Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: Ayers Hits First Triple-A Home Run; Affiliates Swept on Monday

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Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Series vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail Riders (New York Yankees): RailRiders lead, 1-0
Season Record: 43–57-1

Double-A Knoxville Smokies
Series vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins): Blue Wahoos lead, 1-0
Season Record: 52–45

High-A South Bend Cubs
Series at Lake County Captains (Cleveland Guardians): Captains lead, 1-0
Season Record: 56–37

Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Series vs. Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays): RiverDogs lead, 1-0
Season Record: 38–57

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs

Season Record: 43–57-1
Series Opponent: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (54-46)
Series Standing: Trail, 1-0

July 28: The Iowa Cubs were handed a 6-3 defeat by the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in the series opener between the two teams on Tuesday night at Principal Park. Owen Miller’s (1-for-4) RBI-double and Kevin Alcántara’s (1-for-2) sacrifice fly gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead in the first and Owen Ayers (1-for-4) made it 3-0 in the fourth with a solo shot, his first-career home run at the Triple-A level. Iowa starter Jace Beck tossed five shutout innings to get the home team in front and allowed just four hits to go along with two strikeouts and no walks. The RailRiders pulled a run back in the sixth and would eventually rally to take the lead with three runs in the eighth. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre then added two more insurance runs in the ninth to make it 6-3. Through his first nine games with the I-Cubs, Ayers is slashing .375/.459/.531 with three extra-base hits and six RBI, good for a 157 wRC+.

Double-A: Knoxville Smokies

Season Record: 52–45
Series Opponent: Pensacola Blue Wahoos (52–44)
Series Standing: Trail, 1-0

July 28: The Knoxville Smokies dropped their series opener to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 3-2, on Monday night at Covenant Health Park. The Blue Wahoos took a 3-0 lead in the ballgame after scoring twice in the second before adding another in the third. Karson Simas (1-for-3) got the Smokies on the board in the fifth with an RBI-single and Miguel Useche (1-for-1) made it a one-run game with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Knoxville would put the tying run at third with one out in the ninth but would strand the runner to end the game. Connor Schultz got the start on the mound for the Smokies and took the loss, falling to 3-4 on the season. Schultz allowed three runs on six hits over 3 2/3 innings of work, issued five walks and struck out four. Tyler Santana (1.1 IP), Evan Taylor (2.0 IP) and Tyler Ras (2.0 IP) combined for 5 1/3 shutout frames in relief, giving up just one hit while striking out six and walking one. The Knoxville offense was held to just four hits in the contest, with just one going for extra bases, and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

High-A: South Bend Cubs

Season Record: 56–37
Series Opponent: Lake County Captains (53–40)
Series Standing: Trail, 1-0

July 28: The South Bend Cubs opened their series at the Lake County Captains with a 7-5 defeat on Monday night at Classic Auto Group Park. The Captains plated three runs in their first trip to the plate and later made it 4-0 with a run in the third. The Cubs scored twice in the fourth to cut the lead in half, thanks to a two-run homer from Kade Snell (2-for-4), but Lake County got those runs right back in the home half of the frame to make it 6-2. An RBI-double from Michael Hallquist (1-for-4) and a sacrifice fly from Josiah Hartshorn (0-for-3) in the fifth got South Bend back within two before the Captains made it 7-4 with a run in the seventh. Logan Poteet (1-for-4) launched his second home run of the season in the eighth to make it 7-5 but the Cubs would not be able to rally in the ninth. Mason McGwire got the start on the mound for South Bend and took the loss, falling to 1-2 on the season. McGwire allowed six runs on five hits over 3 1/3 innings of work, walked four and struck out one. Three of the five hits allowed were home runs.

Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Season Record: 38–57
Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (55–42)
Series Standing: Trail, 1-0

July 28: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans opened their series vs. the Charleston RiverDogs with a 6-2 defeat on Monday night at Pelicans Ballpark. The RiverDogs scored a run in their first trip to the plate and later made it 2-0 with a run in the sixth. Eli Lovich (1-for-3) got the Pelicans on the board with an RBI-single in the sixth and would score later in the inning on a wild pitch to make it 2-2. Charleston would deliver the decisive blow in the ballgame with four runs in the seventh to take a 6-2 lead and would maintain that advantage through the rest of the contest. Hayden Frank got the start on the mound for Myrtle Beach and took no decision. Frank allowed one run on seven hits over four innings of work to go along with two strikeouts and no walks issued. Sam Mettert tossed 2 1/3 shutout innings in relief, giving up just one hit while walking three and whiffing two. The Pelicans offense was limited to just four hits on the night with none going for extra bases. The offense would also go 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, stranding six baserunners.

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