Cubs Farm System Recap: Martinez-Gomez Dominates, Owen Ayers Drives In Four as Cubs Affiliates Take Three of Four

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• Chicago Cubs sent RHP Phil Maton on a rehab assignment to Iowa Cubs.

Bethancourt's Three-Run Homer Backs Wantz As Iowa Cubs Top St. Paul

The Iowa Cubs beat the St. Paul Saints 3-1, riding one big swing and a strong night from the pitching staff. St. Paul took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly, but Iowa answered in the second. Chas McCormick and James Triantos opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and Christian Bethancourt followed with a three-run home run to left field, his ninth of the season.

That was all the scoring Iowa needed. Andrew Wantz held the line and earned the win with 5 2/3 innings of one-run baseball, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Luis Peralta recorded the final out of the sixth with a strikeout, and Phil Maton looked good, striking out three over 1 2/3 hitless innings.

Vince Reilly worked around a walk over the final 1 1/3 innings for his second save.

Owen Miller led the offense with a 3-for-4 night, and all three of his hits were doubles. Triantos finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, and McCormick added a single, a walk, and a stolen base. Iowa outhit St. Paul 8-3 and left six runners on base. Brett Bateman entered the game as a replacement for Jonathon Long, who went 0-for-3 with a walk.

Six-Run Sixth Sends Smokies Past Biloxi

The Knoxville Smokies erased an early deficit and pulled away with a six-run sixth inning to beat the Biloxi Shuckers 9-6. Biloxi struck first with three runs in the second inning on a pair of run-scoring doubles off Brooks Caple, but Caple settled in from there. He finished with a quality start, allowing three runs on three hits over six innings while walking two and striking out six to earn the win.

Owen Ayers got Knoxville back in it in the third with a two-run homer to right field, his 16th of the season, scoring Jefferson Rojas.

The sixth inning broke the game open. Carter Trice walked, and Edgar Alvarez and Karson Simas singled to load the bases. Ethan Hearn ripped a two-run double, Alex Madera and Alex Ramírez followed with run-scoring singles, and Ayers capped the rally with a two-run single before being thrown out at second on the throw home. The six-run frame gave Knoxville an 8-3 lead. 

Biloxi got three back in the seventh against Tyler Schlaffer, who recorded just one out, but Marino Santy struck out three over 1 2/3 innings to stop the bleeding. Trice answered with a solo homer, his 11th, in the bottom of the seventh, finishing 2-for-2 with two walks and two runs. Luke Little worked a perfect ninth for his first save. Ayers went 2-for-5 with four RBI.

Eighth-Inning Homer Sinks South Bend In Cedar Rapids

The South Bend Cubs carried a one-run lead into the eighth inning, but a two-run homer handed them a 3-2 loss to the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Nazier Mulé started and gave South Bend four solid innings, allowing one run on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts. Cedar Rapids scored its first run in the opening frame when a run came home on a fielding error.

South Bend tied the game in the third. Christian Olivo reached, and Matt Halbach doubled him home with a line drive to left. The Cubs took a 2-1 lead in the sixth when Miguel Useche reached, moved into scoring position, and came home on Olivo's sacrifice fly.

Jackson Brockett was excellent in relief, tossing three scoreless innings with one hit allowed and four strikeouts. But Eli Jerzembeck could not hold the lead in the eighth. After a one-out walk, Cedar Rapids connected on a two-run homer to left center that put the Kernels ahead for good. Jerzembeck took the loss and the blown save, allowing two runs on two hits in one inning.

South Bend managed just three hits, doubles by Jose Escobar and Halbach, and a single by Useche, while drawing five walks. The Cubs stranded eight runners and went quietly in the ninth. Josiah Hartshorn struck out three times, and Kane Kepley went 0-for-5 out of the leadoff spot.

Pelicans Plate Six In First Without A Hit As Martinez-Gomez Dominates

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans scored six first-inning runs without recording a hit and rode six scoreless innings from Luis Martinez-Gomez to an 11-8 win over the Fredericksburg Nationals. Fredericksburg's control problems fueled the opening rally.

Alexis Hernandez walked, Alexey Lumpuy was hit by a pitch, and Eli Lovich walked to load the bases. Hernandez scored on a wild pitch during Derniche Valdez's walk, Geuri Lubo was hit by a pitch to force in Lumpuy, and walks to Jairo Diaz and Jose Silva brought home two more. A fielding error on Edward Vargas' grounder scored Lubo, and Hernandez capped the inning with a sacrifice fly. In all, the Pelicans drew five walks and took two hit-by-pitches in the frame.

Valdez added a solo homer, his seventh, in the second, and Ivan Cespedes hit his first of the season in the third for an 8-0 lead. 

Martinez-Gomez was outstanding, allowing one hit and one walk over six scoreless innings while striking out seven for a quality start and the win. The bullpen then made it interesting. Jhon Rosario allowed a three-run homer in the seventh, and Sam Mettert gave up five runs over the final two innings, including four in the ninth. Hernandez added an RBI single in the seventh, and Diaz launched a two-run homer in the eighth, finishing with three RBI, to provide the cushion.

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Jefferson Rojas: 1-for-4, BB, R
2. Pedro Ramirez: DNP
3. Jaxon Wiggins: DNP
4. Josiah Hartshorn: 0-for-4, 3 K
5. Kevin Alcantara: DNP
6. Ethan Conrad: DNP
7. Kane Kepley: 0-for-5
8. Owen Ayers: 2-for-5, HR, 4 RBI, K
9. Jonathon Long: 0-for-3, BB, K
10. Kaleb Wing: DNP
11. James Triantos: 2-for-4, R
12. Brooks Caple: 6 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
13. Mason McGwire: DNP
14. Ty Southisene: DNP
15. Will Sanders: DNP
16. Juan Cabada: DNP
17. Eli Lovich: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
18. Ariel Armas: DNP
19. Jostin Florentino: DNP
20. Grant Kipp: DNP

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