Cubs Minor League Report: Pelicans Rally Falls Short As Affiliates Drop Three Of Four

[Brock Beauchamp]

Kevin Valdez carried South Bend to the lone win, allowing one run over five innings with five strikeouts in a 4-3 decision. Chas McCormick homered for Iowa in a 10-2 loss, and Kaleb Wing struck out six over 3 1/3 innings for Myrtle Beach despite a 9-5 defeat. Knoxville was blanked 2-0 behind seven walks drawn, while Jace Beck struck out five in two scoreless relief innings for the Smokies.

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McCormick's Homer The Lone Bright Spot As Iowa Falls To Toledo

The Iowa Cubs managed just six hits and struck out 11 times in a 10-2 loss to the Toledo Mud Hens. Chas McCormick provided the offense, going 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, and a walk. Matt Shaw added two hits, and James Triantos, Jonathon Long, and Eric Yang each singled. Iowa left 12 runners on base.

Javier Assad worked a scoreless first inning with a strikeout. The game turned in the sixth, when Toledo broke through for two runs against Zac Leigh, who allowed a run-scoring single and a second run on another single before the inning closed, taking the loss. The Mud Hens blew the game open in the eighth. Christian Roa allowed three runs in his two innings of work, and Gavin Hollowell could not record an out, surrendering five runs on three hits and three walks. Toledo pushed across a pair of doubles and a groundout to turn a four-run game into a 10-0 lead.

Iowa avoided the shutout in the ninth when McCormick homered to center field, scoring Triantos. Gabe Klobosits and Christian Bethancourt combined for two scoreless innings of relief to close it out.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Brett Bateman	4	0	0	0	0	2
Matt Shaw	4	0	2	0	0	0
Jonathon Long	4	0	1	0	0	1
BJ Murray	4	0	0	0	0	2
James Triantos	4	1	1	0	0	0
Chas McCormick	3	1	1	2	1	1
Ben Cowles	4	0	0	0	0	1
Eric Yang	3	0	1	0	0	1
Justin Dean	3	0	0	0	0	3

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Javier Assad	1	0	0	0	0	1	0
Zac Leigh	2	1	1	1	2	1	1
Collin Snider	2	2	1	1	0	2	1
Christian Roa	2	3	3	2	1	4	1
Gavin Hollowell	0	3	5	5	3	0	0
Gabe Klobosits	1 1/3	0	0	0	0	0	0
Christian Bethancourt	0 2/3	0	0	0	2	0	0

Smokies Stranded As Knoxville Bats Go Quiet In Shutout Loss

The Knoxville Smokies drew seven walks but could not push a run across in a 2-0 loss to the Birmingham Barons. Knoxville collected five hits, including two triples, and stranded 16 runners. Hayden Cantrelle went 2-for-3 with a triple, Carter Trice tripled, and Owen Ayers doubled and walked. Alex Ramírez added a single.

Grant Kipp turned in a solid start despite the loss, allowing two runs, one earned, over four innings with two walks and four strikeouts. The decisive runs came in the third, when Birmingham scored twice, capped by a run-scoring single. Knoxville's bullpen was excellent the rest of the way. Jace Beck struck out five over two scoreless innings, walking two, and Tyler Ras allowed one hit over three scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Alex Ramírez	4	0	1	0	0	1
Owen Ayers	3	0	1	0	1	0
Jefferson Rojas	4	0	0	0	0	2
Andy Garriola	3	0	0	0	0	0
Cameron Sisneros	2	0	0	0	2	1
Carter Trice	4	0	1	0	0	0
Edgar Alvarez	4	0	0	0	0	1
Ariel Armas	3	0	0	0	1	1
Hayden Cantrelle	3	0	2	0	0	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Grant Kipp	4	4	2	1	2	4	1
Jace Beck	2	0	0	0	2	5	0
Tyler Ras	3	1	0	0	0	3	0

Four-Run First Lifts South Bend Past Quad Cities

The South Bend Cubs scored all of their runs in the opening inning and held on for a 4-3 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits. South Bend managed only four hits but drew three walks and stranded just three runners. Alex Madera went 1-for-4 with an RBI, Jose Escobar drove in two runs on a single, and Josiah Hartshorn and Matt Halbach each singled and scored.

The first inning produced everything South Bend needed. Kane Kepley walked and scored on a Madera single, then Escobar singled home Madera and Hartshorn to make it 3-0. Drew Bowser grounded into a force out that brought in Halbach for the fourth run.

Kevin Valdez had a nice start, allowing one run over five innings on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts to earn the win, the lone blemish a solo home run in the fourth. The bullpen made it interesting in the seventh, when Quad Cities scored twice against JP Wheat, who walked four in his appearance. Eli Jerzembeck steadied things with scoreless relief, and Grayson Moore worked a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts for the save.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Kane Kepley	3	1	0	0	1	0
Alex Madera	4	1	1	1	0	0
Josiah Hartshorn	3	1	1	0	1	1
Matt Halbach	3	1	1	0	0	1
Miguel Useche	4	0	0	0	0	3
Jose Escobar	4	0	1	2	0	0
Justin Stransky	3	0	0	0	1	0
Drew Bowser	3	0	0	1	0	0
Christian Olivo	3	0	0	0	0	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Kevin Valdez	5	6	1	1	1	5	1
JP Wheat	1 2/3	0	2	2	4	1	0
Eli Jerzembeck	1 1/3	2	0	0	1	1	0
Grayson Moore	1	0	0	0	1	2	0

Late Pelicans Push Comes Up Short In Charleston

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans scored five runs in the eighth inning but could not overcome an early deficit in a 9-5 loss to the Charleston RiverDogs. Myrtle Beach collected nine hits and drew seven walks while striking out 13 times and stranding 17 runners. Yahil Melendez drove in three runs with a double, Logan Poteet went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and Darlyn De Leon added two hits.

Kaleb Wing was sharp early, allowing one run over 3 1/3 innings with a walk and six strikeouts. Charleston built its lead through the middle innings, scoring once in the third, three times in the sixth against Sam Mettert, and three more in the seventh off Braylon Myers.

Myrtle Beach answered in the eighth. Poteet doubled home Eli Lovich, Melendez cleared the bases with a three-run double, and Henniel Alcala singled home Melendez to pull within 7-5. Charleston responded in the bottom half against Jhon Rosario, who allowed two runs to restore the four-run margin and close the door on the comeback.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Darlyn De Leon	5	0	2	0	0	1
Eli Lovich	4	1	1	0	1	2
Logan Poteet	4	1	2	1	1	2
Michael Carico	2	1	0	0	3	1
Derniche Valdez	4	1	1	0	1	1
Yahil Melendez	5	1	1	3	0	2
Geuri Lubo	4	0	0	0	0	1
Edward Vargas	3	0	1	0	1	1
Henniel Alcala	4	0	1	1	0	2

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Kaleb Wing	3 1/3	3	1	1	1	6	0
Sam Mettert	1 2/3	1	3	2	3	2	0
Braylon Myers	2	2	3	1	2	0	0
Jhon Rosario	1	2	2	2	1	2	0

Top-20 Prospect Performance

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

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