Chicago Cubs Minor League Recap: Smokies Go Deep Four Times As South Bend Splits

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Chicago Cubs signed free agent RHP Andrew Wantz to a minor league contract.
Chicago Cubs optioned RHP Tyler Ferguson to Iowa Cubs.
Chicago Cubs recalled LHP Braxton Garrett from Iowa Cubs.
Kansas City Royals claimed LHP Luke Little off waivers from Chicago Cubs.

Iowa Cubs Lose On A Two-Out Walk-Off Single In Indianapolis

Iowa lost 3-2 to Indianapolis, with the winning run scoring on a two-out single in the ninth inning. The Cubs out-hit the Indians 7-6 and drew six walks, but they struck out 10 times and left eight runners on base.

Iowa took the lead in the second inning. Chas McCormick walked, advanced to second base on a wild pitch, stole third base, and came home on Jordan Nwogu's sacrifice fly to center field. That 1-0 margin held into the seventh, when Indianapolis loaded the bases against Andrew Wantz on singles by Duce Gourson and Derek Berg and a hit batsman. Wantz then hit Mitch Jebb to force in the tying run and walked Billy Cook to force in a second run, and Indianapolis led 2-1.

The Cubs answered in the eighth. Hayden Cantrelle singled to right field, BJ Murray walked, and Owen Miller singled to right field to score Cantrelle and tie the game 2-2.

In the ninth, Gabe Klobosits retired the first two hitters before Dominic Fletcher tripled to center field. Klobosits intentionally walked Jebb, and Cook lined a single to right field to end it.

Cantrelle led the offense with three hits in four at-bats, and Ben Cowles added two hits. Connor Noland opened with three scoreless innings, allowing one hit with two strikeouts, and Ethan Roberts and Jayden Murray followed with three more scoreless innings. Wantz was charged with the blown save, and Klobosits took the loss.

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

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
Connor Noland	3	1	0	0	1	2
Ethan Roberts	1	1	0	0	1	2
Jayden Murray (H, 5)	2	0	0	0	1	1
Andrew Wantz (BS, 2)	1	2	2	2	1	2
Gabe Klobosits (L, 0-2)	1 2/3	2	1	1	1	1

Knoxville Homers Four Times In A 7-3 Win At Chattanooga

Knoxville beat Chattanooga 7-3 behind four home runs and 10 hits. The Smokies drew only one walk, but they made their contact count, leaving just three runners on base.

Miguel Useche opened the scoring with a solo home run in the second inning.

Chattanooga took the lead in the third, when Kien Vu walked, Jay Allen II homered to right center field for two runs, and Carlos Sanchez followed with a solo home run to right field for a 3-1 lead.

The Smokies took that lead back in the fifth. Edgar Alvarez walked, Karson Simas doubled to left field to put runners on second and third, and Drew Bowser hit a three-run home run to left field for a 4-3 lead. Dom Krupinski followed with a triple, though he was stranded.

Knoxville added insurance twice. Alvarez homered to right field in the seventh, and in the eighth Alex Ramírez singled and Andy Garriola hit a two-run home run to left field, his 19th of the season, for the 7-3 final.

Simas finished with three hits in four at-bats, and Bowser drove in three runs. Brody McCullough earned the win with five innings, allowing three runs on three hits with two walks, two strikeouts, and two home runs. Connor Schultz was the difference from there, striking out six over three hitless innings for the hold, and Kenyi Perez finished with a scoreless ninth. Ariel Armas went hitless in four at-bats.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Dom Krupinski	5	0	1	0	0	1
Alex Ramírez	4	1	1	0	0	0
Andy Garriola	4	1	1	2	0	0
Miguel Useche	4	1	1	1	0	0
Ariel Armas	4	0	0	0	0	1
Edgar Alvarez	3	2	1	1	1	1
Karson Simas	4	1	3	0	0	0
Alex Madera	4	0	1	0	0	1
Drew Bowser	4	1	1	3	0	2

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Brody McCullough (W, 1-2)	5	3	3	3	2	2	2
Connor Schultz (H, 2)	3	0	0	0	1	6	0
Kenyi Perez	1	0	0	0	2	1	0

South Bend Cubs Break Through In The Eighth To Win Game One

South Bend beat Cedar Rapids 4-1 in the first game of the doubleheader, scoring three times in the eighth inning to pull away. The Cubs collected eight hits and left six runners on base, while Cedar Rapids left eight.

