Travis Klosinski

Cubs Transactions No Roster Moves Wicks Brilliant, But Iowa Bats Go Cold In 1-0 Loss To Memphis The Iowa Cubs, playing as the Iowa Oaks for the night, dropped a 1-0 decision to the Memphis Redbirds at Principal Park, falling despite outhitting the visitors 6-4. Starter Jordan Wicks was excellent across five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while walking two and striking out two. Luis Peralta took the loss after surrendering the game's lone run over two innings of relief, allowing one hit, walking one, and striking out two. Tyler Ferguson worked a hitless eighth, and Corbin Martin tossed a clean ninth with a strikeout. The game's only run came in the top of the sixth off Peralta. Memphis opened the inning with a hit-by-pitch and a walk to put runners on, then a single loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly to center field plated the runner from third before a 5-4-3 double play ended the threat. Iowa nearly answered in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Kevin Alcántara drew a walk, James Triantos followed with a single to center, and Owen Miller laced a single to left field. Alcántara was thrown out at home plate on the throw from left field, ending the game with the tying run dying ninety feet from home. Miller led Iowa with two hits, while BJ Murray, Triantos, Chas McCormick, and Brett Bateman each added one. Bateman's double was the team's lone extra-base hit. Iowa drew three walks but struck out eight times and stranded six runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin Dean 3 0 0 0 1 3 BJ Murray 4 0 1 0 0 2 Jonathon Long 4 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Alcántara 2 0 0 0 2 2 James Triantos 4 0 1 0 0 0 Owen Miller 4 0 2 0 0 0 Chas McCormick 3 0 1 0 0 1 Eric Yang 3 0 0 0 0 0 Brett Bateman 3 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jordan Wicks 5 1 0 0 2 2 0 Luis Peralta 2 1 1 1 1 2 0 Tyler Ferguson 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 Corbin Martin 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Knoxville Smokies: No Game Scheduled The Double-A Smokies did not play. Halbach Homers, Four-Run Fifth Carries South Bend Past West Michigan The South Bend Cubs rolled past the West Michigan Whitecaps 7-1 at LMCU Ballpark, breaking the game open with a four-run fifth inning. Starter Ethan Flanagan allowed one unearned run on three hits over four innings, walking none and striking out three. Kenyi Perez followed with a perfect inning of relief and two strikeouts. Kevin Valdez tossed four scoreless innings on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts to earn his second win. After West Michigan scratched out an unearned run in the bottom of the first, the Cubs answered with two in the third. Leadoff man Kane Kepley singled home Christian Olivo, and Cameron Sisneros followed with a single that scored Kepley to give South Bend a 2-1 lead. Matt Halbach launched his fourth home run of the season in the fourth to push it to 3-1. The fifth inning was the difference. Olivo and Kepley both walked to start the frame, Leonel Espinoza laced a two-run double to left, and cleanup hitter Kade Snell singled home Espinoza. South Bend pushed one more run across before the inning was through to make it 7-1. Espinoza led the offense with two hits and three RBI. Sisneros and Snell each added two hits and an RBI, and Kepley reached base three times with a hit and a walk, scoring twice and driving in one. Halbach contributed a hit and the home run. South Bend collected nine hits and drew five walks. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 4 2 1 1 1 0 Leonel Espinoza 5 1 1 2 0 1 Cameron Sisneros 4 0 2 1 1 0 Kade Snell 5 1 2 1 0 1 Matt Halbach 4 1 1 1 0 0 Alex Madera 3 0 1 0 1 0 Justin Stransky 4 0 0 0 0 1 Drew Bowser 4 0 0 0 0 3 Christian Olivo 2 2 1 0 2 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ethan Flanagan 4 3 1 0 0 3 0 Kenyi Perez 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Kevin Valdez 4 4 0 0 1 2 0 Lovich Homer Lone Bright Spot As Rain Ends Pelicans' Night The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped a rain-shortened 3-1 decision to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Atrium Health Ballpark, with the game called in the bottom of the fifth. Starter Daniel Avitia took the loss despite a strong strikeout effort, going four innings with seven strikeouts on three hits, three runs, two earned, and three walks. He surrendered a two-run home run in the third that proved to be the decisive blow. Edwardo Melendez followed with a third of an inning, allowing one hit and striking out one before the game was called. Kannapolis took an early 1-0 lead in the first when a Pelicans throwing error allowed an unearned run to score. The home side made it 3-0 in the third on the two-run home run off Avitia. The Pelicans finally got on the board in the fifth. Eli Lovich led off the inning with a solo home run, his fourth of the season, to cut the deficit to 3-1. That was the only run Myrtle Beach pushed across, as the next two batters were retired, and play was halted with one out in the bottom of the inning due to rain. Myrtle Beach finished with four hits and one extra-base hit, Lovich's homer. Josiah Hartshorn, Derniche Valdez, Lovich, and Edward Vargas each had one hit. The Pelicans drew two walks but struck out seven times against Kannapolis pitching. