Cubs Minor League Recap: Rojas Reaches Three Times, Kepley Collects Three Hits, Boyd Fans Seven

Cubs Transactions

• Chicago Cubs designated LHP Luis Peralta for assignment.
• Chicago Cubs sent LHP Matthew Boyd on a rehab assignment to South Bend Cubs.
• Houston Astros traded RHP Jayden Murray to Chicago Cubs for 1B Cameron Sisneros.

Late Indianapolis Rallies Sink Iowa In 7-4 Loss

The Iowa Cubs battled back to tie the game before the Indianapolis Indians pulled away late in a 7-4 home loss.

Ty Blach turned in the longest outing, working five innings and allowing three runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout. Iowa drew even in the sixth inning, when Ben Cowles scored on a Brett Bateman groundout and Moisés Ballesteros came home on a bases-loaded walk to Owen Miller. Iowa then took the lead in the seventh, when Bateman doubled to right field to score James Triantos and Cowles.

The advantage did not hold. Doug Nikhazy struggled in relief, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks, three strikeouts, and two home runs across 2 2/3 innings, taking the loss. Indianapolis erupted for three runs in the ninth inning, capped by a two-homer sequence and an Enmanuel Valdez double, to break the game open. Bateman led the offense with three RBI, and Ballesteros added two hits. Triantos doubled and scored a run, while Cowles reached three times and scored twice. Iowa left six runners on base.

Kipp And Cantrelle Lift Knoxville Past Chattanooga

The Knoxville Smokies edged the Chattanooga Lookouts 3-1 at home, getting a strong start and a timely late hit.

Grant Kipp set the tone over four scoreless innings, allowing no hits, walking none, and striking out two. Knoxville built its early lead in the first inning. Jefferson Rojas singled and Owen Ayers walked ahead of an Alex Ramírez double that scored Rojas, and Andy Garriola followed with a groundout that brought home Ayers for a 2-0 edge.

The score held until the eighth inning, when both clubs traded runs.

After Chattanooga answered with a solo home run in the top half, Knoxville responded in the bottom of the inning, as Hayden Cantrelle singled to right field to score Edgar Alvarez and restore the two-run cushion. Tyler Santana closed it out over the final two innings, allowing two hits and striking out one to pick up the win.

Rojas led the offense with two hits, a run, a walk, and a stolen base. Ramírez, Garriola, and Cantrelle each drove in a run. Knoxville stranded eleven runners on base but did enough early to hold on.

Eighth-Inning Rally Doomed South Bend In 3-2 Loss

The South Bend Cubs carried a lead into the late innings before the Fort Wayne TinCaps rallied for a 3-2 home win. Matthew Boyd was excellent on a rehab assignment, throwing four scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking none, and striking out seven.

South Bend grabbed the lead in the sixth inning. Kane Kepley singled and scored on a Ty Southisene triple, and Southisene then came home on a sacrifice fly by Josiah Hartshorn for a 2-0 edge. The bullpen could not hold it. Alfredo Romero entered and surrendered three runs on four hits with one walk in one inning, taking the loss and blowing the save. Fort Wayne struck for all three runs in the eighth inning, when a Kasen Wells single scored two and a Lamar King Jr. single drove in the go-ahead run.

Nazier Mulé was sharp in his three innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. Kepley led the way with three hits and a double. Southisene tripled and drove in a run, and Hartshorn added a hit, a triple, and an RBI. South Bend left four runners on base.

Delmarva Jumps Early To Bury Myrtle Beach 8-1

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans fell behind early and never recovered in an 8-1 road loss to the Delmarva Shorebirds.

Pierce Coppola took the loss after a difficult start, allowing four runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts over three innings. Delmarva jumped on Coppola in the first inning, scoring three runs on a two-run triple and a run that came home on a wild pitch.

The Shorebirds tacked on another in the second inning. Edwardo Melendez steadied things with two scoreless relief innings, allowing one hit while striking out three.

Myrtle Beach got on the board in the sixth inning, when Logan Poteet homered to left field.

Henry Cone then ran into trouble over his three innings, surrendering four runs, three earned, on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts, as Delmarva pulled away with late runs in the seventh and eighth innings.

Poteet led the offense with two hits, a home run, an RBI, and a run scored. Alexis Hernandez and Derniche Valdez each added two hits.

Myrtle Beach stranded ten runners on base.

Top-20 Prospect Performance

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

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