Series vs. Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Tied 2-2
Season Record: 50-54

High-A South Bend Cubs
Series vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): Cubs lead 3-1
Season Record: 43–62

Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Series vs. Fredericksburg Nationals (Washington Nationals): Pelicans lead 3-1
Season Record: 54–49

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs
Season Record: 55–56
Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (49–61)
Series Standing: Tied 2-2

Aug. 7: The Iowa Cubs jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third but the St. Paul Saints scored six unanswered runs to hand the Cubs a 6-5 defeat on Thursday. Kevin Alcántara (1-for-4) launched a three-run blast in the third, his 14th of the season, to cap a five-run frame, but the Saints scored once in the home-half of the inning and four times in the fourth before taking the lead for good with a run in the fifth. Iowa would load the bases in the ninth with one out but neither Alcántara or Chase Strumpf (1-for-5) were able to come up with a game-tying, or go-ahead, hit. Riley Martin turned in two scoreless innings in relief and has now turned in three-straight scoreless outings, spanning 4 1/3 innings.

Aug. 8: The I-Cubs evened their series against the Saints with a 10-5 victory on Friday night. Owen Caissie led the offense by going 3-for-6 at the plate with two RBI. Caissie was one of six Iowa batters to tally multiple hits in the contest, as the Cubs recorded 15 hits. Carlos Pérez (2-for-4) slugged his 21st homer of the season in the sixth, which ranks tied for fourth among all International League batters. Miguel Amaya went 1-for-5 as he continues his rehab assignment. Jameson Taillon, also on rehab, allowed one run on three hits over 4 2/3 innings of work, striking out six batters while issuing no walks.

Double-A: Knoxville Smokies
Season Record: 50–54
Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (58–48)
Series Standing: Tied 2-2

Aug. 7: The Knoxville Smokies had their game against the Biloxi Shuckers suspended in the bottom of the fifth with the ballgame tied at 0-0. The contest will resume on Friday with a seven-inning game to follow.

Aug. 8: The Smokies split their doubleheader on Friday, winning the completion of Thursday’s suspended contest, 2-0, before falling in the nightcap, 2-1.

Game 1: The Smokies held the Shuckers to just four hits to earn their first shutout of the second half of the season. Antonio Santos took no decision in the start, yielding just one hit over five innings of work, whiffing four batters. A.J. Puckett turned in two shutout innings in relief, striking out one. Brett Bateman (1-for-3) delivered both runs of the ballgame with a one-out single in the eighth.

Game 2: The Knoxville offense was held to just four hits over seven innings, going 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, in the loss. Corey Joyce’s (1-for-1) RBI-single in the first scored the Smokies’ lone run of the contest. Walker Powell took a no-decision in the start, allowing one run on five hits over four innings of work, striking out three.

High-A: South Bend Cubs
Season Record: 43–62
Series Opponent: Fort Wayne TinCaps (50–55)
Series Standing: Lead 3–1

Aug. 7: The South Bend Cubs had their four-game winning streak snapped with an 8-3 defeat to the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Brian Kalmer (1-for-4) got the Cubs on the board with a two-run blast in the fourth, his sixth of the year, and Cameron Sisneros (0-for-3) added an RBI in the sixth. Ariel Armas went a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish, his third straight such performance. Armas has started August 11-for-18 at the plate for an overall slash of .611/.696/.944 with three doubles, a home run and eight RBI.

Aug. 8: The Cubs clinched at least a series split with their 8-5 victory over the TinCaps on Friday. The game was tied 4-4 in the eighth before South Bend plated four runs, with Leonel Espinoza’s (2-for-4) two-run single breaking the deadlock. Espinoza was one of five Cub batters to record multiple hits in the ballgame, as South Bend totaled 12 on the night, with the top four in the order going a combined 8-for-17 with eight RBI. Brooks Caple took no decision in the start, allowing two runs, one earned, over five innings of work, whiffing five batters.

Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Season Record: 54–49
Series Opponent: Fredericksburg Nationals (49–52)
Series Standing: Lead 3-1

Aug. 7: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans swept Thursday’s doubleheader over the Fredericksburg Nationals, taking the opener, 9-0, and the nightcap, 5-3.

Game 1: The Pelicans blanked the Nationals 9-0 to open Thursday’s twin bill. Nazier Mulé turned in arguably his best start of the season, blanking Fredericksburg over five innings of work, allowing just two hits and striking out five. Matt Halbach’s (2-for-2) RBI-double in the first was all the offense that Myrtle Beach would need in the ballgame as the Pelicans scored runs in five of their six trips to the plate.

Game 2: Myrtle Beach stunned Fredericksburg with three runs in the eighth inning to earn a 5-3 walk-off victory. Christian Olivo (2-for-4) slugged a three-run shot in extras, the first game-winning homer of the season for the Pelicans. Kevin Camacho worked five scoreless frames, allowing just four hits and striking out a season-high nine batters.

Aug. 8: The Pelicans clinched at least a series split with a 9-7 victory on Friday night. The Myrtle Beach offense erupted for eight runs in the sixth, with Alexey Lumpuy (1-for-3) giving them the lead for good with his two-run blast. Ty Southisene (2-for-4) plated a pair of runs in the big inning on a single and Kane Kepley (1-for-3) capped the frame by stealing home. In his first three games as a professional, Kepley, the Cubs’ second round selection in the 2025 MLB Draft, has gone 4-for-10 to go along with a .971 OPS. Jostin Florentino took no decision in the start, allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings of work, striking out seven. In his last seven starts, Florentino has gone 3-0 with a 0.93 ERA (4 ER in 38 2/3 IP) to go along with 47 punchouts.

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