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez 2 0 0 0 1 1 Alexey Lumpuy 2 0 0 0 1 2 Josiah Hartshorn 2 0 1 0 0 0 Jose Escobar 2 0 0 0 0 1 Yahil Melendez 2 0 0 0 0 1 Derniche Valdez 2 0 1 0 0 0 Jairo Diaz 2 0 0 0 0 2 Eli Lovich 2 1 1 1 0 0 Edward Vargas 2 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Daniel Avitia 4 3 3 2 3 7 1 Edwardo Melendez 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jefferson Rojas: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Pedro Ramirez: DNP Kevin Alcantara: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K Josiah Hartshorn: 1-for-2 Ethan Conrad: DNP Kane Kepley: 1-for-4, RBI, BB Jonathon Long: 0-for-4 James Triantos: 1-for-4 Cole Mathis: DNP Owen Ayers: DNP Brooks Caple: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Angel Cepeda: DNP Dominick Reid: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Ty Southisene: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Brandon Birdsell: DNP View full article

Chicago Cubs Transactions No Roster Moves Kevin Alcántara Goes Deep As Iowa Walks Off Memphis Doug Nikhazy delivered five innings of one-hit ball with two walks and five strikeouts, helping set up a tight game at Principal Park. Iowa scratched its first run across in the sixth, when Chas McCormick led off the inning with his sixth double, Eric Yang followed with a single to move McCormick to third, and Brett Bateman lifted a sacrifice fly to left to bring McCormick home. Cleanup hitter Kevin Alcántara made it 2-0 in the seventh with his 15th home run of the season, a solo shot to right-center. Memphis answered in the top of the ninth against Collin Snider, tying the game on a Nelson Velázquez sacrifice fly and a Bligh Madris RBI single. In the bottom half, leadoff hitter Justin Dean drew a walk, BJ Murray reached on a fielding error, Jonathon Long laid down a sacrifice bunt that advanced both runners, and Alcántara plated Dean on a fielder's choice for the winning run. Iowa managed just three hits in the victory, but the bullpen carried the load. Opener Gabe Klobosits worked two scoreless innings with four strikeouts, Christian Roa added a clean inning, and Snider picked up the win despite allowing two runs in the ninth. Iowa stranded just three runners on the night. Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin Dean, DH 3 1 0 0 1 0 BJ Murray, 3B 4 0 0 0 0 0 Jonathon Long, 1B 3 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Alcántara, RF 4 1 1 2 0 1 James Triantos, 2B 3 0 0 0 0 1 Owen Miller, SS 3 0 0 0 0 1 Chas McCormick, LF 3 1 1 0 0 0 Eric Yang, C 3 0 1 0 0 1 Brett Bateman, CF 2 0 0 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Gabe Klobosits 2 1 0 0 0 4 0 Doug Nikhazy 5 1 0 0 2 5 0 Christian Roa 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Collin Snider 1 3 2 2 1 1 0 Owen Ayers Homers But Smokies Fall To Montgomery 6-5 Cleanup hitter Owen Ayers gave Knoxville an early jolt in the first, depositing his fifth home run of the season to right-center to score Carter Trice for a 2-0 lead. Starter Grant Kipp went 4 2/3 innings for the Smokies, allowing one run on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Knoxville pushed across another run in the fourth on an Edgar Alvarez RBI single that brought home Jefferson Rojas, making it 3-1. The game tilted on the seventh. Montgomery struck for two runs off Luis Rujano, including a two-run home run, to grab a 4-3 edge. Knoxville responded in the bottom half. Ariel Armas worked a walk, Ed Howard ripped his third double of the year to score Armas, and Howard came home on a Karson Simas triple to right that put the Smokies back in front 5-4. The lead did not last. Rujano left the bases loaded with two outs in the eighth, and Evan Taylor surrendered a two-run single that gave Montgomery a 6-5 lead. Vince Reilly closed the door with a perfect ninth featuring two strikeouts, but Knoxville could not answer in the bottom half. Ayers finished 1-for-4 with two RBI, Rojas added a double, Howard tallied two hits, and the