Chicago Cubs Minor League Report (May 2): Kevin Alcantara Can't Be Stopped

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Alcántara's Three-Hit Night Wasted In 16-2 Iowa Loss At St. Paul

The Iowa Cubs were buried 16-2 in St. Paul, allowing seven home runs as a staff while managing only six hits of their own.

Kevin Alcántara was the lone bright spot at the plate. The cleanup hitter went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, his 11th of the season, scoring twice and driving in a run. BJ Murray added a 2-for-3 line with a double, an RBI, and a walk, and leadoff man Brett Bateman drew two walks. The Cubs went a combined 0-for-22 from everyone outside of Alcántara, Murray, and Bateman. 

Things came apart immediately. Starter Collin Snider lasted just 1 1/3 innings, surrendering three home runs and three runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Paul Campbell followed with four innings, allowing seven hits, five runs, and three more long balls while striking out four. Doug Nikhazy took the loss in his Iowa debut, charged with eight earned runs on six hits and three walks across 2 2/3 innings, with four strikeouts. The Saints stretched the game open with a four-run third that included a two-run shot off Campbell, then added three more in the seventh and one in the eighth.

Alcántara accounted for both Iowa runs. He singled in the second and scored on Murray's RBI double, then launched his solo homer to right-center in the seventh. Iowa left five on base.

Garriola's Two-Homer Game Falls Short In Smokies' 7-5 Loss

The Knoxville Smokies dropped a 7-5 decision at Rocket City, undone by a five-run bottom of the fifth that erased a two-run Knoxville lead.

Andy Garriola powered the offense with two home runs, three RBI, two runs scored, and a walk over a 2-for-3 night. He gave Knoxville its first lead with a two-run shot in the second that scored cleanup hitter Jefferson Rojas, then went deep again leading off the fourth to push the margin to 3-1. Rojas finished 2-for-4 with a double, a run, and an RBI, knocking in Owen Ayers in the sixth. Ethan Hearn drove in Jordan Nwogu with a double in the eighth.

Tyler Schlaffer started and worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks while striking out three. Vince Reilly tossed two scoreless and hitless innings of relief, walking none and striking out four. Jace Beck took the loss, charged with five earned runs on seven hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings, with two strikeouts.

The decisive frame opened with a Schlaffer groundout, but a single off Schlaffer brought on Beck, and Beck immediately surrendered three straight singles, with the third plating the runner he inherited and a teammate to tie the score at 3. A walk loaded the bases, and a fielder's choice grounder fielded by Hearn at first scored two more runs after a fielding error by catcher Ayers. A two-out RBI double accounted for the fifth run. Knoxville left seven on base.

South Bend Loses 7-6 As Bullpen Coughs Up Late Lead To Fort Wayne

The South Bend Cubs squandered a one-run lead in the ninth and fell 7-6 to the Fort Wayne TinCaps, with reliever JP Wheat charged with the loss and a blown save after walking in two runs.

Cleanup hitter Cole Mathis paced the offense with a 1-for-3 night that included a triple, two runs scored, an RBI, two walks, and a stolen base. 

Drew Bowser tied the game in the fifth with a two-run double. Leadoff man Kane Kepley went 1-for-4 with an RBI walk, a run scored, and a walk. Cameron Sisneros walked twice and added an RBI single in the third.

Starter Ethan Flanagan delivered four innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out four. Kevin Valdez followed with 3 2/3 innings of relief, charged with four earned runs on six hits, three walks, and two strikeouts, including a solo homer in the fifth. Kenyi Perez recorded one out without surrendering a baserunner. Wheat covered one inning, walking four batters and giving up two runs without allowing a hit while striking out one.

South Bend trailed 5-3 entering the bottom of the fifth before Bowser tied it with his two-run double, scoring Mathis and Sisneros. The Cubs grabbed a 6-5 lead in the eighth, when Kepley's bases-loaded walk plated Matt Halbach. Wheat opened the ninth with two quick groundouts before walking four straight batters; the fourth walk resulted in two runs scoring to put Fort Wayne ahead 7-6, and a strikeout ended the inning. South Bend left nine on base.

Pelicans Edged 4-3 Despite Reid's Strong Five-Inning Outing

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped a 4-3 decision to the Columbia Fireflies, falling behind for good in the eighth on a fielder's choice grounder.

Starter Dominick Reid turned in five innings, allowing five hits, two runs (one earned), four walks, and striking out six. Hayden Frank took the loss across four innings of relief, charged with two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

Myrtle Beach grabbed an early lead in the bottom of the first. Leadoff man Alexis Hernandez singled, Josiah Hartshorn walked, and after a strikeout, cleanup hitter Logan Poteet drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Jose Escobar then singled to left to plate Hernandez and Hartshorn for a 2-0 advantage.

Columbia tied the game at 2 in the fifth, getting a run on a bases-loaded walk and another on an RBI single after a fielding error by third baseman Yahil Melendez extended the inning. The Fireflies took a 3-2 lead in the seventh on a soft RBI grounder, but Myrtle Beach answered in the bottom half when Poteet singled home Michael Carico to tie it at 3. 

Columbia retook the lead in the eighth, stringing together two singles and a walk against Frank before a force-out grounder plated the winning run.

Hartshorn went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored, Hernandez had a hit and a run, Melendez doubled, Carico walked twice and stole a base, and Escobar drove in the two first-inning runs. The Pelicans left nine on base.

Top-20 Prospect Performance

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

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