Jaxon Wiggins Deals, Knoxville Storms Back in Cubs Minor League Split

[Travis Klosinski]

Cubs Transactions

• Chicago Cubs activated RHP Bryse Wilson.
• Chicago Cubs placed LHP Hoby Milner on the 15-day injured list retroactive to June 26, 2026. Appendicitis.
• Chicago Cubs optioned RHP Jayden Murray to Iowa Cubs.
• Chicago Cubs recalled RHP Tyler Ferguson from Iowa Cubs.

Iowa Cubs Tie It Late, Then Buffalo Erupts For Six In The 11th

The Iowa Cubs clawed back to a 3-3 tie but the Buffalo Bisons unloaded for six runs in the 11th inning to claim a 9-3 decision.

Starter Grant Kipp struck out seven over three and two-thirds innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks, with two home runs accounting for the early damage.

 

Iowa's middle relief steadied things, as Zac Leigh and Luis Peralta combined for four and one-third scoreless innings to keep the game within reach.

Chas McCormick carried the offense, going 3-for-4 with a double and a home run while scoring twice and driving in a run.

 

Christian Bethancourt added two hits and an RBI, and Brett Bateman reached three times on two hits and two walks. Moisés Ballesteros knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly that tied the game in the sixth.

The bullpen unraveled in the 11th, when Vince Reilly and Collin Snider combined to allow six runs, the zombie runner coming around to score before a three-run home run blew the game open.

Iowa left 11 runners on base, repeatedly working into scoring position without delivering the decisive hit. The loss spoiled a steady night from the top of the order and a competitive effort across the first ten innings.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Brett Bateman	3	0	2	0	2	0
BJ Murray	5	1	1	0	0	0
Scott Kingery	0	0	0	0	0	0
Moisés Ballesteros	2	0	0	1	2	0
Kevin Alcántara	5	0	1	0	0	1
Jonathon Long	4	0	0	0	1	1
Owen Miller	4	0	0	0	1	1
Chas McCormick	4	2	3	1	0	0
James Triantos	1	0	1	0	0	0
Christian Bethancourt	5	0	2	1	0	1
Ben Cowles	5	0	0	0	0	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Grant Kipp	3 2/3	7	3	3	2	7	2
Zac Leigh	2 1/3	0	0	0	0	2	0
Luis Peralta	2	0	0	0	1	2	0
Vince Reilly	2	2	4	3	3	1	0
Collin Snider	1	4	2	2	0	0	1

Knoxville Smokies Storm Back With A Seven-Run Eighth At Birmingham

The Knoxville Smokies trailed 3-0 entering the eighth inning, then sent the lineup around for seven runs to seize a 7-3 win over the Birmingham Barons.

The rally began with an unearned run, and leadoff man Hayden Cantrelle tied the game with a two-run single before Knoxville pulled ahead for good. Cantrelle finished 2-for-5 with two RBI, Carter Trice added a sacrifice fly and reached three times, and Andy Garriola delivered a two-run single. Edgar Alvarez capped the scoring with an RBI double, one of his two hits on the night.

 

Starter Evan Taylor set the tone with four strikeouts over two innings, allowing one run on three hits and a walk. Yenrri Rojas followed with two and two-thirds scoreless innings, working around two walks to hold the deficit at three. Tyler Schlaffer closed the door with two and one-third innings, striking out three and allowing one hit while protecting the lead.

The Smokies needed only three hits across the first seven innings but bunched their offense when it counted, stranding just three runners on the night. Devin Ortiz and Ariel Armas each reached and came around to score during the eighth-inning outburst, and Jefferson Rojas worked a walk to help keep the line moving.

The comeback turned a quiet evening into a decisive road victory, with the bullpen surrendering nothing after the seventh.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Hayden Cantrelle	5	1	2	2	0	0
Jefferson Rojas	3	1	0	0	1	1
Carter Trice	1	0	1	1	1	0
Alex Ramírez	4	0	0	0	0	2
Andy Garriola	4	1	1	2	0	2
Edgar Alvarez	4	1	2	1	0	1
Ariel Armas	4	1	1	0	0	1
Ethan Hearn	4	1	0	0	0	0
Devin Ortiz	4	1	1	0	0	2

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Evan Taylor	2	3	1	1	1	4	0
Yenrri Rojas	2 2/3	0	0	0	2	0	0
Tyler Ras	2	4	2	2	1	1	0
Tyler Schlaffer	2 1/3	1	0	0	1	3	0

South Bend Cubs Roll Past Quad Cities Behind Wiggins And Two Homers

The South Bend Cubs pounded out an 11-1 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits, building the lead early and never looking back.