Smokies stranded just three runners on the night. Player AB R H RBI BB K Karson Simas, CF 4 0 1 1 0 2 Alex Ramírez, RF 4 0 0 0 0 1 Carter Trice, LF 3 1 1 0 1 1 Owen Ayers, C 4 1 1 2 0 1 Jefferson Rojas, 3B 3 1 1 0 1 0 Edgar Alvarez, 1B 4 0 1 1 0 2 Ariel Armas, DH 3 1 0 0 1 0 Hayden Cantrelle, 2B 4 0 1 0 0 2 Ed Howard, SS 3 1 2 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Grant Kipp 4 2/3 4 1 1 3 6 0 Frankie Scalzo Jr. 1 1/3 2 1 1 0 1 0 Luis Rujano 1 2/3 5 4 4 1 2 1 Evan Taylor 1/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 Vince Reilly 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Late Rally Carries South Bend Past West Michigan Alfredo Romero set the tone for South Bend, working 3 2/3 innings on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts. He surrendered the only West Michigan run in the fourth on an RBI single, but the Cubs bullpen took the game from there. Nate Williams covered 2 1/3 hitless innings with four strikeouts, and Jackson Brockett closed with three scoreless innings, allowing one hit, no walks, and two strikeouts. Trailing 1-0 entering the eighth, South Bend pieced together a rally. Kade Snell drew a leadoff walk, Leonel Espinoza moved him to second on a sacrifice bunt, and Alex Madera walked to put two runners on. Miguel Useche then drilled a single to left that scored Snell, and Madera came around to score on a fielding error by the left fielder. The 2-1 lead held into the ninth, when leadoff hitter Kane Kepley drew a walk, advanced to second on a groundout, and came home on a Cameron Sisneros RBI single to right taking his on base streak to 17 straight. South Bend managed just four hits and worked four walks but turned them into the runs that mattered. The Cubs struck out seven times, stranded three runners according to the line score, and saw the bullpen post 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief to wrap up a 3-1 victory. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley, CF 3 1 0 0 1 1 Ty Southisene, SS 4 0 0 0 0 1 Cameron Sisneros, 1B 4 0 1 1 0 1 Kade Snell, LF 3 1 1 0 1 0 Leonel Espinoza, RF 3 0 0 0 0 1 Alex Madera, 3B 3 1 1 0 1 2 Miguel Useche, C 2 0 1 1 1 0 Drew Bowser, DH 3 0 0 0 0 1 Christian Olivo, 2B 3 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Alfredo Romero 3 2/3 3 1 1 2 6 0 Nate Williams 2 1/3 2 0 0 0 4 0 Jackson Brockett 3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Pelicans Shut Out By Kannapolis Dominick Reid had a tough start for Myrtle Beach, allowing four runs on eight hits over four innings with two walks, two strikeouts, and a home run. Kannapolis built the lead inning by inning. The hosts scored once in the first on an RBI single, added two more in the second on a solo home run and a sacrifice fly, and tacked on another run in the third on an RBI single to make it 4-0. Braylon Myers followed Reid out of the bullpen with two innings, giving up one run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts in the sixth that pushed the lead to 5-0. Connor Knox closed out the night with two innings, allowing a two-run home run in the eighth that capped the scoring at 7-0. The Pelicans bats went quiet, mustering just seven hits and drawing no walks. Josiah Hartshorn led the way with a 2-for-4 night that included a double, Yahil Melendez chipped in two hits, and Jose Escobar, Derniche Valdez, and Jairo Diaz each added a single. Leadoff hitter Alexis Hernandez went hitless in four at-bats, and Myrtle Beach struck out nine times and stranded seven runners on the night, never able to push a runner across the plate. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez, SS 4 0 0 0 0 1 Josiah Hartshorn, CF 4 0 2 0 0 1 Alexey Lumpuy, RF 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jose Escobar, 2B 4 0 1 0 0 0 Eli Lovich, DH 4 0 0 0 0 1 Derniche Valdez, 3B 4 0 1 0 0 2 Yahil Melendez, 1B 4 0 2 0 0 1 Jairo Diaz, C 3 0 1 0 0 0 Darlyn De Leon, LF 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dominick Reid 4 8 4 4 2 2 1 Braylon Myers 2 3 1 1 2 3 0 Connor Knox 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jefferson Rojas: 1-for-3, 2B, BB Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Pedro Ramirez: DNP Kevin Alcantara: 1-for-4, HR, K Josiah Hartshorn: 2-for-4, 2B, K Ethan Conrad: DNP Kane Kepley: 0-for-3, BB, K Jonathon Long: 0-for-3 James Triantos: 0-for-3, K Cole Mathis: DNP Owen Ayers: 1-for-4, HR, K Brooks Caple: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Angel Cepeda: DNP Dominick Reid: 4 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 K, HR Jostin Florentino: DNP Ty Southisene: 0-for-4, K Will Sanders: DNP Brandon Birdsell: DNP View full article

