Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: A Doubleheader Sweep In Iowa Caps A Winless Saturday

Five games, five losses, and 22 hits across the system. It was not a pretty night for Chicago Cubs affiliates. Brooks Caple threw a quality start and lost, Chas McCormick doubled twice in the nightcap, Michael Carico drove in three of South Bend's four runs, and Myrtle Beach's 10th-inning lead vanished on a throwing error.

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Five-Run Second Sinks Iowa In 8-0 Game One Loss At Gwinnett: Game 1

Iowa managed four hits and no runs in the opener of a doubleheader at Gwinnett, dropping an 8-0 decision in seven innings.

Owen Ayers had the only multi-hit game of the night, going 2-for-3. Moisés Ballesteros and Ben Cowles each doubled, accounting for Iowa's two extra-base hits. Jonathon Long and Chas McCormick drew the team's only walks. Iowa struck out seven times and left six runners on base.

Jordan Wicks did not get out of the second. He allowed four hits, five runs, and three walks while striking out one over 1 2/3 innings, and he took the loss to fall to 0-8. The second inning turned on a two-out stretch that Wicks could not close. Gwinnett opened with a single and a walk, then a two-run double put Iowa behind. A walk followed, and after a strikeout, another two-run double made it 4-0. A two-out single brought home the fifth run of the frame.

Jake Woodford followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings on three hits, no walks, and one strikeout. Ethan Roberts gave up a hit, a walk, and two runs over an inning, with both runs scoring on a double. Corbin Martin allowed an unearned run on one hit and one walk with a strikeout over an inning, with the run crossing on a double play.

Iowa did not put a runner across in any inning.

Four Runs Before The First Out Bury Iowa In 5-3 Game Two Loss: Game 2

Iowa fell behind by four runs before it recorded an out on defense and lost the nightcap 5-3 in seven innings, completing a doubleheader sweep for Gwinnett.

Chas McCormick doubled twice, going 2-for-3 and accounting for both of Iowa's extra-base hits out of a three-hit night. Leadoff man Brett Bateman was 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

Jonathon Long, Ben Cowles, and Casey Opitz each drew a walk, and Cowles and Opitz both came around to score. BJ Murray drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Greg Jones struck out three times, and Moisés Ballesteros struck out twice. Iowa left three runners on base.

The third inning produced all of Iowa's offense. Cowles and Opitz opened with walks, Bateman singled to left to bring Cowles home, and Long walked to load the bases. A wild pitch during Murray's at-bat scored Opitz, and Murray then lifted a sacrifice fly to right that brought in Bateman. Iowa did not score again.

Ty Blach gave Iowa three innings, allowing six hits, four runs, and one walk while striking out three. Gwinnett got to him immediately, opening with a double and a walk, then scoring twice on a double and twice more on a home run before Blach recorded an out. Antoine Kelly followed with two innings on one hit, one run, one walk, and three strikeouts, with the run coming on a solo home run. Eduarniel Núñez finished with a scoreless inning, walking two and striking out one without allowing a hit. Blach took the loss and fell to 5-5.

Knoxville Piles Up 10 Hits, Strands 10, And Loses 5-0

Knoxville put 10 hits and a walk on the board at Rocket City and never scored, falling 5-0.

Andy Garriola went 2-for-4 with a double, Alex Madera went 2-for-4 with a double, and Ethan Hearn went 2-for-4. Carter Trice added the third double of the night, going 1-for-4. Ariel Armas was 1-for-4, Karson Simas was 1-for-3 with a walk, and Alex Ramírez was 1-for-5. Jefferson Rojas and Ed Howard were each hitless in four at-bats. The Smokies struck out 10 times and left 10 runners on base, and the seventh inning was typical of the night, with Madera leading off with a double and being stranded there.

Brooks Caple gave Knoxville six innings, allowing six hits, three runs, and no walks while striking out four. Two of the hits left the yard, and that was the difference in his quality start. He took the loss and fell to 3-3. Rocket City broke through in the third on a sacrifice fly, added a solo home run in the fourth, and got another solo home run in the fifth.

Erian Rodriguez could not find the plate, giving up two hits, two walks, and two runs over an inning. Both of those runs walked home with one out. Evan Taylor followed with a scoreless inning on one hit.

Knoxville's pitching allowed nine hits and two walks over eight innings.

South Bend Leads Into The Seventh, Then Falls 6-4 To Wisconsin

South Bend built a lead on five hits and six walks, then gave it back over the last three innings in a 6-4 loss to Wisconsin.

Michael Carico drove in three of the four runs, going 1-for-3 with a walk. Matt Halbach was 1-for-3 with a walk and scored twice while also providing some flashy defense.

. Logan Poteet was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a run. Michael Hallquist added a double and a walk, and Jose Escobar was 1-for-3 with a walk. Leadoff man Kane Kepley walked, scored a run, and went hitless in four at-bats.

The second inning put South Bend in front. Halbach singled with one out, Poteet doubled him to third, and after a groundout, Carico singled to center to score both.

The fourth was all walks. Halbach, Poteet, and Hallquist worked free passes to load the bases, and Carico walked to force in the third run.

Kohl Franklin allowed five hits, one run, and one walk with one strikeout over 4 1/3 innings. Grayson Moore followed with 1 2/3 hitless innings and two strikeouts. Eli Jerzembeck could not hold the lead, giving up three hits, three walks, and two runs while recording two outs and taking a blown save. Ethan Bell allowed three hits and two runs over 1 1/3 innings and took the loss to fall to 3-2. Jose Romero allowed an unearned run on one hit and one walk with two strikeouts over an inning.

South Bend answered in the seventh on a wild pitch that scored Kepley, but left six on base.

Myrtle Beach Strikes Out 17 Times, Loses 4-3 In 10 Innings

Myrtle Beach took a lead into the bottom of the 10th and lost 4-3 at Hickory, striking out 17 times along the way.

Alexey Lumpuy carried the offense from the leadoff spot, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored. Ethan Conrad was 1-for-5, Edward Vargas was 1-for-4 with a run, and Derik Alcantara was 1-for-4. Alexis Hernandez was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Eli Lovich drove in a run and struck out three times in four at-bats, and Fernando Cruz struck out four times. The Pelicans finished with six hits, four walks, and nine runners left on base.

Lumpuy provided the only lead the Pelicans held for long, homering to right center in the third for a 2-1 edge.

The 10th looked like it would hold up. Vargas started as the zombie runner at second, Lumpuy singled him to third, and Hernandez lifted a sacrifice fly to right for a 3-2 lead. Lovich and Derniche Valdez then struck out to end the inning.

Noah Edders worked four innings on four hits, one run, and no walks with four strikeouts. Emilio Ramos followed with three innings, four hits, one run, one walk, and five strikeouts, with the run coming on a home run in the fifth. Edwardo Melendez took the loss and fell to 4-3, allowing two hits, two unearned runs, and one walk with three strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings. The tying run came home on a double, and the winning run scored on a groundout aided by a throwing error.

Top-20 Prospect Performance

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

Interested in learning more about the Chicago Cubs' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!

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