Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: Murray, Ballesteros Shine Despite Defeat, Poteet Extends Home Run Streak to Four

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report

Affiliate Overview

Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Series vs. Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays): Bisons lead, 1-0
Season Record: 30–43-1

Double-A Knoxville Smokies
Series at Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies lead, 1-0
Season Record: 39–31

High-A South Bend Cubs
Series vs. Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): Cubs lead, 1-0
Season Record: 41–25

Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Series at Salem RidgeYaks (Boston Red Sox): Pelicans lead, 1-0
Season Record: 29–39

Affiliate Highlights

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs

Season Record: 30–43-1
Series Opponent: Buffalo Bisons (36-40)
Series Standing: Trail, 0-1

June 23: The Iowa Cubs opened their series against the Buffalo Bisons with an 11-10 defeat, in 10 innings, on Tuesday night at Principal Park. Both teams scored in their first trip to the plate, with the Cubs’ BJ Murray (3-for-5) slugging solo blast, his ninth of the season, making it 1-1. The Bisons would eventually retake the lead with three runs in the fifth but Moisés Ballesteros (2-for-4) was able to pull one of those runs back in the bottom of the frame with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2. In the sixth, Owen Miller’s (2-for-5) grand slam put Iowa back in front and Ballesteros added on later in the inning with an RBI-double to make it 7-4. Buffalo cut the lead to one with a pair in the seventh but Chas McCormick (1-for-4) was able to push the lead to two with an RBI-single later in the inning. The Bisons would make it 8-8 in the ninth to send the contest to extras, where they would then score three in the 10th to make it 11-8. The I-Cubs were able to score twice in their chance in extras, through RBI-singles from Murray and Ballesteros, but Kevin Alcántara (0-for-4) bounced into a double play with runners at first and second and nobody out and Jonathan Long (0-for-4) would strike out with the tying run on third to end the game. Paul Campbell got the start on the mound for Iowa and took no decision. He allowed four runs on four hits over five innings of work, walking two and striking out five.

Double-A: Knoxville Smokies

Season Record: 39–31
Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (26–44)
Series Standing: Lead, 1-0

June 23: The Knoxville Smokies opened their series at the Birmingham Barons with a 5-3 victory. The Smokies opened the scoring in the second on an Andy Garriola (3-for-4) solo shot and later made it 3-0 after scoring twice in the third through an Alex Ramírez (0-for-5) and a Garriola RBI-double. Jefferson Rojas’ (0-for-4) sacrifice fly in the fourth made it 4-0 but the Barons would cut the lead to one after plating three in the home half of the frame. That would be all the Knoxville pitching staff would allow, as Erian Rodriguez (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 3 SO) and Tyler Schlaffer (3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 3 SO) combined for 5 2/3 scoreless frames to shut down Birmingham. Rodriguez would pick up the win to improve to 2-0 on the season and Schlaffer earned his first save of the campaign. Owen Ayers (1-for-4) added some insurance in the seventh, a solo shot for his 13th homer of the season, to make it 5-3. Smokies pitching held the Barons to just 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners on the night.

High-A: South Bend Cubs

Season Record: 41–25
Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (30–36)
Series Standing: Lead, 1-0

June 23: The South Bend Cubs opened their series against the Quad Cities River Bandits with a 6-2 victory on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field. Matt Halbach’s (2-for-4) RBI-single gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the first and Jose Escobar’s (4-for-4) two-run shot in the fourth made it 3-0. The River Bandits got on the board in the fifth with a pair of runs but South Bend would eventually put the game away with three runs in the seventh. Angel Cepeda (2-for-4) singled in a run and Josiah Hartshorn (0-for-4) would later race home on a passed ball. Escobar then picked up his fourth hit and third RBI of the ballgame on a double to make it 6-2 and cap the scoring in the frame. Ben Johnson (1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 SO), Adam Stone (2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 3 BB, 1 SO) and Grayson Moore (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 SO) combined for 4 2/3 shutout innings out of the bullpen, yielding just three hits. Johnson would pick up the win to improve to 3-1 on the season while Stone earned his second hold. Offensively, the Cubs had four players record multi-hit efforts and totaled four hits with runners in scoring position.

Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Season Record: 29–39
Series Opponent: Salem RidgeYaks (26–43)
Series Standing: Lead, 1-0

June 23: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans opened their series at the Salem RidgeYaks with a 7-4 victory on Tuesday at Carilion Clinic Field. Derniche Valdez (1-for-4) opened the scoring in the contest with a sacrifice fly and Alexey Lumpuy (3-for-5) made it 3-0 in the fourth with a two-run single. Yoendris Gonzalez got the start for Myrtle Beach and turned in three scoreless and hitless frames to go along with two walks and four strikeouts. Riley Hunsaker would eventually pick up the win to improve to 2-2 on the season, fired four innings of one-run ball, unearned, and whiffed three batters without issuing a walk. The Pelicans added the run in the sixth on an error before the RidgeYaks made it 4-1 with their first run of the game later in the inning. Logan Poteet (3-for-5) put the ballgame out of reach in the seventh by homering for the fourth-straight contest, this time a two-run shot, to make it 6-1. Salem tacked on a run in the eighth but Myrtle Beach got the run right back in the ninth on Michael Carico’s (1-for-3) RBI-single that made it 7-2.

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