Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: Coppola Turns in Strong Start in Rain-Shortened Series Finale for South Bend

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Chicago Cubs Minor League Report

Affiliate Overview

Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Series vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail Riders (New York Yankees): RailRiders win, 6-0
Season Record: 43–62-1

Double-A Knoxville Smokies
Series vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins): Blue Wahoos win, 4-2
Season Record: 54–48

High-A South Bend Cubs
Series at Lake County Captains (Cleveland Guardians): Cubs win, 4-2
Season Record: 60–38

Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Series vs. Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays): RiverDogs win, 4-2
Season Record: 40–60

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Triple-A: Iowa Cubs

Season Record: 43–62-1
Series Opponent: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (59-46)
Series Standing: Lose, 6-0

Aug. 2: The Iowa Cubs were swept in their series with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders following a 13-3 drubbing on Sunday at Principal Park. Both teams scored one run in their first trip to the plate, with Kevin Alcántara (1-for-4) providing the Cubs’ tally with an RBI-groundout. The RailRiders broke the game open by scoring four in the second and three in the fourth to take an 8-1 lead. Jonathan Long (1-for-4) hit a solo home run in the fifth, his 12th of the season, but Scranton/Wilkes-Barre made it 13-2 by scoring five times in the sixth. Ethan Hearn (2-for-4) hit his first-career Triple-A home run in the ninth that made it 13-3. Jace Beck got the start on the mound for the I-Cubs and suffered the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season. Beck allowed five runs on seven hits over two innings of work, walked two and struck out five. Luis Peralta tossed three shutout innings out of the bullpen to end the game, allowed just three hits and whiffed three. Alcántara’s single in the eighth extended his franchise-record on-base streak to 41 games.

Double-A: Knoxville Smokies

Season Record: 54–48
Series Opponent: Pensacola Blue Wahoos (55–46)
Series Standing: Lose, 4-2

Aug. 2: The Knoxville Smokies earned a 5-3 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in Sunday’s series finale at Covenant Health Park. The Blue Wahoos opened the scoring in the ballgame with three runs in the third and kept the Smokies off the board through the first five innings. In the sixth, Knoxville rallied past Pensacola with five runs in the frame to take the lead for good in the contest. Karson Simas (2-for-3) started the scoring with an RBI-single and Drew Bowser (1-for-1) had the biggest swing of the game when he crushed a pinch-hit go-ahead grand slam, his first home run of the campaign, to put the Smokies ahead 5-3. Luke Little (1.0 IP) and Marino Santy (2.0 IP) closed out the game, combining for three shutout innings in relief, allowing three hits and striking out four. Santy tossed the final two innings of the contest to earn his seventh save of the season, which ranks tied for third most in the Southern League. Kevin Valdez got the start on the mound for Knoxville and took no decision. Valdez allowed three runs on five hits over five innings of work, walked two and struck out five.

High-A: South Bend Cubs

Season Record: 60–38
Series Opponent: Lake County Captains (54–44)
Series Standing: Win, 4-2

Aug. 2: The South Bend Cubs were blanked, 1-0, by the Lake County Captains in a seven-inning rain-shortened contest on Sunday at Classic Auto Group Park. The Captains scored the only run of the ballgame in the fourth, which would be enough to earn them a win. Pierce Coppola got the start on the mound for the Cubs and took no decision. Coppola allowed one run, unearned, on two hits over five innings of work, struck out four batters with no walks issued. Jose Romero worked two scoreless frames out of the bullpen, gave up one hit and struck out two. South Bend was held to just two hits offensively and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Season Record: 40–60
Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (58–44)
Series Standing: Lose, 4-2

Aug. 2: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were shutout, 2-0, in a six-inning rain-shortened contest on Sunday at Pelicans Ballpark. The RiverDogs scored once in both the fifth and sixth innings to take their 2-0 lead. The contest was called due to rain in the bottom of the sixth with nobody out and nobody on base. The Pelicans were held to just two hits in the game, with none going for extra bases. Riely Hunsaker got the start on the mound for the Pelicans and took the loss, falling to 3-3 on the season. Hunsaker allowed one run on three hits over five innings of work, walked one and struck out five.

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