Chicago Cubs Minor League Recap: Smokies Sweep Doubleheader, Iowa Wins In Extras

[Travis Klosinski]

Chicago Cubs Transactions

• Chicago Cubs sent RHP Daniel Palencia on a rehab assignment to Iowa Cubs.
• Chicago Cubs activated RHP Kevin Gausman.
• Chicago Cubs optioned LHP Antoine Kelly to Iowa Cubs.

Owen Ayers Delivers Twice As Iowa Wins In Extras

Iowa needed 10 innings and a pair of clutch swings from Owen Ayers to leave Indianapolis with a 5-3 win. Edward Cabrera set the tone, striking out eight across four innings without issuing a walk and allowing just one hit.

The only run charged to him was unearned, coming home on his own throwing error after Mitch Jebb tripled. Hoby Milner followed with one inning, a walk and two strikeouts, and a runner he put aboard came around to score. Collin Snider worked an inning without surrendering a hit or a walk, though an error behind him allowed that inherited runner to cross. Daniel Palencia blew the save, giving up a run on a hit and two walks across 2/3 of an inning. Jordan Wicks then covered 3 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out three to earn the win.

Ayers was the story at the plate. He singled home Hayden Cantrelle to put Iowa in front 3-2, then doubled in zombie runner Jordan Nwogu for the go-ahead run in the 10th.

Owen Miller followed with a fielder's choice that plated Ayers, and a throwing error let Miller reach second. Ben Cowles and Cantrelle each drove in a run.

Chas McCormick reached three times on two hits and a walk, while BJ Murray drew a pair of walks. Iowa struck out 11 times and stranded nine runners, but the staff held Indianapolis to four hits and piled up 14 strikeouts.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Greg Jones	4	0	0	0	0	0
Jordan Nwogu	1	1	0	0	0	1
Owen Ayers	5	1	2	2	0	1
BJ Murray	3	0	0	0	2	0
Owen Miller	4	1	1	1	1	2
Chas McCormick	4	0	2	0	1	1
Ben Cowles	5	0	1	1	0	1
Ethan Hearn	4	1	0	0	1	3
Ed Howard	4	0	0	0	0	1
Hayden Cantrelle	3	1	1	1	1	1
Totals	37	5	7	5	6	11

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Edward Cabrera	4	1	1	0	0	8	0
Hoby Milner	1	1	1	0	1	2	0
Collin Snider	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Daniel Palencia	2/3	1	1	1	2	1	0
Jordan Wicks	3 1/3	1	0	0	2	3	0
Totals	10	4	3	1	5	14	0

Dom Krupinski Goes Deep Twice In A One-Hit Shutout (Game 1 of 2)

Knoxville needed only seven innings and two arms to hand Chattanooga a 4-0 shutout in the opener of a doubleheader.

Dawson Netz was outstanding, working five innings without allowing a run and giving up a single hit, walking two and striking out four. He hit one batter and never let the Lookouts build a threat. Tyler Ras finished the job, retiring all six hitters he faced and striking out four to lock down his fifth save. The pair combined for a one-hitter with eight strikeouts and faced just 24 batters.

Dom Krupinski provided most of the offense. In his AA debut he homered twice, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, and his second shot pushed the lead to 4-0.

Cleanup man Miguel Useche opened the scoring with a solo home run, his second of the year, and also went 2-for-3. Knoxville's other run arrived without a hit. Ariel Armas walked, advanced on a single and a force out, then scored when shortstop Carlos Sanchez threw the ball away on Karson Simas' stolen base attempt. Simas took third on the play, and the run went down as unearned.

Andy Garriola, Carter Trice and Alex Madera each singled. Leadoff man Kane Kepley reached twice on a walk and a hit by pitch. The Smokies stranded five and struck out seven times, but with Netz and Ras carrying the afternoon, four runs proved to be plenty.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Kane Kepley	2	0	0	0	1	0
Alex Ramírez	4	0	0	0	0	3
Andy Garriola	4	0	1	0	0	0
Miguel Useche	3	1	2	1	0	0
Carter Trice	3	0	1	0	0	2
Ariel Armas	2	1	0	0	1	1
Alex Madera	3	0	1	0	0	0
Karson Simas	3	0	0	0	0	0
Dom Krupinski	3	2	2	2	0	1
Totals	27	4	7	3	2	7

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Dawson Netz	5	1	0	0	2	4	0
Tyler Ras	2	0	0	0	0	4	0
Totals	7	1	0	0	2	8	0

Miguel Useche And The Bullpen Finish Off The Sweep (Game 2 of 2)

Knoxville completed the doubleheader sweep with a 4-1 win, riding another strong start and a three-run second.