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. Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin Dean 4 0 0 0 0 3 Pedro Ramírez 2 1 1 0 2 0 Jonathon Long 4 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Alcántara 3 0 1 0 1 1 James Triantos 4 0 1 1 0 2 Christian Bethancourt 4 0 0 0 0 2 Owen Miller 3 0 2 0 1 0 Scott Kingery 4 0 0 0 0 1 Brett Bateman 3 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Vince Velasquez (L, 1-1) 2/3 1 5 5 4 2 1 Collin Snider 1 1/3 2 3 3 1 1 1 Tyler Ferguson 1 2/3 2 3 3 1 1 1 Casey Opitz 3 4 1 1 0 0 0 Gavin Hollowell 1 1/3 0 0 0 1 2 0 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. Player AB R H RBI BB K Karson Simas 3 1 1 0 1 2 Alex Ramírez 4 1 1 0 0 2 Carter Trice 4 0 1 0 0 1 Owen Ayers 3 0 0 1 0 2 Jefferson Rojas 3 0 1 0 1 1 Jordan Nwogu 4 0 2 0 0 1 Ethan Hearn 4 0 0 0 0 3 Ed Howard 4 0 0 0 0 2 Hayden Cantrelle 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tyler Schlaffer 4 5 2 2 2 2 1 Luis Rujano (L, 1-1) 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 Tyler Santana 2 3 2 2 0 4 0 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. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 7 3 4 5 1 1 Ty Southisene 6 1 4 4 1 1 Cameron Sisneros 5 1 2 3 3 0 Kade Snell 6 1 1 3 1 3 Leonel Espinoza 5 3 3 1 2 0 Alex Madera 5 3 3 2 2 0 Drew Bowser 6 2 1 0 0 2 Miguel Useche 5 5 4 2 2 0 Christian Olivo 4 5 2 2 2 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jostin Florentino 4 1 1 1 2 4 1 Brayden Spears (W, 3-1) 3 1 1 1 3 2 1 Caleb Thielbar 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 Kenten Egbert 1 4 2 2 0 2 0 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. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez 4 0 0 0 0 2 Darlyn De Leon 4 0 1 0 0 0 Josiah Hartshorn 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jose Escobar 3 1 1 0 0 0 Henniel Alcala 1 0 0 0 0 0 Eli Lovich 4 0 1 0 0 2 Derniche Valdez 3 0 1 1 0 0 Yahil Melendez 3 0 1 0 0 0 Geuri Lubo 3 0 0 0 0 2 Jairo Diaz 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Edwardo Melendez 2 3 2 2 2 4 0 Daniel Avitia 1 3 1 1 0 1 0 Victor Zarraga 1 1/3 1 1 1 3 1 0 Luis A. Reyes (L, 0-2) 2/3 0 4 4 4 1 0 Riely Hunsaker 4 6 3 3 1 2 1 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jefferson Rojas: 1-for-3, BB, K Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Pedro Ramírez: 1-for-2, 2B, R, 2 BB Kevin Alcántara: 1-for-3, BB, K Josiah Hartshorn: 0-for-4, K Ethan Conrad: DNP Kane Kepley: 4-for-7, 3 R, 5 RBI, BB, K Jonathon Long: 0-for-4 James Triantos: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K Cole Mathis: DNP Owen Ayers: 0-for-3, RBI, 2 K Brooks Caple: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Angel Cepeda: DNP Dominick Reid: DNP Jostin Florentino: 4 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HR Ty Southisene: 4-for-6, R, 4 RBI, BB, K Will Sanders: DNP Brandon Birdsell: DNP View full article

Chicago Cubs Transactions No Roster Moves Late Push Falls Short In Iowa Cubs' 6-5 Loss At Nashville The Iowa Cubs jumped on top in Nashville before the Sounds chipped back inning by inning, eventually taking the lead late and holding on for a 6-5 win. Pedro Ramírez had the standout day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a stolen base. BJ Murray added three hits in four at-bats with a double, an RBI, and a walk. Jonathon Long collected two hits, leadoff hitter James Triantos doubled and drove in a run, and Christian Bethancourt added two hits. Iowa took the lead in the third. Triantos doubled to left, scoring Justin Dean. Murray followed with a single to center to plate Triantos, putting the Cubs ahead 2-1. The fifth produced two more runs. Cleanup hitter Kevin Alcántara grounded out to score Murray, then Scott Kingery drew a bases-loaded walk to score Ramírez, pushing the lead to 4-2. Starter Doug Nikhazy worked 3 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits while walking seven and striking out four. Iowa pitching issued 11 walks in all. Nashville scored single runs in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth, with one run unearned after a Bethancourt throwing error. Justin Dean's ninth-inning sacrifice fly scored Long to cut the deficit to 6-5, but the Cubs could not pull even. Iowa stranded 12 baserunners. Player AB R H RBI BB K James Triantos, 2B 5 1 1 1 0 0 BJ Murray, 3B 4 1 3 1 1 1 Owen Miller, LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pedro Ramírez, 3B 5 1 4 0 0 0 Kevin Alcántara, DH 4 0 0 1 1 2 Jonathon Long, 1B 5 1 2 0 0 2 Christian Bethancourt, C 4 0 2 0 1 2 Scott Kingery, SS 4 0 0 1 1 2 Justin Dean, RF 4 1 1 1 0 1 Brett Bateman, CF 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Doug Nikhazy 3 1/3 2 2 2 7 4 0 Yacksel Ríos 1 1/3 1 1 1 1 0 1 Corbin Martin 1 