Chicago Cubs Minor League Recap: Owen Ayers Keeps Hitting As Three Affiliates Come Up Short

[Travis Klosinski]

Chicago Cubs Transactions

• Chicago Cubs signed free agent SS Jackson Cluff to a minor league contract.
• Chicago Cubs transferred RHP Phil Maton from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
• Chicago Cubs claimed 3B Gabriel Arias off waivers from New York Mets.

Iowa Cubs Waste A Strong Night On The Mound In Toledo

Kohl Franklin gave the Iowa Cubs five innings of one-run baseball, scattering five hits, walking one, and striking out four. He handed the game off tied, and the bullpen kept it that way for a long stretch.

Iowa scored first. Leadoff man James Triantos worked a walk, and Owen Ayers lined a single to left field to bring him around.

Toledo answered with a run-scoring single of its own, and the score sat at 1-1 for the rest of the night.

Hoby Milner allowed one hit, and struck out one. Jaxon Wiggins was even better, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts for a clean inning. Antoine Kelly walked two but stranded both runners, striking out one to end the threat.

Ayers finished 3-for-4 with the RBI single and was the only Iowa hitter with more than one hit. Ayers again demonstrated why is isn't the man to steal on in the 2nd. Matt Shaw, cleanup man BJ Murray, and Jordan Nwogu supplied the other three hits. Triantos reached on a walk, and on a hit by pitch. Justin Dean and Ben Cowles each drew a walk. Iowa left 10 runners on base, and the middle of the order could not push anything across after the opening frame.

Justin Dean made a noteworthy catch out in right in the 4th.  Ethan Roberts came on with the game still tied and gave up two hits, the second a two-out single that ended it. Toledo won 2-1, and Roberts took the loss. The Iowa staff held Toledo to two runs on eight hits, and struck out eight.

Iowa Cubs Hitting

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
James Triantos, 3B	3	1	0	0	1	0
Matt Shaw, 2B	3	0	1	0	0	1
Jackson Cluff, 2B	2	0	0	0	0	1
Owen Ayers, C	4	0	3	1	0	0
BJ Murray, 1B	4	0	1	0	0	1
Chas McCormick, CF	4	0	0	0	0	1
Justin Dean, RF	3	0	0	0	1	1
Greg Jones, SS	4	0	0	0	0	1
Ben Cowles, DH	3	0	0	0	1	2
Jordan Nwogu, LF	4	0	1	0	0	1
Hayden Cantrelle, LF	0	0	0	0	0	0

Iowa Cubs Pitching

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Kohl Franklin	5	5	1	1	1	4	0
Hoby Milner	1	1	0	0	0	1	0
Jaxon Wiggins	1	0	0	0	0	2	0
Antoine Kelly	1	0	0	0	2	1	0
Ethan Roberts	2/3	2	1	1	0	0	0

Knoxville Smokies Postponed

The Knoxville Smokies did not play. The game was postponed due to rain, but there is already a doubleheader set for tonight due to a suspended game from Aug. 18. A makeup date for the Aug. 19 game has not been announced yet.

South Bend Cubs Shut Out At Home By West Michigan

South Bend never solved the visiting pitching, managing three hits in a 9-0 loss to West Michigan. Braylon Myers took the brunt of it, allowing six runs, five earned, on six hits over four innings. Two of those hits left the yard, and a fielding error behind him extended one of the damaging frames.

West Michigan pushed two across early, then broke it open with a four-run burst built on a leadoff home run, a double, a run-scoring single, and a two-run homer. Luke Alwood gave up a walk, a single, and a two-run double before settling down.

Edwardo Melendez was the bright spot. He struck out five over three innings and allowed a single hit, a solo home run, along with two walks. Ethan Bell finished with a scoreless inning, walking one and giving up nothing else.

Cleanup man Kade Snell accounted for two of South Bend's three hits, tripling to left field, and adding a ground ball single up the middle. Brennan Hudson had the other hit, a line drive to center field, and also drew a walk. Matt Halbach worked the team's other walk.

Josiah Hartshorn went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, and leadoff man Leonel Espinoza went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. South Bend struck out 10 times as a team, and put only four runners on base after the second time through the order. The Cubs stranded four.

South Bend Cubs Hitting

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Leonel Espinoza, CF	4	0	0	0	0	3
Jose Escobar, 2B	4	0	0	0	0	1
Josiah Hartshorn, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	2
Kade Snell, DH	4	0	2	0	0	1
Matt Halbach, 3B	2	0	0	0	1	1
Angel Cepeda, SS	3	0	0	0	0	0
Brennan Hudson, C	2	0	1	0	1	0
Geuri Lubo, RF	3	0	0	0	0	0
Michael Hallquist, LF	3	0	0	0	0	2

South Bend Cubs Pitching

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Braylon Myers	4	6	6	5	0	2	2
Luke Alwood	1	2	2	2	1	1	0
Edwardo Melendez	3	1	1	1	2	5	1
Ethan Bell	1	0	0	0	1	0	0

Walks Bury Myrtle Beach In Lopsided Loss To Fayetteville

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans issued 17 walks and hit two batters in a 19-1 loss to Fayetteville, and the free passes decided the night long before the hits piled up.

Starter Jubrayker Salaya walked five and hit one in an inning and a third, and three of those runners came around. He allowed only two hits, but four runs were charged to him.

Luis A. Reyes was the most effective arm Myrtle Beach used. He struck out five over two innings, allowing three hits, two of them home runs, along with two walks. Jhon Cabral followed with an inning and two thirds, and the three runs he allowed were all unearned after a throwing error opened the door.

Geovanny Vasquez retired six straight before the wheels came off, and he finished with six runs allowed on two hits and five walks over two innings. Jhon Rosario inherited a bases loaded mess and gave up four hits, four runs, and five walks of his own across two innings, striking out three.

The offense managed six hits. Caden Sorrell went 2-for-5 and drove in the only run with a triple to center field that scored Darlyn De Leon.

Derniche Valdez went 2-for-4 with a double. Alexis Hernandez had a hit and a walk, and cleanup man Jhoander Irigoyen singled. Leadoff man Juan Cabada was hit by a pitch twice, and De Leon drew a walk. Myrtle Beach struck out nine times, and stranded 12 runners. 

Myrtle Beach Pelicans Hitting

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Juan Cabada, DH	3	0	0	0	0	1
Darlyn De Leon, CF	4	1	0	0	1	1
Caden Sorrell, LF	5	0	2	1	0	2
Jhoander Irigoyen, C	5	0	1	0	0	1
Eli Lovich, RF	4	0	0	0	0	2
Corey Nunez, 3B	3	0	0	0	0	0
Alexis Hernandez, 2B	3	0	1	0	1	1
Derniche Valdez, SS	4	0	2	0	0	0
Ivan Cespedes, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	1

Myrtle Beach Pelicans Pitching

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Jubrayker Salaya	1 1/3	2	4	4	5	1	0
Luis A. Reyes	2	3	2	2	2	5	2
Jhon Cabral	1 2/3	2	3	0	0	1	1
Geovanny Vasquez	2	2	6	6	5	1	1
Jhon Rosario	2	4	4	4	5	3	0

Top-20 Prospect Performance

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

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