Tyler Schlaffer gave the Smokies four innings without a run, scattering two hits and one walk while striking out four. Grayson Moore followed with two hitless innings and three strikeouts to pick up the win. Marino Santy handled the finish and ran into trouble, walking three and hitting a batter before Johnny Ascanio's bases-loaded walk pushed across Chattanooga's only run. Santy got Kien Vu to ground out to third to end it with the bases still loaded.

The Smokies did their damage early. Edgar Alvarez walked to start the rally, and once the bases were loaded, Alex Ramírez drew a walk of his own to force in the first run. Andy Garriola followed with a single to right that scored Drew Bowser and Dom Krupinski for a 3-0 cushion.

Miguel Useche added a solo home run, his third of the season, and finished 1-for-3 with a walk.

Garriola led the offense at 2-for-4 with two RBI, accounting for half of Knoxville's four hits.

Knoxville managed only those four hits but drew six walks, and Alvarez reached three times without one. Bowser singled, walked and scored. The Smokies left six on base and struck out eight times, though the staff needed just two hits' worth of damage control across seven innings.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Dom Krupinski	3	1	0	0	1	0
Alex Ramírez	3	0	0	1	1	1
Andy Garriola	4	0	2	2	0	0
Miguel Useche	3	1	1	1	1	1
Carter Trice	3	0	0	0	0	2
Edgar Alvarez	1	1	0	0	2	1
Karson Simas	3	0	0	0	0	1
Alex Madera	3	0	0	0	0	1
Drew Bowser	2	1	1	0	1	1
Totals	25	4	4	4	6	8

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Tyler Schlaffer	4	2	0	0	1	4	0
Grayson Moore	2	0	0	0	0	3	0
Marino Santy	1	0	1	1	3	1	0
Totals	7	2	1	1	4	8	0

South Bend Cubs

South Bend's game at Cedar Rapids was suspended by weather with the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning. It is scheduled to resume today, and the completed statistics will appear in a future recap.

Wild Pitches Decide It As Myrtle Beach Falls In Columbia

Myrtle Beach could not solve Columbia in a 3-1 loss, a game in which two of the four runs crossed on wild pitches.

Anhuar Garcia started and gave the Pelicans 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits without walking a batter and striking out one. David Bracho followed and took the loss, covering 3 1/3 innings and surrendering three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks. His own wild pitch brought Yandel Ricardo home from third, and later Sean Gamble doubled to right to plate two more. Julio Valdez closed things out with two innings, one hit, no walks and a strikeout.

The Pelicans briefly pulled even. Caden Sorrell singled, moved up when Alexis Hernandez struck out and reached on a wild pitch, then scored on another wild pitch. Myrtle Beach did not record a single RBI all night, and every run it scored or allowed came without a productive swing behind it.

Sorrell was the only Pelican with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a run. Ethan Conrad, Eli Lovich, Hernandez and Jan Luis Reyes each added a single. Jose Silva drew both of the team's walks.

The offense struck out 13 times, stranded six and never produced an extra-base hit. The staff issued no walks across eight innings, but Columbia's two-run rally in the middle of the game proved to be more than Myrtle Beach could answer.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Caden Sorrell	4	1	2	0	0	1
Alexis Hernandez	4	0	1	0	0	1
Ethan Conrad	4	0	1	0	0	1
Eli Lovich	4	0	1	0	0	3
Derniche Valdez	4	0	0	0	0	2
Jose Silva	2	0	0	0	2	1
Corey Nunez	4	0	0	0	0	0
Jhoander Irigoyen	3	0	0	0	0	2
Jan Luis Reyes	3	0	1	0	0	2
Totals	32	1	6	0	2	13

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Anhuar Garcia	2 2/3	2	0	0	0	1	0
David Bracho	3 1/3	4	3	3	0	4	0
Julio Valdez	2	1	0	0	0	1	0
Totals	8	7	3	3	0	6	0

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Jefferson Rojas: DNP
2. Pedro Ramirez: DNP
3. Jaxon Wiggins: DNP
4. Josiah Hartshorn: DNP
5. Kevin Alcantara: DNP
6. Ethan Conrad: 1-for-4, K
7. Kane Kepley: 0-for-2, BB
8. Owen Ayers: 2-for-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, K
9. Jonathon Long: DNP
10. Kaleb Wing: DNP
11. James Triantos: DNP
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-4, 3 K
18. Ariel Armas: 0-for-2, R, BB, K
19. Jostin Florentino: DNP
20. Grant Kipp: DNP

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