1/3 2 1 1 0 4 0 Luis Peralta 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 Gabe Klobosits 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 Three Home Runs Power Smokies Past Columbus 5-1 The Knoxville Smokies hit three home runs and got nine scoreless innings of relief on the way to a 5-1 win in Columbus. Right fielder Alex Ramírez had the biggest day, going 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and an RBI single for three runs batted in. Carter Trice and Ethan Hearn each added solo home runs. Leadoff man Karson Simas reached three times on a single and two walks, scored twice, and stole two bases. Cleanup hitter Jefferson Rojas added a hit and a walk, and Hearn finished 2-for-4. Trice opened the scoring in the first with a solo shot to right. Hearn went deep to right in the second, putting Knoxville ahead 2-0. The fifth was the biggest inning. Simas singled to right and stole second, then Ramírez launched a two-run home run to right that opened the game up at 4-0. Knoxville added another in the seventh when Simas walked and came home on a Ramírez single to center. Right-hander Jake Knapp started and worked 2 2/3 hitless innings with one walk and five strikeouts. Jace Beck followed with three innings, surrendering one unearned run on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts to pick up the win. Frankie Scalzo Jr. held the lead with 2 1/3 scoreless innings and three more strikeouts, and Evan Taylor finished with a scoreless ninth. Knoxville pitching combined for 13 strikeouts. Columbus scored its only run in the sixth, an unearned run set up by a throwing error. Player AB R H RBI BB K Karson Simas, CF 3 2 1 0 2 0 Alex Ramírez, RF 5 1 2 3 0 0 Carter Trice, LF 5 1 1 1 0 1 Jefferson Rojas, 3B 4 0 1 0 1 0 Ethan Hearn, C 4 1 2 1 0 0 Ariel Armas, DH 4 0 1 0 0 1 Edgar Alvarez, 1B 3 0 0 0 0 3 Devin Ortiz, 2B 3 0 1 0 0 0 Ed Howard, SS 3 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jake Knapp 2 2/3 0 0 0 1 5 0 Jace Beck 3 2 1 0 1 3 0 Frankie Scalzo Jr. 2 1/3 1 0 0 0 3 0 Evan Taylor 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 South Bend Cubs Erupt For 25 Runs In Rout Of Wisconsin After falling behind 3-0 in the first, the South Bend Cubs answered with a 19-run flurry over the final three innings to bury the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 25-6. Matt Halbach led the way with a 5-for-5 night that included a three-run home run, six runs batted in, five runs scored, and two walks. Leadoff hitter Kane Kepley reached six times with four hits, two walks, five runs scored, two RBI, and four stolen bases. Justin Stransky drove in five runs on a grand slam and a sacrifice fly. Alex Madera reached five times and drove in three. Cleanup hitter Kade Snell scored four times with two hits and two walks. Christian Olivo tripled and drove in two from the bottom of the order, and Leonel Espinoza added two hits and two RBI. South Bend trailed 6-4 heading to the seventh before the offense broke open. Kepley scored on a Snell forceout, and Halbach launched a three-run shot to left to make it 10-6. The eighth produced the biggest haul. Olivo and Kepley singled to start the inning, with Olivo scoring on Kepley's hit. After back-to-back walks, bases-loaded passes to Snell and Halbach forced in two more runs. A wild pitch scored Cole Mathis, Espinoza added a sacrifice fly, Madera doubled in another, Olivo tripled in two, and Kepley capped it with a second RBI single. Nine runs in all. Stransky's grand slam highlighted a six-run ninth. Starter Ethan Flanagan worked four innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Kevin Valdez followed with three innings, two runs, one earned, two hits, and seven strikeouts to earn the win. Here's a recap of the wild last two innings of the game. You'll want to take a minute and check this out: Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley, LF 5 5 4 2 2 0 Ty Southisene, DH 5 2 1 0 2 3 Cole Mathis, 1B 5 1 1 1 1 1 Kade Snell, CF 5 4 2 2 2 1 Matt Halbach, 3B 5 5 5 6 2 0 Leonel Espinoza, RF 5 2 2 2 1 1 Alex Madera, 2B 3 2 2 3 3 0 Justin Stransky, C 3 2 1 5 2 1 Christian Olivo, SS 6 2 2 2 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ethan Flanagan 4 5 3 3 2 5 0 Kenyi Perez 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 Kevin Valdez 3 2 2 1 2 7 0 JP Wheat 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Hartshorn's Four RBI And Reid's Quality Start Lift Pelicans Past Augusta The Myrtle Beach Pelicans cruised to a 6-1 win over the Augusta GreenJackets behind a four-RBI day from Josiah Hartshorn and six strong innings from right-hander Dominick Reid. Hartshorn went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, four runs batted