Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: Alcántara's Walk-Off, South Bend's Rally Lead to Affiliates' Split

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Kevin Alcántara Goes Deep As Iowa Walks Off Memphis

Doug Nikhazy delivered five innings of one-hit ball with two walks and five strikeouts, helping set up a tight game at Principal Park. 

Iowa scratched its first run across in the sixth, when Chas McCormick led off the inning with his sixth double, Eric Yang followed with a single to move McCormick to third, and Brett Bateman lifted a sacrifice fly to left to bring McCormick home.

Cleanup hitter Kevin Alcántara made it 2-0 in the seventh with his 15th home run of the season, a solo shot to right-center. Memphis answered in the top of the ninth against Collin Snider, tying the game on a Nelson Velázquez sacrifice fly and a Bligh Madris RBI single. In the bottom half, leadoff hitter Justin Dean drew a walk, BJ Murray reached on a fielding error, Jonathon Long laid down a sacrifice bunt that advanced both runners, and Alcántara plated Dean on a fielder's choice for the winning run.

Iowa managed just three hits in the victory, but the bullpen carried the load. Opener Gabe Klobosits worked two scoreless innings with four strikeouts, Christian Roa added a clean inning, and Snider picked up the win despite allowing two runs in the ninth. Iowa stranded just three runners on the night.

Owen Ayers Homers But Smokies Fall To Montgomery 6-5

Cleanup hitter Owen Ayers gave Knoxville an early jolt in the first, depositing his fifth home run of the season to right-center to score Carter Trice for a 2-0 lead.

Starter Grant Kipp went 4 2/3 innings for the Smokies, allowing one run on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Knoxville pushed across another run in the fourth on an Edgar Alvarez RBI single that brought home Jefferson Rojas, making it 3-1.

The game tilted on the seventh. Montgomery struck for two runs off Luis Rujano, including a two-run home run, to grab a 4-3 edge. Knoxville responded in the bottom half. Ariel Armas worked a walk, Ed Howard ripped his third double of the year to score Armas, and Howard came home on a Karson Simas triple to right that put the Smokies back in front 5-4.

The lead did not last. Rujano left the bases loaded with two outs in the eighth, and Evan Taylor surrendered a two-run single that gave Montgomery a 6-5 lead. Vince Reilly closed the door with a perfect ninth featuring two strikeouts, but Knoxville could not answer in the bottom half.

Ayers finished 1-for-4 with two RBI, Rojas added a double, Howard tallied two hits, and the Smokies stranded just three runners on the night. 

Late Rally Carries South Bend Past West Michigan

Alfredo Romero set the tone for South Bend, working 3 2/3 innings on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts. He surrendered the only West Michigan run in the fourth on an RBI single, but the Cubs bullpen took the game from there.

Nate Williams covered 2 1/3 hitless innings with four strikeouts, and Jackson Brockett closed with three scoreless innings, allowing one hit, no walks, and two strikeouts. Trailing 1-0 entering the eighth, South Bend pieced together a rally.

Kade Snell drew a leadoff walk, Leonel Espinoza moved him to second on a sacrifice bunt, and Alex Madera walked to put two runners on. Miguel Useche then drilled a single to left that scored Snell, and Madera came around to score on a fielding error by the left fielder.

The 2-1 lead held into the ninth, when leadoff hitter Kane Kepley drew a walk, advanced to second on a groundout, and came home on a Cameron Sisneros RBI single to right taking his on base streak to 17 straight.

South Bend managed just four hits and worked four walks but turned them into the runs that mattered.

The Cubs struck out seven times, stranded three runners according to the line score, and saw the bullpen post 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief to wrap up a 3-1 victory.

Pelicans Shut Out By Kannapolis

Dominick Reid had a tough start for Myrtle Beach, allowing four runs on eight hits over four innings with two walks, two strikeouts, and a home run.

Kannapolis built the lead inning by inning. The hosts scored once in the first on an RBI single, added two more in the second on a solo home run and a sacrifice fly, and tacked on another run in the third on an RBI single to make it 4-0.

Braylon Myers followed Reid out of the bullpen with two innings, giving up one run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts in the sixth that pushed the lead to 5-0.

Connor Knox closed out the night with two innings, allowing a two-run home run in the eighth that capped the scoring at 7-0. The Pelicans bats went quiet, mustering just seven hits and drawing no walks.

Josiah Hartshorn led the way with a 2-for-4 night that included a double, Yahil Melendez chipped in two hits, and Jose Escobar, Derniche Valdez, and Jairo Diaz each added a single.

Leadoff hitter Alexis Hernandez went hitless in four at-bats, and Myrtle Beach struck out nine times and stranded seven runners on the night, never able to push a runner across the plate.

Top-20 Prospect Performance

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

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