Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: Ayers Drives in Five for Knoxville, McGwire Earns First-Career High-A Win for South Bend

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Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - June 6

Affiliate Overview

Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Series vs. Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): Mud Hens lead, 3-0
Season Record: 24–35

Double-A Knoxville Smokies
Series at Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Tied, 2-2
Season Record: 28–26

High-A South Bend Cubs
Series at Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): Cubs lead, 3-2
Season Record: 33–19

Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Series at Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays): RiverDogs lead, 4-0
Season Record: 21–32

Affiliate Highlights

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs
Season Record: 24–35
Series Opponent: Toledo Mud Hens (29–31)
Series Standing: Trail, 3-0

June 5: The Iowa Cubs dropped their fifth-straight contest, falling to the Toledo Mud Hens, 8-4, on Friday night at Principal Park. The Mud Hens took a 3-0 lead in the second, but the Cubs were able to scratch a run across in the bottom of the inning on Chas McCormick’s (1-for-4) solo blast. James Triantos (2-for-4) made it a 3-3 game in the third with a two-run double, but Toledo took the lead right back with three more in the fourth to make it 6-3. The visitors put two more on the board in the sixth before Jonathan Long’s (1-for-4) solo shot in the seventh made it 8-4, which would become the final score of the ballgame. Jordan Wicks got the start for Iowa and took the loss, falling to 0-3 on the season. Wicks allowed six runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings of work, striking out five and walking two. Connor Noland turned in two shutout innings in relief, allowing no hits and whiffing one.

Double-A: Knoxville Smokies
Season Record: 28–26
Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (21–33)
Series Standing: Tied, 2-2

June 5: The Knoxville Smokies evened their series against the Birmingham Barons with an 8-7 walk-off win in extra innings on Friday at Covenant Health Park. Owen Ayers (3-for-4) gave the Smokies a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI-double before the Barons tied it at 1-1 in the third. In the home half of that inning, Ayers gave Knoxville the lead right back with a three-run homer, his eighth of the season. Three runs from Birmingham in the fifth tied the game at 4-4, and the visitors would take their first lead of the ballgame with a run in the seventh. Hayden Cantrelle’s (1-for-4) RBI-triple after the stretch made it 5-5, which would be the score of the game as it headed to extra innings. Both teams scored one run in the 10th, with the Smokies getting their run on Ayer’s RBI-single, his fifth run driven in of the night. Birmingham would score once in the 11th to go up 7-6. Karson Simas (3-for-5) tied the game with an RBI single, and Jefferson Rojas (2-for-6) secured the victory with a game-winning, two-out, RBI double. Dawson Netz got the start for Knoxville and took no decision. Netz allowed one run on three hits over three innings of work, striking out two and walking four. Tyler Santana picked up the win in relief, allowing one run on two hits over 1 1/3 innings, whiffing one.

High-A: South Bend Cubs
Season Record: 33–19
Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (24–29)
Series Standing: Lead, 3-2

June 5: The South Bend Cubs split their doubleheader at the Quad Cities River Bandits, falling in the opener, 13-8, before coming away with a 4-3 victory in the nightcap.

Game 1: The Cubs dropped their doubleheader opener to the River Bandits, 13-8, in seven innings. Quad Cities jumped out to a 9-0 lead with four runs in the first and five in the second, but South Bend responded with eight runs in the third to cut the deficit to one. Kane Kepley (1-for-3) doubled home a run, and Christian Olivo followed by scoring on a wild pitch. Kepley would score on Josiah Hartshorn’s (1-for-3) sacrifice fly, and Matt Halbach (1-for-4) came through with an RBI-double. Halbach would then score on an error, and Alex Madera (1-for-4) would drive in two with a triple a batter later. Justin Stransky (1-for-1) capped the furious rally with an RBI single to make it 9-8. Despite the onslaught in the inning, the Cubs would manage just one hit the rest of the way as the River Bandits dealt the decisive blow with four runs in the fifth to make it 13-8. Jostin Florentino took the loss on the mound for South Bend, falling to 0-2 on the season. Florentino allowed four runs on six hits over just one inning of work.

Game 2: South Bend got back in the win column with a 4-3 triumph over Quad Cities in the doubleheader nightcap, in a game that was being made up from April 3. The River Bandits, playing as the “road” team, opened the scoring with two runs in the second, but the Cubs hit back with three in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Miguel Useche (1-for-3) tied the game with a two-run shot, his fifth of the year, and Drew Bowser (1-for-3) gave the “home” team the lead with an RBI-double. Quad Cities leveled the ballgame with a run in the third, but Ty Southisene’s (1-for-3) RBI-single in the fifth would prove to be the decisive swing as South Bend would hold on for the 4-3 win. Mason McGwire picked up the first win of his High-A career by allowing three runs on three hits over five innings of work, striking out four and walking one. Kenyi Perez earned his third save of the campaign by working two shutout innings to close the game, allowing no hits, whiffing five batters, and walking one. In his two outings of this series, Perez has amassed 11 strikeouts in four innings, while issuing just two walks, picking up a save in both games.

Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Season Record: 21–32
Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (30–25)
Series Standing: Trail, 4-0

June 5: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their fifth-straight contest as they were walked off by the Charleston RiverDogs, 9-8. Derniche Valdez (1-for-5) gave the Pelicans the lead in the first with a two-run double, and Logan Poteet (2-for-4) made it a 3-0 game with a solo shot in the third, his eighth of the season. The RiverDogs stormed back with five runs in the sixth to take their first lead of the contest, but Eli Lovich (2-for-4) tied the game at 5-5 with a two-run blast in the seventh, his eighth of the year. Myrtle Beach went back in front with three runs in the eighth, thanks to a two-run double from Darlyn De Leon (1-for-4), who would also later score on a wild pitch. Charleston would stun the visitors, however, with four runs in the ninth to walk off the Pelicans. All four runs were scored with two outs. Noah Edders got the start for Myrtle Beach and took no decision. Edders tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits to go along with three strikeouts and a walk.

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