in, and a run scored. Leadoff hitter Alexis Hernandez reached three times with two hits, a double, a walk, and two runs scored. Geuri Lubo went deep for two more RBI, Yahil Melendez singled, walked, and stole a base, and Darlyn De Leon chipped in a hit and a run. Myrtle Beach broke through in the second when Lubo launched a two-run home run to left center to score Melendez, putting the Pelicans up 2-0. The third doubled the advantage. After Hernandez and De Leon reached, Hartshorn ripped a two-run double to left that plated both runners for a 4-0 lead. Hartshorn closed the scoring in the seventh, lining a two-run home run to right center that brought home Hernandez and pushed the lead to 6-0. Reid turned in a quality start, throwing six innings of one-hit ball with no runs, no walks, and four strikeouts to earn the win. Aiden Moffett followed with two scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit and a walk while striking out three. Daniel Avitia closed out the ninth and surrendered an unearned run on two hits. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez, SS 3 2 2 0 1 0 Josiah Hartshorn, RF 4 1 2 4 0 0 Logan Poteet, C 3 0 0 0 0 1 Jairo Diaz, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jose Escobar, 2B 3 0 0 0 1 1 Derniche Valdez, DH 4 0 0 0 0 2 Yahil Melendez, 3B 3 1 1 0 1 0 Geuri Lubo, LF 4 1 1 2 0 1 Edward Vargas, 1B 4 0 0 0 0 3 Darlyn De Leon, CF 3 1 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dominick Reid 6 1 0 0 0 4 0 Aiden Moffett 2 1 0 0 1 3 0 Daniel Avitia 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jefferson Rojas: 1-for-4, BB Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Pedro Ramirez: 4-for-5, R, SB Kevin Alcantara: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K Josiah Hartshorn: 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI Ethan Conrad: DNP Kane Kepley: 4-for-5, 5 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 SB Jonathon Long: 2-for-5, 2 K James Triantos: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI Cole Mathis: 1-for-5, RBI, BB, K Owen Ayers: DNP Brooks Caple: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Angel Cepeda: DNP Dominick Reid: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, W Jostin Florentino: DNP Ty Southisene: 1-for-5, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K Will Sanders: DNP Brandon Birdsell: DNP View full article

Chicago Cubs Transactions No Roster Moves Alcántara's Solo Shot The Lone Run In Iowa's Loss At Nashville The Iowa Cubs fell 4-1 at Nashville. The Cubs' only run came on a solo home run from cleanup hitter Kevin Alcántara in the top of the second inning, his 14th of the season. The lead lasted until the bottom of the third, when the Sounds answered with a solo home run to tie the game. Connor Noland (L, 2-3) started and allowed three runs on six hits over five innings, walking two and striking out two. The fifth inning broke the tie. After a leadoff lineout to Alcántara in left, Noland gave up a single to center, a walk, and a hit by pitch to load the bases. A force out scored the go-ahead run, and a single to center brought home another to make it 3-1. Tyler Ferguson and Gavin Hollowell each threw a scoreless inning out of the bullpen. Collin Snider gave up a single and a triple in the eighth, allowing one run. Jonathon Long led the offense by going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Christian Bethancourt, Scott Kingery, and Brett Bateman each added a single. Iowa stranded eight. Player AB R H RBI BB K James Triantos 3 0 0 0 1 2 Pedro Ramírez 3 0 0 0 0 1 BJ Murray 4 0 0 0 0 2 Kevin Alcántara 4 1 1 1 0 0 Jonathon Long 3 0 2 0 1 0 Chas McCormick 4 0 0 0 0 2 Christian Bethancourt 4 0 1 0 0 0 Ben Cowles 2 0 0 0 0 1 Scott Kingery 2 0 1 0 0 0 Brett Bateman 4 0 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Connor Noland (L, 2-3) 5 6 3 3 2 2 1 Tyler Ferguson 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Gavin Hollowell 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Collin Snider 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 Smokies Drop High-Scoring Affair To Columbus The Knoxville Smokies dropped a 9-5 decision at Columbus. Karson Simas opened the game with a leadoff double, advanced on a fly out, and scored on an RBI double from Alex Ramírez to give the Smokies a 1-0 lead. Columbus answered with three runs in the home half against Grant Kipp on a triple, a fielder's choice, and a double. Knoxville tied the score in the third. Simas doubled again to lead off, and after a fly out and a strikeout, Andy Garriola lined a double to right that scored Simas. Ramírez followed with an RBI single to make it 3-3. Columbus pulled ahead 6-3 