Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: Escobar's Four-Hit Night Lifts South Bend as Iowa and Knoxville Fall Late

[Travis Klosinski]

Chicago Cubs farmhands dropped two of three Wednesday across the system. Iowa erased a five-run hole to tie Gwinnett before reliever Andrew Wantz surrendered two seventh-inning runs in a frustrating 7-5 loss. Knoxville's starter Dawson Netz struggled early, and a spirited four-run ninth fell just short at Rocket City, 6-5. South Bend rode Nazier Mule's six strikeouts, Brayden Spears' steady relief, and Jose Escobar's four hits to a 6-3 win over Wisconsin. Myrtle Beach was postponed.

Cubs Transactions

No Roster Moves

Triple-A: Iowa's Comeback Falls Short in 7-5 Loss at Gwinnett

The Iowa Cubs nearly completed a stunning comeback in Gwinnett, but the bullpen could not protect a tie, and the Triple-A club fell 7-5.

Starter Jace Beck endured a rough afternoon, allowing all five of the opponent's early runs on seven hits over three innings before the offense went to work. Trailing by five, Iowa erupted for four runs in the top of the sixth. Brett Bateman opened the frame with a double, Jonathon Long and BJ Murray drew walks to load the bases. Owen Ayers punched an RBI single to left. Chas McCormick and Ben Cowles each coaxed bases-loaded walks, and James Triantos reached on an error that plated another run, pulling the visitors within one.

In the seventh, Long doubled and scored on a Murray sacrifice fly to knot the game at five.

The rally went for naught. Andrew Wantz, who had been sharp with five strikeouts, surrendered two runs in the bottom of the seventh to take the loss. Corbin Martin and Ethan Roberts combined for two scoreless innings, but Iowa could not answer in the final frames.

Ayers led the offense with two hits, including a double, while Long reached base twice, scored a pair of runs, and swiped a bag.

Bateman, Owen Miller, and Cowles each doubled as the visitors collected five two-baggers in all. Iowa showed patience with five walks and battled back from a daunting deficit, yet stranded the tying run late and dropped a game it appeared poised to steal.

Iowa Cubs Hitting

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Brett Bateman	5	1	1	0	0	0
Jonathon Long	4	2	1	0	1	1
BJ Murray	1	1	0	1	2	0
Owen Miller	4	0	1	0	0	0
Owen Ayers	4	1	2	1	0	1
Chas McCormick	3	0	0	1	1	0
James Triantos	4	0	0	0	0	0
Ben Cowles	3	0	1	1	1	1
Hayden Cantrelle	4	0	0	0	0	1
Totals	32	5	6	4	5	4

Iowa Cubs Pitching

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Jace Beck	3	7	5	5	2	3	1
Corbin Martin	1	0	0	0	0	1	0
Andrew Wantz (L)	3	4	2	1	1	5	0
Ethan Roberts	1	1	0	0	1	1	0
Totals	8	12	7	6	4	10	1

Double-A: Knoxville's Ninth-Inning Rally Comes Up Short, 6-5

Knoxville battled to the final out but came up a run shy in Rocket City, dropping a 6-5 decision.

The Smokies struck first in the top of the fifth when Karson Simas doubled and came home on an RBI single from Alex Ramirez. The lead was brief. 

Starter Dawson Netz, who fanned five, unraveled in the bottom of the inning, walking two and surrendering three runs despite allowing just one hit. The hosts tacked on two more in the sixth and another in the seventh to build a 6-1 cushion, and Tyler Schlaffer and Luke Little could not stem the tide. Little served up a home run that provided important insurance. 

Down five entering the ninth, Knoxville refused to go quietly. Ariel Armas singled and Miguel Useche reached on an error to open the frame. Ed Howard followed with a single, and Simas drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run. Ramirez then reached on another error, plating a second, before Jefferson Rojas and Andy Garriola delivered back-to-back sacrifice flies to make it a one-run game.

The comeback stalled there, as the final out stranded the tying run. Simas paced the offense with two hits, two runs, and a stolen base, while Garriola reached base four times on two hits and two walks. Armas and Howard each chipped in a hit and a run. The Smokies drew five walks and mounted a furious four-run ninth, but 11 strikeouts and a quiet middle of the game proved too much to overcome.

Knoxville Smokies Hitting

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Alex Ramirez	4	0	1	2	1	1
Jefferson Rojas	4	0	0	1	0	2
Andy Garriola	2	0	2	1	2	0
Edgar Alvarez	5	0	0	0	0	3
Carter Trice	4	0	0	0	0	1
Ariel Armas	3	1	1	0	1	0
Miguel Useche	4	1	0	0	0	3
Ed Howard	4	1	1	0	0	1
Karson Simas	3	2	2	1	1	0
Totals	33	5	7	5	5	11

Knoxville Smokies Pitching

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Dawson Netz (L)	4 2/3	1	3	3	2	5	0
Tyler Schlaffer	2	1	1	1	1	1	0
Luke Little	1 1/3	2	2	2	1	0	1
Totals	8	4	6	6	4	6	1

High-A: Escobar's Four Hits Power South Bend Past Wisconsin, 6-3

South Bend authored the system's lone victory, riding a balanced pitching effort and a career night from Jose Escobar to a 6-3 win over Wisconsin.

Escobar went 4-for-4 with three runs batted in, single-handedly matching Wisonsin's output. The Cubs fell behind 2-0 in the third but answered immediately. Escobar and Angel Cepeda drew walks, an error loaded the bases, and Kade Snell laced an RBI single before Michael Hallquist lifted a sacrifice fly to even the score.

South Bend surged ahead in the fourth when Justin Stransky and Kane Kepley set the table and Escobar ripped a two-run single to make it 4-2.

Starter Nazier Mule set the tone on the mound, striking out six over four innings while allowing just two runs, including some solid defense from the mound.

Jose Romero tossed a scoreless fifth, and Brayden Spears earned the win with three innings of one-run ball, yielding only a lone tally in the sixth. Grayson Moore slammed the door with a scoreless ninth, punching out two to record the save.

The SB Cubs added breathing room in the eighth, when Escobar doubled home a run and Cepeda followed with an RBI single. Stransky reached base three times atop the order, Cepeda worked two walks and drove in a run, and the lineup drew eight free passes to keep the pressure on.

It was a tidy, complementary performance, with the staff scattering six hits and the offense capitalizing on Wisconsin's mistakes to close out a comfortable win.

South Bend Cubs Hitting

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Kane Kepley	3	1	0	0	2	2
Josiah Hartshorn	4	1	0	0	1	1
Jose Escobar	4	2	4	3	1	0
Angel Cepeda	3	1	1	1	2	0
Matt Halbach	4	0	0	0	1	1
Kade Snell	4	0	1	1	0	1
Michael Hallquist	3	0	1	1	0	0
Michael Carico	4	0	0	0	0	2
Justin Stransky	3	1	2	0	1	0
Totals	32	6	9	6	8	7

South Bend Cubs Pitching

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Nazier Mule	4	4	2	2	1	6	0
Jose Romero	1	0	0	0	2	0	0
Brayden Spears (W)	3	2	1	1	2	1	0
Grayson Moore (S)	1	0	0	0	0	2	0
Totals	9	6	3	3	5	9	0

Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Postponed

Top-20 Prospect Performance

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

View full article