Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: Alcántara Goes Yard for I-Cubs, Rojas Records Fifth-Straight Multi-Hit Game

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Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - June 17

Affiliate Overview

Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Series vs. Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates): Cubs lead, 1-0
Season Record: 28–39-1

Double-A Knoxville Smokies
Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Lookouts lead, 1-0
Season Record: 35–29

High-A South Bend Cubs
Series at Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): Cubs lead, 1-0
Season Record: 39–21

Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Series at Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles): Pelicans lead, 1-0
Season Record: 25–37

Affiliate Highlights

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs

Season Record: 28–39-1
Series Opponent: Indianapolis Indians (28-42)
Series Standing: Lead, 1-0

June 16: The Iowa Cubs opened their 12-game homestand with a 13-7 victory over the Indianapolis Indians on Tuesday night at Principal Park. Kevin Alcántara (3-for-3) gave the Cubs the lead in the first with an RBI-single but the Indians put up three in the second to take their first lead of the game. In the home half of the second, Christian Bethancourt (3-for-4) doubled home a run and Justin Dean (0-for-3) tied the game at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly. Another three-spot from Indianapolis in the third put the visitors ahead 6-3 but Iowa was able to pull one back in the bottom of the inning on Alcántara’s solo shot, his 16th of the season. Bethancourt launched a two-run shot in the fourth to knot the contest at 6-6, his sixth homer of the season. The I-Cubs plated three in the fifth to take the lead for good in the ballgame, with Owen Miller (1-for-4) giving the club the lead with a sacrifice fly followed by an RBI-double from Jonathan Long (2-for-5) and an RBI-single from Chas McCormick (2-for-4) to make it 9-6. Miller brought his RBI total to three with a two-run single in the seventh and Bethancourt picked up his fourth RBI of the night later in the frame on a single. BJ Murray’s (1-for-4) RBI-double capped the scoring for the Cubs before the Indians pushed one more across in the ninth to make it 13-7. Jordan Wicks got the start for Iowa and took no decision. Wicks allowed six runs on nine hits over three innings of work, picking up four strikeouts. Tyler Beede picked up the win in relief after tossing two scoreless frames, yielding no hits to go along with three strikeouts and a walk. Offensively, eight of the nine Cubs starters hit safely in the ballgame, with six batters tallying multi-hit efforts.

Double-A: Knoxville Smokies

Season Record: 35–29
Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (35–29)
Series Standing: Trail, 1-0

June 16: With a first-half division title on the line, the Knoxville Smokies opened this vital series vs. the Chattanooga Lookouts with a 5-3 defeat. The two teams are now tied for first in the Southern League North Division with five games remaining. The Smokies’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot remains at four. The Lookouts plated two runs in their first trip to the plate and eventually would make it a 5-0 game after adding one run in the fifth and two in the sixth. Knoxville scored all three of their runs in the home half of the sixth, with Alex Ramírez (1-for-3) launched a solo shot, his eighth of the season, and Ariel Armas (1-for-4) bringing home two with a single. The Smokies were unable to mount a rally over the final three frames, ultimately dropping the opener 5-3. Connor Schultz got the start on the mound for Knoxville and took the loss, falling to 0-3 on the season. Schultz allowed three runs, one earned, on six hits over 4 2/3 innings of work, striking out six and walking one. Tyler Ras turned in 2 1/3 scoreless frames out of the bullpen, allowing two hits to go along with one walk and two strikeouts. Jefferson Rojas went 2-for-4 with a run and double at the dish, extending his hitting streak to five games. Rojas has tallied a multi-hit effort in each of those contests and is now slashing .424/.453/.712 through 14 games in June.

High-A: South Bend Cubs

Season Record: 39–21
Series Opponent: Fort Fayne TinCaps (25–39)
Series Standing: Lead, 1-0

June 16: The South Bend Cubs opened their series at the Fort Wayne TinCaps with a narrow 4-3 victory on Tuesday night at Parkview Field. The Cubs enter the final series of the first half having already clinched the Midwest League West Division crown. South Bend took a 1-0 lead in the second on Alex Madera’s (2-for-4) but Fort Wayne hit back with three runs in the bottom of the inning to go in front. Miguel Useche (2-for-4) picked up an RBI in the fourth to make it 3-2 and Matt Halbach (3-for-4) made it 3-3 with a solo shot in the sixth, his fifth long ball of the season. Ben Johnson turned in three scoreless innings in relief to help the Cubs come back in the ballgame and he would eventually pick up the win to improve to 2-1 on the season. Johnson did not allow a hit and whiffed one batter, retiring all nine that he faced. He was rewarded for his stellar outing in the eighth when Useche singled in the go-ahead run to make it 4-3. Grayson Moore earned his second save of the campaign by firing 1 1/3 shutout frames to end the game, retiring all four batters he faced, with three coming via a strikeout. Four South Bend hitters would tally multi-hit efforts. Josiah Hartshorn went 0-for-3 with a run, which snapped his 12-game hitting streak. Hartshorn was hit by a pitch, which extended his on-base streak to 19.

Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Season Record: 25–37
Series Opponent: Delmarva Shorebirds (23–41)
Series Standing: Lead, 1-0

June 16: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans opened their series at the Delmarva Shorebirds with an emphatic 12-4 victory on Tuesday night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. The Pelicans took a 1-0 lead in the second thanks to Yahil Melendez’ (1-for-2) RBI-double and later made it 3-0 in the fourth, plating runs on a passed ball and a wild pitch. The Shorebirds made it 3-3 with three in the fifth but Myrtle Beach responded with four in the sixth to re-take the lead for good. After opening the scoring in the frame with two runs on an error, Alexey Lumpuy (2-for-5) doubled in two, his seventh of the campaign, to make it 7-3. The Pelicans then added five in the seventh to put the contest well out of reach. Delmarva would score later in the inning to make it 12-4 but the visitors would cruise to the series-opening win. Braylon Myers got the start for Myrtle Beach and took no decision. Myers spun four shutout innings, allowing just three hits to go along with one walk and two strikeouts. Daniel Avitia picked up the win to improve to 1-1 on the season. Avitia allowed four runs, three earned, over three innings of work, walking three and whiffing two. Henry Cone worked two scoreless frames in relief and did not allow a hit, walking one and shifting one. Four Pelican hitters would tally two-hit performances on the night, with five of the team’s 10 hits going for extra bases.

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