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth and a two-run home run in the fifth. The Smokies got two back in the sixth. Carter Trice led off with his fourth home run, and Simas later added an RBI double that scored Ariel Armas. Columbus put the game away with three runs in the eighth. Grant Kipp (L, 2-3) took the loss after allowing six runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out five. Tyler Santana followed with 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Jackson Kirkpatrick walked two and gave up the decisive hit in the eighth. Simas finished 2-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, two runs scored, and an RBI. Ramírez added two hits and two RBI. Garriola reached three times on a double and two walks. The Smokies stranded eight. Player AB R H RBI BB K Karson Simas 4 2 2 1 1 0 Jefferson Rojas 5 0 0 0 0 0 Owen Ayers 4 0 1 0 1 3 Andy Garriola 2 1 1 1 2 0 Hayden Cantrelle 1 0 0 0 0 1 Alex Ramírez 4 0 2 2 0 0 Jordan Nwogu 4 0 1 0 0 2 Carter Trice 4 1 1 1 0 0 Edgar Alvarez 3 0 0 0 0 2 Ariel Armas 4 1 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Grant Kipp (L, 2-3) 4 2/3 7 6 6 2 5 1 Tyler Santana 2 2/3 4 1 1 1 6 0 Jackson Kirkpatrick 2/3 1 2 2 2 1 0 Cubs Plate Three Early But Wisconsin Roars Back Past South Bend The South Bend Cubs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers answered with five runs in the bottom of the second to take control of an eventual 11-6 win. The Cubs' opening rally produced RBIs from Ty Southisene on a double and Drew Bowser on a single, with another run scoring on a Leonel Espinoza double play. Eli Jerzembeck (L, 0-1) lasted only 1 2/3 innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out two. Jackson Brockett relieved with 3 1/3 innings, giving up one run on four hits and one walk. Alfredo Romero followed with three innings, surrendering four runs on three hits and five walks, including a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth that pushed Wisconsin's lead to five. South Bend kept chipping. Southisene added an RBI single in the second and another in the fifth to finish 3-for-5 with three RBI, two stolen bases, and a double. Leadoff hitter Kane Kepley reached four times, drawing three walks, scoring twice, and stealing three bases. Christian Olivo grounded out for an RBI in the third. Drew Bowser and Leonel Espinoza each added a hit. The Cubs stranded 12 runners and committed two errors. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 2 2 1 0 3 0 Ty Southisene 5 1 3 3 0 0 Cameron Sisneros 4 1 0 0 1 3 Kade Snell 4 0 1 0 1 2 Leonel Espinoza 4 1 1 0 0 0 Drew Bowser 5 0 1 1 0 3 Alex Madera 3 0 1 0 2 0 Miguel Useche 3 0 0 0 1 0 Christian Olivo 4 1 0 1 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Eli Jerzembeck (L, 0-1) 1 2/3 7 6 6 2 2 0 Jackson Brockett 3 1/3 4 1 1 1 1 0 Alfredo Romero 3 3 4 4 5 2 1 Pelicans Pitching Strikes Out 15 In Loss To Augusta The Myrtle Beach Pelicans collected only two hits in a 3-1 home loss to the Augusta GreenJackets. Augusta took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning on an RBI single and a bases-loaded walk against starter Pierce Coppola, and a solo home run in the seventh provided the eventual winning margin against Mason McGwire. Coppola (L, 0-1) was charged with the loss after allowing two runs on four hits over 3 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out six on 72 pitches. McGwire followed with 4 1/3 innings, striking out eight without issuing a walk while allowing just the solo home run. Edwardo Melendez closed out the game with a scoreless ninth. The Pelicans' lone run came in the bottom of the sixth. Leadoff hitter Alexis Hernandez reached on an error, stole second base, and came home on an RBI single by Michael Carico. Carico finished 1-for-4 with the team's lone RBI, and Jose Escobar accounted for the only other hit. Josiah Hartshorn drew two walks, while Eli Lovich, Logan Poteet, and Hartshorn collectively reached five times on free passes. Myrtle Beach stranded six. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez 4 1 0 0 0 1 Josiah Hartshorn 2 0 0 0 2 1 Michael Carico 4 0 1 1 0 3 Logan Poteet 3 0 0 0 1 3 Jose Escobar 4 0 1 0 0 0 Eli Lovich 3 0 0 0 1 2 Derniche Valdez 4 0 0 0 0 0 Geuri Lubo 3 0 0 0 0 1 Darlyn De Leon 3 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Pierce Coppola (L, 0-1) 3 2/3 4 2 2 2 6 0 Mason McGwire 4 1/3 3 1 1 0 8 1 Edwardo Melendez 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Moises Ballesteros: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Jefferson Rojas: 0-for-5 Kevin Alcántara: 1-for-4, HR, RBI, R Jonathon Long: 2-for-3, 2B, BB Ethan Conrad: DNP Pedro Ramírez: 0-for-3, K Kane Kepley: 1-for-2, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 SB Josiah Hartshorn: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K James Triantos: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K Brandon Birdsell: DNP Cole Mathis: DNP Angel Cepeda: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Dominick Reid: DNP Ty Southisene: 3-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 SB Erian Rodriguez: DNP View full article

