Chicago Cubs Minor League Report (4/29): Iowa Bats Catch Fire, South Bend Sets Home Run Record, Pelicans Power Past Columbia

Chicago Cubs Transactions (4/29)

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Pedro Ramírez Homer, Long's Three RBI Lead I-Cubs Past Saints 11-4

The Iowa Cubs piled up 14 hits in an 11-4 road win over St. Paul. Pedro Ramírez led the charge with a two-run homer, three runs scored, and two RBI. 

Cleanup hitter Jonathon Long went 3-for-6 with three RBI, and Chas McCormick added three hits, two runs, and three RBI with a homer of his own.

Ty Blach turned in a winning effort, working five innings with four hits allowed, three runs, three earned, one walk, and six strikeouts to improve to 2-1. Collin Snider, Ryan Jensen, and Gabe Klobosits each tossed a scoreless inning out of the bullpen, and Zac Leigh allowed a solo home run in the seventh.

Iowa fell behind 3-1 after the second when the Saints answered Bateman's RBI double with a run-scoring single and a two-run homer. Ramírez tied it in the third with his two-run homer that scored Triantos. The lead and the offensive surge came in the sixth. BJ Murray opened with a single, Triantos walked, and after a force out, Long lined a two-run single to right that scored Murray and Ramírez. Kevin Alcántara then walked, and McCormick lined a single to right scoring Long for a 9-3 lead. Iowa added two more in the seventh on another RBI single from Long.

Smokies Held To Four Hits In 6-0 Shutout Loss At Rocket City

Knoxville was held to just four hits in a 6-0 loss at the Trash Pandas. Cleanup hitter Jefferson Rojas had the lone extra-base hit, a double in three at-bats. Jordan Nwogu, Carter Trice, and Karson Simas each contributed a single. The Smokies struck out seven times and stranded three runners.

Starter Yenrri Rojas turned in a strong outing in defeat, going four innings with five hits, two earned runs, no walks, six strikeouts, and one home run allowed to fall to 0-2. Ben Johnson followed with two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Evan Taylor came on in the seventh and finished the game with 1 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings and four strikeouts.

Rocket City scored single runs in the second on a two-out RBI single, and in the third on a leadoff solo home run off Yenrri Rojas. The seventh broke the game open. Tyler Ras worked the inning and was tagged for three hits, two walks, and four runs (three earned) while recording just one out. The big damage came on a ground-rule double, a two-RBI single that drove in the runners, and a fielder's choice that brought in the inning's fourth run on a missed catch error at second base. Taylor entered to record the final two outs of the frame.

Reginald Preciado's Three-Run Homer Not Enough In 7-4 Loss

South Bend dropped a 7-4 game to Fort Wayne despite a four-run rally in the fourth inning. Reginald Preciado was the offensive star with a three-run homer, his second of the season, in three at-bats with a walk. Matt Halbach doubled and scored a run, Cole Mathis doubled in his only hit, and leadoff hitter Kane Kepley drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Cameron Sisneros reached base three times via a single and two walks.

In spite of the lose, South Bend set a new homerun record thanks to Sisneros, padded by Preciado, by hitting over 20 homers in the month of April, beating the record set back in 2022 by the MWL Championship team.

Cole Reynolds turned in a tough start, allowing seven hits and four earned runs in 3 1/3 innings with one walk and five strikeouts. Adam Stone provided the bullpen's best work with two scoreless innings, two walks, and four strikeouts. Jackson Brockett took the loss to drop to 0-1, surrendering three hits and two earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. Grayson Moore allowed an earned run on a hit and two walks across two innings of relief, striking out two.

The TinCaps put up four runs in the top of the fourth on five singles, including a two-RBI single that scored two and another two-RBI single that chased Reynolds. South Bend answered immediately. Sisneros singled, Halbach followed with a double, and Preciado launched his three-run homer to left. 

Three Homers, Four-Run First Push Pelicans Past Fireflies 7-3

Myrtle Beach hit three home runs and got a four-run first inning to beat Columbia 7-3. Jose Escobar went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and two RBI. Logan Poteet added a solo home run, two RBI, and a run scored, and Eli Lovich also went deep for a solo shot in the second. Leadoff hitter Ty Southisene reached three times via a single, a walk, and a stolen base.

Starter David Bracho was efficient, going 3 2/3 innings with seven hits allowed, no runs, no walks, and three strikeouts. Aiden Moffett earned the win in 2 1/3 scoreless relief innings, walking one and striking out four to improve to 1-0. Jordan Henriquez picked up his first save with three innings, allowing one hit, three runs, two earned, two walks, and four strikeouts with a home run.

The Pelicans erupted in the bottom of the first. Southisene led off with a single, Alexey Lumpuy reached on an error, and Josiah Hartshorn walked to load the bases. Cleanup hitter Michael Carico lifted a sacrifice fly to score Southisene, and Poteet followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Lumpuy. Escobar then crushed a two-run homer to left, scoring Hartshorn ahead of him. Lovich added a solo shot to lead off the second. 

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Moises Ballesteros: DNP
2. Jaxon Wiggins: DNP
3. Jefferson Rojas: 1-for-3, 2B
4. Kevin Alcántara: 1-for-3, R, BB, K
5. Jonathon Long: 3-for-6, R, 3 RBI, K
6. Ethan Conrad: DNP
7. Pedro Ramírez: 1-for-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB, K
8. Kane Kepley: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, SB
9. Josiah Hartshorn: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, SB
10. James Triantos: 2-for-5, 2 R, BB, 2 SB
11. Brandon Birdsell: DNP
12. Cole Mathis: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K
13. Angel Cepeda: DNP
14. Kaleb Wing: DNP
15. Will Sanders: DNP
16. Juan Cabada: DNP
17. Jostin Florentino: DNP
18. Dominick Reid: DNP
19. Ty Southisene: 1-for-3, R, BB, SB
20. Erian Rodriguez: DNP

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