Jaxon Wiggins set the tone with three and two-thirds scoreless innings, striking out four while allowing just two hits and no walks.

 

Ethan Flanagan finished with four innings of one-run ball and four strikeouts to close it out.

The offense did its work in bunches, opening with three runs in the third and adding four more in the fifth, when Jose Escobar and Drew Bowser each homered. Escobar led the way at 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Bowser went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Angel Cepeda reached base four times, finishing 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, two RBI, and three runs scored. Leadoff man Kane Kepley tripled, drove in a run, and crossed the plate twice.

South Bend tacked on single runs in the fourth and sixth before a two-run seventh pushed the margin to double digits.

The Cubs drew eight walks and pressured the Quad Cities staff all night, leaving 10 on base only because they kept the line moving.

 

With Wiggins dominant and the lineup productive top to bottom, South Bend controlled the game from the third inning on.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Kane Kepley	4	2	1	1	1	1
Josiah Hartshorn	5	0	1	1	0	1
Matt Halbach	5	0	0	0	0	3
Angel Cepeda	3	3	2	2	2	1
Jose Escobar	4	1	3	3	1	0
Justin Stransky	4	1	1	0	1	0
Miguel Useche	3	1	0	1	1	2
Drew Bowser	4	1	2	2	1	1
Christian Olivo	4	2	1	0	1	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Jaxon Wiggins	3 2/3	2	0	0	0	4	0
Adam Stone	1 1/3	1	0	0	0	1	0
Ethan Flanagan	4	4	1	1	0	4	0

Myrtle Beach Pelicans Cough Up The Lead In Salem's Five-Run Seventh

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans carried a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, then watched Salem score five times to take an 8-5 decision.

Starter Braylon Myers turned in three scoreless innings, allowing two hits with a strikeout, but the bullpen could not hold the advantage.

Henry Cone absorbed the damage in the seventh, charged with five runs, two earned, over one and two-thirds innings, as defensive miscues extended the inning.

Derniche Valdez paced the offense at 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored, and Edward Vargas went 2-for-5 with a triple, an RBI, and two runs, his seventh-inning three-bagger briefly pushing the lead to 5-3 with a seldom seen inside the park home run. 

Ezequiel Pena chipped in two hits and an RBI. The Pelicans' biggest problem was efficiency, as they stranded 15 runners and repeatedly let scoring chances slip away.

Myrtle Beach pieced together runs in the fourth, sixth, and seventh but could not add the cushion their baserunners suggested was available. Yoendris Gonzalez struck out five in two innings but surrendered three runs, and Sam Mettert provided a clean one and one-third to finish.

A promising road night unraveled in a single frame, leaving the Pelicans to rue a stack of missed opportunities in an 8-5 loss.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Alexey Lumpuy	5	0	1	1	1	3
Alexis Hernandez	4	0	0	1	2	3
Michael Carico	3	0	0	0	2	2
Logan Poteet	5	0	0	0	0	5
Eli Lovich	5	0	1	0	0	1
Derniche Valdez	5	2	3	0	0	1
Edward Vargas	5	2	2	1	0	0
Ezequiel Pena	4	1	2	1	1	1
Yahil Melendez	0	0	0	0	0	0
Darlyn De Leon	4	0	1	0	1	2

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Braylon Myers	3	2	0	0	0	1	0
Yoendris Gonzalez	2	3	3	3	2	5	0
Henry Cone	1 2/3	4	5	2	2	3	0
Sam Mettert	1 1/3	0	0	0	0	2	0

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Jefferson Rojas: 0-for-3, 1 BB, 1 K
2. Pedro Ramirez: DNP
3. Jaxon Wiggins: 3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
4. Josiah Hartshorn: 1-for-5, 1 RBI, 1 K
5. Kevin Alcantara: 1-for-5, 1 K
6. Ethan Conrad: DNP
7. Kane Kepley: 1-for-4, 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
8. Owen Ayers: DNP
9. Jonathon Long: 0-for-4, 1 BB, 1 K
10. Kaleb Wing: DNP
11. James Triantos: 1-for-1
12. Brooks Caple: DNP
13. Mason McGwire: DNP
14. Ty Southisene: DNP
15. Will Sanders: DNP
16. Juan Cabada: DNP
17. Eli Lovich: 1-for-5, 1 K
18. Ariel Armas: 1-for-4, 1 K
19. Jostin Florentino: DNP
20. Grant Kipp: 3 2/3 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K, 2 HR

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