Chicago Cubs Minor League Report (May 25): I-Cubs Erupt for 18 Runs, South Bend Pushes Winning Run to Five

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Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 25

Affiliate Overview

Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Series vs. Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals): Tied, 3-3
Season Record: 21–29

Double-A Knoxville Smokies
Series vs. Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays): Biscuits win, 4-1
Season Record: 22–22

High-A South Bend Cubs
Series at West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers): Cubs win, 5-1
Season Record: 25–16

Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Series at Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox): Cannon Ballers win, 6-0
Season Record: 18–25

Affiliate Highlights

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs

Season Record: 21–29
Series Opponent: Memphis Redbirds (30–21)
Series Standing: Tied, 3-3

May 25: The Iowa Cubs won their second-straight contest to earn a series split vs. the Memphis Redbirds, winning Sunday’s contest 18-4. The 18 runs marked a season high for the Cubs. The Redbirds took a 3-0 lead after their first trip to the plate but the Iowa offense exploded for nine runs in the second. Brett Bateman’s (2-for-3) sacrifice fly started the scoring and Jonathan Long (1-for-6) tied the game two batters later with a two-run single. BJ Murray (1-for-4) gave the Cubs the lead with an RBI-single of his own and Owen Miller (3-for-5) followed with an RBI-double. Ben Cowles (3-for-4) capped the frame in style, slugging a grand slam, his third homer of the year, to make it 9-3. Chas McCormick (2-for-4) got the I-Cubs into double digits with a solo blast in the fifth. The Iowa offense put up another crooked number in the eighth, this time scoring eight runs. Justin Dean (2-for-5) and Miller tallied RBI-singles, while McCormick and Cowles notched RBI-doubles. Bateman would draw a bases-loaded walk to collect another RBI and Dean’s second hit and RBI of the inning would make it 18-3. Memphis would tack on one more in the ninth with the game well out of reach. Ryan Jensen picked up the win in relief to improve to 2-2 on the season. Jensen tossed two scoreless frames, allowing no hits and striking out one. He was one of three Cubs relievers to post scoreless outings of more than one inning. On the offensive side, all nine starters recorded at least one hit while six batters tallied multi-hit efforts.

Double-A: Knoxville Smokies

Season Record: 22–22
Series Opponent: Montgomery Biscuits (24–20)
Series Standing: Lose, 4-1

May 25: The Knoxville Smokies dropped their series finale to the Montgomery Biscuits on Sunday, 7-3. The Biscuits would take the lead in the contest with three runs in the second and make it a 5-0 game with two more in the fourth. The Smokies would get on the board in the fifth through Arial Armas’ (1-for-3) RBI-double and would make it a 5-3 ballgame in the seventh through an RBI-single from Karson Simas (1-for-3) and an RBI-groundout from Armas. Montgomery would put the game away, however, with two runs in the eighth and would hold off Knoxville to earn the 7-3 win. Dawson Netz got the start for the Smokies and took the loss, falling to 2-1 on the season. Netz allowed three runs on three hits over 1 1/3 innings of work, striking out three to go along with one walk. Jace Beck tossed two shutout innings in relief, allowing one hit and whiffing four. Beck has not allowed an earned run in his last 13 innings of work, spanning five outings. He has amassed 20 strikeouts compared to just five walks.

High-A: South Bend Cubs

Season Record: 25–16
Series Opponent: West Michigan Whitecaps (14–31)
Series Standing: Win, 5-1

May 25: The South Bend Cubs extended their winning streak to five games with a 5-4 victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps on Sunday. Cole Mathis (1-for-5) gave the Cubs the lead in their first trip to the plate with a two-run single. Cameron Sisneros (1-for-4) made it a 3-0 ballgame with an RBI-double in the fifth. Koen Moreno got the start for South Bend and posted four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four to go along with one walk. The Whitecaps would score all four of their runs in the game in the seventh to take a late lead but the Cubs were able to rally with two runs in the eighth to go back in front. Christian Olivo (2-for-4) plated both of those runs with a single and Eli Jerzembeck was able to toss two shutout innings to close the game to give South Bend the win and earn his first save of the season.

Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Season Record: 18–25
Series Opponent: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (24–21)
Series Standing: Lose, 6-0

May 25: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were blanked, and swept, by the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, falling 5-0 on Sunday at Atrium Health Ballpark. The Pelicans have now lost eight-straight games. The Cannon Ballers plated a run in both the first and second innings and would then tack on another in the fourth to make it 3-0. Kannapolis would then add two more in the sixth and coast to a 5-0 win. The Pelican offense was held to just five hits on the day, with Jairo Diaz (2-for-2) posting the only multi-hit effort. Mason McGwire started and took the loss for Myrtle Beach, falling to 2-2 on the season. McGwire allowed three runs on five hits over four innings of work, striking out seven and walking one. Edwardo Melendez tossed two shutout innings in relief, allowing one hit, whiffing four and walking two.

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