South Bend scored first in the opening inning. Angel Cepeda doubled to center field, moved to third base when Kade Snell reached on a throwing error, and scored on Josiah Hartshorn's sacrifice fly to center field. Cedar Rapids tied it in the second on JP Smith II's solo home run to left center field, and the game stayed 1-1 into the eighth.

The Cubs then put together their best inning of the day. Cepeda singled to center field, Kade Snell singled to left field, and Hartshorn singled to left field to score Cepeda.

Jose Escobar loaded the bases with a single, Matt Halbach hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Snell, and Alexey Lumpuy doubled to center field to bring in Hartshorn while also making a great plays defensively in centerfield. Lumpuy got his first hit in High-A ball. That's a lot of Lumpuy but it's important to document firsts. Here's some of his performance from yesterday:

Sadly, Lumpuy was thrown out trying to reach third base, but the damage was done and South Bend led 4-1.

Cepeda finished with two hits, a double, and two runs scored. Hartshorn went 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBI, and Escobar added two hits. Braylon Myers started and allowed one run on one hit over three innings, though he walked four. JP Wheat followed with two hitless innings, and Brayden Spears took the win with four innings of two-hit, scoreless relief.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Angel Cepeda	4	2	2	0	0	1
Kade Snell	4	1	1	0	0	0
Josiah Hartshorn	2	1	2	2	1	0
Jose Escobar	4	0	2	0	0	0
Matt Halbach	2	0	0	1	1	0
Alexey Lumpuy	4	0	1	1	0	2
Geuri Lubo	4	0	0	0	0	2
Brennan Hudson	3	0	0	0	0	3
Justin Stransky	3	0	0	0	0	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Braylon Myers	3	1	1	1	4	3	1
JP Wheat	2	0	0	0	3	1	0
Brayden Spears (W, 7-2)	4	2	0	0	0	1	0

South Bend Drops Game Two After A Four-Run Cedar Rapids Sixth

Cedar Rapids beat South Bend 4-2 in the seven-inning nightcap, breaking the game open with three runs in the sixth inning. The Cubs managed only three hits and left three runners on base.

JP Smith II gave Cedar Rapids the lead with a solo home run to left field in the fourth inning, his second of the year and his second home run of the day. South Bend tied it in the fifth, when Lumpuy doubled and came home on Michael Hallquist's sacrifice fly to center field.

The sixth inning decided it. Adam Stone hit Jayson Bass and Jose Salas with pitches to put two runners on, and Quinn McDaniel singled to center field to score Bass. Salas then scored from third base on a pickoff error at first base, and Miguel Briceno singled to center field to bring in McDaniel for a 4-1 lead.

South Bend got one back in the bottom of the sixth on Kade Snell's solo home run to left center field, his seventh of the season, but the Cubs did not score again.

Cole Peschl struck out three in the seventh inning to close it out.

Snell and Lumpuy accounted for two of South Bend's three hits, with Michael Carico adding the other. Nazier Mulé was strong in the start, striking out six over five innings and allowing one run on four hits. Stone took the loss, giving up three runs, two of them earned, over two innings.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Angel Cepeda	3	0	0	0	0	2
Kade Snell	3	1	1	1	0	1
Matt Halbach	3	0	0	0	0	0
Jose Escobar	3	0	0	0	0	0
Logan Poteet	2	0	0	0	1	2
Alexey Lumpuy	3	1	1	0	0	1
Michael Carico	3	0	1	0	0	0
Michael Hallquist	2	0	0	1	0	1
Brennan Hudson	2	0	0	0	0	2

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Nazier Mulé	5	4	1	1	2	6	1
Adam Stone (L, 5-2)	2	2	3	2	0	2	0

Myrtle Beach Pelicans Postponed

The Pelicans' game at Columbia was postponed by rain and has been rescheduled.

Top 20 Prospect Performance

Jefferson Rojas: DNP
Pedro Ramirez: DNP
Jaxon Wiggins: DNP
Josiah Hartshorn: 2-for-2, 2 RBI, BB
Kevin Alcantara: DNP
Ethan Conrad: DNP
Kane Kepley: DNP
Owen Ayers: 0-for-3, BB
Jonathon Long: DNP
Kaleb Wing: DNP
James Triantos: DNP
Brooks Caple: DNP
Mason McGwire: DNP
Ty Southisene: DNP
Will Sanders: DNP
Juan Cabada: DNP
Eli Lovich: DNP
Ariel Armas: 0-for-4, K
Jostin Florentino: DNP
Grant Kipp: DNP

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