Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: Wiggins Back on the Bump for Iowa, South Bend Routs Cedar Rapids

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report

Affiliate Overview

Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Series vs. St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Cubs lead, 3-1
Season Record: 38–50-1

Double-A Knoxville Smokies
Series vs. Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Smokies lead, 3-1
Season Record: 49–36

High-A South Bend Cubs
Series at Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins): Cubs lead, 3-1
Season Record: 48–33

Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Series vs. Fredericksburg Nationals (Washington Nationals): Tied, 2-2
Season Record: 35–48

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs

Season Record: 38–50-1
Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (49-40)
Series Standing: Lead, 3-1

July 10: The Iowa Cubs clinched at least a series split with a 7-4 victory on Friday night over the St. Paul Saints at Principal Park. The win pushes the Cubs’ winning streak to three games, their longest since winning four-straight contests from May 23-27. The Saints plated three runs in their first trip to the dish but Iowa was able to rally for four runs in the second to take the lead. Christian Bethancourt (3-for-4) got the Cubs on the board with an RBI-double and James Triantos (1-for-3) and Hayden Cantrelle (1-for-4) followed with RBI-singles. Brett Bateman’s (2-for-4) bunt-single brought home Iowa’s fourth run, which would give the home team the lead for good. Iowa would make it a three-run game with two in the fifth, scoring on a wild pitch with Bethancourt picking up his second RBI of the ballgame on a single. Cubs No. 3 prospect (North Side Baseball) Jaxon Wiggins made his first start for the I-Cubs since April 4 and took no decision. Wiggins allowed three runs on three hits over 2 2/3 innings of work to go along with three walks and four strikeouts. Zac Leigh earned the win in relief to improve to 3-2 on the season, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless frames, giving up just one hit and whiffing two batters. Owen Miller (2-for-5) made it a 7-3 game with a run-scoring single in the sixth before St. Paul pulled a run back in the seventh to make it 7-4. Eduarniel Nuñez tossed the final two innings to earn his second save of the season, retiring all six of the batters he faced, four via a punchout.

Double-A: Knoxville Smokies

Season Record: 49–36
Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (44–37)
Series Standing: Lead, 3-1

July 10: The Knoxville Smokies clinched at least a series split with a 7-3 triumph over the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday night at Covenant Health Park. The Shuckers opened the scoring with a run in the third but the Smokies responded with a pair of runs in the home half of the frame to take the lead. Owen Ayers’ (3-for-5) RBI-single tied the game and Carter Trice (2-for-3) put Knoxville in front with a sacrifice fly. Biloxi would score twice in the top of the fifth to go ahead 3-2 but again the Smokies were able to prevent a shutdown inning, with Trice’s RBI-single knotting the game at 3-3. Jefferson Rojas (0-for-3) got the home team back in front with a sacrifice fly of his own in the sixth to make it 4-3. Knoxville sealed the win with three big insurance runs in the eight, with Ayers plating two on a single and Trice, also collecting his third RBI of the night, driving in another run with his second sacrifice fly of the ballgame to make it 7-3. Evan Taylor tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief to end the game, earning his third save of the season. Taylor allowed just one hit and struck out three batters. Dawson Netz got the start on the mound for the Smokies and took no decision. Netz allowed three runs on four hits over five innings of work, whiffing five batters without issuing a walk.

High-A: South Bend Cubs

Season Record: 48–33
Series Opponent: Cedar Rapids Kernels (34–48)
Series Standing: Lead, 3-1

July 10: The South Bend Cubs clinched at least a series split with a dominant 18-8 victory at the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Cubs scored three times in their first trip to the plate, getting their runs on a passed ball, wild pitch and an RBI-single from Jose Escobar (2-for-5). The Kernels would grab one of those runs back in the bottom of the first and cut the lead to one after another run in the second but South Bend would score seven times in the third to make it 10-2. Matt Halbach (3-for-6) got the frame started with an RBI-single and Christian Olivo (1-for-5) was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Kane Kepley (1-for-5) drove in two with a single and Josiah Hartshorn (2-for-5) also brought home a pair with a triple to cap the frame. Cedar Rapids rallied for four runs of their own in the home half of the third and scored two more in the fifth to make it 10-8. A two-run double from Logan Poteet (2-for-5) and an RBI-double from Olivo in the seventh made it 13-8 and the Cubs would eventually put the game away with a five-spot in the ninth. Miguel Useche (2-for-4) tripled home a run and Poteet followed with an RBI-double. South Bend scored its third run of the ninth on an error and Angel Cepeda (2-for-5) capped the 18-run outburst with a two-run single. Pierce Coppola got the start for the Cubs and took no decision. Coppola allowed six runs on four hits over three innings of work to go along with four walks and two strikeouts. Ethan Flanagan would eventually pick up the win in relief to improve to 2-3 on the season. Flanagan tossed four scoreless frames, allowing just two hits while issuing just one walk and whiffing seven batters. Offensively, eight of the nine South Bend starters tallied a hit in the game, with six putting together multi-hit efforts. Eight of the nine starters also drove in at least one run.

Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Season Record: 35–48
Series Opponent: Fredericksburg Nationals (56–29)
Series Standing: Tied, 2-2

July 10: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped Friday night’s contest to the Fredericksburg Nationals, 9-7, at Pelicans Ballpark. The Nationals took a 2-0 lead after one but the Pelicans rallied for three in the third to take their first lead of the contest. Alexis Hernandez (1-for-5) got Myrtle Beach on the board with an RBI-single and Ludwing Espinoza (1-for-5) slugged a two-run blast, his first-career Single-A home run, to put the home team in front. Fredericksburg plated two in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead but the Pelicans also scored twice in the home half of the frame to go back in front, thanks to RBI-singles from Edward Vargas (2-for-3) and Derik Alcantara (1-for-4). The Nationals would go in front for good with three runs in the fifth and would later add two more in the eighth to go up 9-5. Myrtle Beach would also score twice in the eighth, off an RBI-double from Jose Silva (1-for-3) and an Alcantara groundout, but would not rally further, ultimately dropping the ballgame. Braylon Myers got the start for the Pelicans on the mound and would take no decision. Myers allowed four runs on four hits over four innings of work, walking four batters and striking out three.

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!