Cubs Transactions

• Chicago Cubs sent LHP Caleb Thielbar on a rehab assignment to South Bend Cubs.

Iowa Cubs Buried By Sounds' First-Inning Onslaught

The Iowa Cubs fell 12-1 to the Nashville Sounds, with the home club doing most of its damage in the first inning. Starter Vince Velasquez (L, 1-1) recorded just two outs while allowing five earned runs on one hit, four walks, and one home run, with two strikeouts. With the bases loaded, Velasquez issued an RBI walk to make it 1-0, then served up a grand slam that pushed the lead to 5-0. Collin Snider relieved Velasquez and immediately surrendered a three-run home run, capping an eight-run frame. Nashville tacked on three more runs in the third on a home run off Tyler Ferguson, and pushed across a final run in the eighth.

Iowa managed only five hits, left seven runners on base, and scratched out its only run in the top of the ninth. Pedro Ramírez went 1-for-2 with a double, two walks, and a run scored, while Owen Miller added two hits and a walk. Cleanup hitter Kevin Alcántara reached safely twice with a single and a walk. James Triantos drove in Iowa's only run with an RBI single in the ninth.

Casey Opitz worked three innings of one-run relief, while Gavin Hollowell added 1 1/3 hitless innings with two strikeouts and a walk.

Smokies' Bats Quiet In Loss At Columbus

The Knoxville Smokies dropped a 6-2 decision at Columbus, managing just a brief third-inning rally for their only runs of the night. Starter Tyler Schlaffer worked four innings, allowing two runs on five hits with two walks, two strikeouts, and one home run. The Smokies tied the game at one in the top of the third when Karson Simas scored on a throwing error by the Clingstones' catcher, then took a brief 2-1 lead on a sacrifice fly from cleanup hitter Owen Ayers that plated Alex Ramírez.

Columbus answered with a solo home run in the bottom of the third to even the score, pushed across two runs in the fifth off Luis Rujano (L, 1-1) on a pair of singles, and added two more in the seventh off Tyler Santana on a double to right field.

Jordan Nwogu paced the Knoxville offense with a 2-for-4 night and a stolen base. Simas reached three times on a hit, a walk, and a run scored, while Carter Trice and Alex Ramírez each added a hit and a run scored. Jefferson Rojas chipped in with a hit and a walk in three at-bats. Santana finished with four strikeouts over two innings of relief. Knoxville left seven runners on base in the loss.

South Bend Cubs Pummel Timber Rattlers In 24-Run Rout

South Bend overwhelmed Wisconsin 24-4 behind a 24-hit attack and a pair of seven-run innings. Leadoff hitter Kane Kepley went 4-for-7 with three runs scored, five RBIs, and a walk, while Ty Southisene added four hits in six trips with four RBIs and a run scored. Miguel Useche crossed the plate five times on a 4-for-5 night with a double, two walks, and two RBIs, and Christian Olivo matched the run total on two hits, two doubles, two walks, and two RBIs. Alex Madera and Leonel Espinoza each added three hits and three runs scored, with Madera driving in two and Espinoza one. Cameron Sisneros chipped in two hits and three RBIs.

The Cubs broke open the game with seven runs in the second on bases-loaded walks from Useche and Olivo, followed by RBI singles from Kepley, Sisneros, cleanup hitter Kade Snell, and Espinoza. They piled on with another seven-run frame in the seventh, highlighted by a two-run single from Madera.

Jostin Florentino started and worked four innings, allowing one earned run on one hit with two walks, four strikeouts, and a home run. Brayden Spears (W, 3-1) followed with three innings of one-run ball on one hit, three walks, two strikeouts, and a home run. Caleb Thielbar, on a rehab assignment from the Cubs, tossed one inning of one-hit relief with two strikeouts and a walk. South Bend stranded 15 runners despite the lopsided result.

Pelicans Pounded By GreenJackets In Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach managed only one run in an 11-1 loss to Augusta, falling behind early after the GreenJackets put up four runs in the first inning on a pair of bases-loaded walks and a two-run single. Riely Hunsaker absorbed the bulk of the work for the Pelicans, going four innings while allowing three earned runs on six hits with one walk, two strikeouts, and a home run.

The Pelicans broke up the shutout in the bottom of the second when Jose Escobar singled, advanced to third on an Eli Lovich single, and scored on an RBI groundout from Derniche Valdez. Valdez also doubled in the fourth, finishing 1-for-3 with the team's only extra-base hit.

Starter Edwardo Melendez surrendered three hits and two earned runs over two innings, fanning four with two walks. Luis A. Reyes (L, 0-2) absorbed the worst stretch, allowing four earned runs on four walks while recording just two outs. The GreenJackets piled on with a solo home run and an RBI single in the fourth, a sacrifice fly in the fifth, a double in the sixth, two runs in the eighth, and one more in the ninth.

Darlyn De Leon, Eli Lovich, and Yahil Melendez each contributed singles in the loss. Cleanup hitter Jose Escobar finished 1-for-3 with a run scored. Myrtle Beach finished with five hits and four runners left on base.

Top-20 Prospect Performance

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

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