Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: Ayers, Trice, Post Four-Hit Games for Knoxville, Kepley Homers for South Bend

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Chicago Cubs Minor League Report

Affiliate Overview

Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Series vs. Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays): Bisons win, 4-2
Season Record: 32–46-1

Double-A Knoxville Smokies
Series at Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies win, 5-1
Season Record: 43–32

High-A South Bend Cubs
Series vs. Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): Cubs win, 4-2
Season Record: 44–27

Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Series at Salem RidgeYaks (Boston Red Sox): Tied, 3-3
Season Record: 31–42

Affiliate Highlights

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs

Season Record: 32–46-1
Series Opponent: Buffalo Bisons (39-42)
Series Standing: Lose, 4-2

June 28: The Iowa Cubs fell to the Buffalo Bisons, 8-5, on Sunday at Principal Park, dropping the series. The Bisons raced out to an 8-0 lead, scoring twice in both the first and second innings before adding four more in the third. Scott Kingery (1-for-4) halted the scoring run in the bottom of the third with a solo shot, his second of the season. James Triantos (1-for-4) picked up an RBI-single in the fourth and Jonathan Long picked in the fifth, which was followed by a bases-loaded walk from Triantos four batters later to make it 8-4. Moisés Ballesteros (1-for-3) collected an RBI-single in the fifth to make it 8-5 but that would be as close as the Cubs would get in the ballgame. Kenten Egbert got the start for Iowa and took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season. Egbert allowed eight runs, five earned, over 2 2/3 innings of work, walking five batters compared to striking out two. Corbin Martin turned in three scoreless frames in relief, whiffing one and walking one, and catcher Christian Bethancourt worked two shutout innings on the bump, allowing one hit to go along with two walks and one strikeout.

Double-A: Knoxville Smokies

Season Record: 43–32
Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (27–48)
Series Standing: Win, 5-1

June 28: The Knoxville Smokies had their five-game winning streak snapped in Sunday’s 10-5 defeat to the Birmingham Barons at Regions Field. Alex Ramírez (2-for-5) gave the Smokies the lead in the first with an RBI-double but the Barons responded with two runs in their first trip to the plate to take the lead. Birmingham made it 3-1 with a run in the second but Andy Garriola’s (2-for-4) RBI-double in the third cut the lead to one. Edgar Alvarez (2-for-5) launched a three-run shot in the fifth, his eighth of the season, to give Knoxville the lead at 5-3 but Birmingham grabbed two of those runs back in the bottom of the inning to tie it up at 5-5. The hosts delivered the decisive blow in the ballgame with four runs in the sixth and would later tack on another run in the eighth to make it 10-5, eventually handing the Smokies the loss. Koen Moreno got the start for Knoxville and took no decision. Moreno allowed three runs, two earned, over four innings of work, walking two and striking out four. Offensively, eight of the nine Smokie starters recorded a hit in the contest, with five posting multi-hit efforts, highlighted by four-hit performances from Carter Trice (4-for-5) and Owen Ayers (4-for-4). Despite the 17 hits on the day, Knoxville would go 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position, leaving 12 runners on base.

High-A: South Bend Cubs

Season Record: 44–27
Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (32–39)
Series Standing: Win, 4-2

June 28: The South Bend Cubs dropped Sunday’s series finale to the Quad City River Bandits, 7-2, at Four Winds Field. Both teams were held scoreless through the first six innings of the contest, with Cubs starter Alfredo Romero working five of those innings. Romero, who took no decision, allowed just one hit and struck out five with just one walk issued. Kevin Valdez followed with two scoreless frames in relief, allowing one hit and whiffing one, and Eli Jerzembeck worked a scoreless eighth, retiring all three of the batters he faced. Kane Kepley’s (1-for-3) fourth homer of the season in the sixth gave South Bend the 1-0 lead, which was doubled when Dilan Granadillo (1-for-3) scored on a wild pitch. In the ninth, the River Bandits took the lead with a seven-run outburst and would hand the Cubs the loss. South Bend was held to just four hits in the ballgame, going 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, leaving four on base.

Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Season Record: 31–42
Series Opponent: Salem RidgeYaks (29–45)
Series Standing: Tied, 3-3

June 28: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were walked off by the Salem RidgeYaks, 7-6, in Sunday’s finale to split the series. The RidgeYaks scored a run in their first trip to the plate before the Pelicans tied the game on Logan Poteet’s bases-loaded walk in the third. Salem pushed a run across in the fourth and Myrtle Beach would make it 2-2 in the sixth on Henniel Alcala’s (1-for-4) RBI-single. Poteet picked up his second RBI of the ballgame in the seventh to give the Pelicans the lead but the RidgeYaks plated three after the stretch to take a 5-3 lead. Both teams traded runs in the eighth, with Myrtle Beach getting its tally on a passed ball. With the Pelicans down to their final out, Yahil Melendez (1-for-4) crushed a two-run blast, his second of the season, to even the game at 6-6. In the bottom of the ninth, Myrtle Beach would walk the bases loaded to begin the inning and Salem would then single in the game-winning run.

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