Chicago Cubs Minor-League Recap: Walk-Off, Power, And Strong Starts

[Travis Klosinski]

Cubs Transactions

• Chicago Cubs designated LHP Charlie Barnes for assignment.
• Chicago Cubs placed LHP Matthew Boyd on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 4, 2026. Left meniscus injury.
• Chicago Cubs sent RHP Yacksel Ríos outright to Iowa Cubs.
• Chicago Cubs selected the contract of RHP Trent Thornton from Iowa Cubs.

Pedro Ramírez Walks Off Iowa Past Columbus In 11

The Iowa Cubs outlasted the Columbus Clippers 3-2 in 11 innings on a walk-off single from Pedro Ramírez that scored Owen Miller from second base. Ramírez finished 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.

Miller produced the top hitting line, going 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Christian Bethancourt knotted the game in the bottom of the 10th on an RBI single up the middle that scored zombie runner Ben Cowles, and BJ Murray drove in Miller with a sixth-inning sacrifice fly for Iowa's first run. 

 

Charlie Barnes opened with five scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out four. Collin Snider was charged with one earned run across 1 1/3 innings, but Luke Little held Columbus to a single unearned run over two innings to pick up the win.

The decisive stretch came in the final two frames. Columbus took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 10th when Kody Huff doubled to left to plate the zombie runner, only for Bethancourt to answer in the bottom half. In the 11th, Miller again opened the inning at second as the zombie runner, Justin Dean dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move him to third, Murray drew a walk, and Ramírez lined his single to left to send Iowa home a winner. Iowa managed only four hits but drew five walks and stranded seven runners. 

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Justin Dean, cf	4	0	0	0	0	0
BJ Murray, 1b	3	0	0	1	1	2
Pedro Ramírez, 3b	4	0	1	1	1	1
Kevin Alcántara, rf	3	0	0	0	1	1
Jonathon Long, lf	3	0	0	0	1	2
Ben Cowles, pr-ss	0	1	0	0	0	0
James Triantos, 2b	4	0	0	0	0	1
Christian Bethancourt, dh	4	0	1	1	0	0
Eric Yang, c	4	0	0	0	0	1
Owen Miller, ss-lf	3	2	2	0	1	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Charlie Barnes	5	4	0	0	1	4	0
Ethan Roberts	1	1	0	0	2	1	0
Collin Snider	1 1/3	2	1	1	1	1	0
Gabe Klobosits	1 2/3	3	0	0	0	2	0
Luke Little	2	1	1	0	1	2	0

Knoxville Smokies Game Postponed

The Double-A Knoxville Smokies did not play. The game was postponed. 

Cole Mathis Powers South Bend Past Lansing

The South Bend Cubs took down the Lansing Lugnuts 3-1 behind a three-run sixth inning fueled by a Cole Mathis two-run home run to follow his pervious games triple, homerun, and triple at the plate. Mathis finished 1-for-3 with the homer, two RBIs, a walk, a run scored, and a strikeout, and the long ball was his second of the season. Cole Mathis was labeled Player of the Game, if you haven't had a chance to hear from him check below. 

Drew Bowser added a 2-for-4 night with a double, an RBI, and a strikeout. Kade Snell also collected two hits and scored a run while stealing a base, while Kane Kepley and Alex Madera each contributed singles to South Bend's seven-hit total.

Koen Moreno started and turned in four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out five on 75 pitches. Jackson Brockett followed with two hitless and scoreless innings, striking out five. 

The bottom of the sixth flipped a scoreless contest. Cameron Sisneros opened with a walk before Mathis launched a two-run shot to left field. Snell singled, Leonel Espinoza struck out, and Bowser doubled into left to plate Snell from first. Justin Stransky struck out, and Madera then added a bunt single, but Bowser was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second to end the rally. South Bend stranded seven runners on the night.

A play of note was Kane Kepley's wild sprint in center for a diving play in the seventh. 

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Kane Kepley, cf	4	0	1	0	0	0
Ty Southisene, ss	4	0	0	0	0	0
Cameron Sisneros, 1b	2	1	0	0	2	1
Cole Mathis, dh	3	1	1	2	1	1
Kade Snell, rf	4	1	2	0	0	0
Leonel Espinoza, lf	4	0	0	0	0	1
Drew Bowser, 2b	4	0	2	1	0	1
Justin Stransky, c	3	0	0	0	0	2
Alex Madera, 3b	3	0	1	0	0	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Koen Moreno	4	2	0	0	2	5	0
Jackson Brockett	2	0	0	0	0	5	0
JP Wheat	1 1/3	1	1	1	0	2	0
Ethan Bell	1 2/3	2	0	0	1	4	0

Logan Poteet Homers, But Pelicans Fall To Hickory

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped a 4-2 decision to the Hickory Crawdads despite a Logan Poteet solo home run, his fourth of the season, in the top of the ninth inning. Poteet finished 1-for-4 with the homer, an RBI, a run scored, and a strikeout.

Geuri Lubo led the offense with a 2-for-4 effort that included a double, an RBI, and a strikeout. 

Pierce Coppola opened with four scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking none, and striking out five on 64 pitches. Edwardo Melendez took the loss after surrendering four earned runs on four hits and two walks across two innings, with two home runs allowed. Aiden Moffett followed with two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out one.

Lubo gave the Pelicans the early edge with an RBI double in the top of the fourth that scored Carico, and Coppola kept Hickory off the board through four. The Crawdads broke through against Melendez in the fifth on a triple and a sacrifice fly to take a 2-1 lead, then added two more in the sixth on solo home runs to push their advantage to 4-1. Poteet's ninth-inning shot pulled Myrtle Beach within two but came too late. The Pelicans stranded five runners on the night.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Alexis Hernandez, ss	4	0	1	0	0	1
Josiah Hartshorn, rf	3	0	0	0	1	1
Alexey Lumpuy, cf	4	0	0	0	0	1
Michael Carico, 1b	2	1	0	0	2	1
Logan Poteet, c	4	1	1	1	0	1
Jose Escobar, 2b	4	0	1	0	0	0
Geuri Lubo, lf	4	0	2	1	0	1
Derniche Valdez, 3b	3	0	1	0	0	1
Edward Vargas, dh	3	0	1	0	0	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Pierce Coppola	4	2	0	0	0	5	0
Edwardo Melendez	2	4	4	4	2	1	2
Aiden Moffett	2	1	0	0	3	1	0

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Moises Ballesteros: DNP
2. Jaxon Wiggins: DNP
3. Jefferson Rojas: DNP
4. Kevin Alcantara: 0-for-3, BB, K
5. Jonathon Long: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
6. Ethan Conrad: DNP
7. Pedro Ramirez: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K
8. Kane Kepley: 1-for-4
9. Josiah Hartshorn: 0-for-3, BB, K
10. James Triantos: 0-for-4, K
11. Brandon Birdsell: DNP
12. Cole Mathis: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K
13. Angel Cepeda: DNP
14. Kaleb Wing: DNP
15. Will Sanders: DNP
16. Juan Cabada: DNP
17. Jostin Florentino: DNP
18. Dominick Reid: DNP
19. Ty Southisene: 0-for-4
20. Erian Rodriguez: DNP

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