The Iowa Cubs survived a 13-12 slugfest behind Owen Miller's two homers and three hits each from Pedro Ramírez and Jonathon Long. Brooks Caple struck out six over 3 2/3 scoreless innings in Knoxville's 8-1 win. South Bend pounded out a 14-6 victory behind Christian Olivo's two-homer, six-RBI night. Myrtle Beach erupted for four runs in the 10th to beat Hickory 6-2, with Dominick Reid spinning five scoreless innings of one-hit ball. Cubs Transactions Chicago Cubs activated RHP Ethan Roberts from the 15-day injured list. Chicago Cubs optioned RHP Gavin Hollowell to Iowa Cubs. Iowa Cubs Outlast Columbus In 13-12 Slugfest The Iowa Cubs scored in five different innings to outlast the Columbus Clippers 13-12. Iowa fell behind 6-2 through two innings, then exploded for six runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth before holding off a five-run Columbus rally in the ninth. Owen Miller went 3-for-5 with two home runs and four runs batted in to lead the offense. Pedro Ramírez and Jonathon Long each finished with three hits, with Long driving in two and walking once. James Triantos went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, and Justin Dean homered as the leadoff hitter while going 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Scott Kingery added two hits, a walk, a run, and a stolen base, while Eric Yang also homered. The fourth inning produced the biggest swing. Scott Kingery walked, Justin Dean reached on a bunt single, and Pedro Ramírez singled to load the bases. After a lineout and a strikeout, Jonathon Long walked to push a run across, James Triantos singled home two more, and Owen Miller capped the rally with a two-run homer to left center to put Iowa ahead 8-6. Doug Nikhazy struggled in his start, allowing six runs on six hits over four innings with three walks, three strikeouts, and three home runs surrendered. Ryan Jensen tossed a clean fifth to earn the win, Vince Velasquez worked three innings while picking up a hold, and Gabe Klobosits closed it out despite allowing two runs in the ninth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin Dean 5 2 2 1 1 1 Pedro Ramírez 4 2 3 1 0 0 BJ Murray 5 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Alcántara 5 1 1 1 0 2 Jonathon Long 4 2 3 2 1 0 James Triantos 5 2 2 2 0 1 Owen Miller 5 2 3 4 0 0 Eric Yang 5 1 1 1 0 4 Scott Kingery 4 1 2 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Doug Nikhazy 4 6 6 6 3 3 3 Ryan Jensen 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Vince Velasquez 3 2 4 4 5 4 0 Gabe Klobosits 1 3 2 2 0 2 0 Knoxville Smokies Walk Their Way Past Birmingham The Knoxville Smokies drew 10 walks, scored eight runs, and beat the Birmingham Barons 8-1 in a seven-inning game. Knoxville managed only one hit on the night but reached base often enough to break the game open in the fourth. Owen Ayers had the lone hit, a bases-clearing triple in the fourth, and finished 1-for-2 with three runs batted in, a run scored, a walk, and a stolen base. Jefferson Rojas drew a walk and drove in a run. Andy Garriola walked twice, scored a run, and drove in another. Hayden Cantrelle, Ethan Hearn, and Devin Ortiz each scored twice while reaching base multiple times via walks. Jordan Nwogu drew two walks, scored a run, and drove in another. The fourth inning produced all of the heavy damage. Owen Ayers, Edgar Alvarez, and Hayden Cantrelle each walked to load the bases, then Ethan Hearn drew a walk that forced in the first run. Devin Ortiz walked to bring home another. After a strikeout, Jordan Nwogu walked in a third run. After another strikeout, Andy Garriola drew a fourth bases-loaded walk. Owen Ayers then cleared the bases with a triple to right field to make it a seven-run inning. Brooks Caple turned in a strong start, throwing 3 2/3 innings while allowing two hits and no runs with two walks and six strikeouts. Marino Santy followed with 2 1/3 innings of one-run ball to pick up the win, and Tyler Ras worked a clean seventh. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carter Trice 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jordan Nwogu 2 1 0 1 2 1 Jefferson Rojas 3 0 0 1 1 2 Andy Garriola 2 1 0 1 1 0 Owen Ayers 2 1 1 3 1 0 Edgar Alvarez 2 1 0 0 1 0 Hayden Cantrelle 2 1 0 0 1 1 Ethan Hearn 1 2 0 0 1 1 Devin Ortiz 1 1 0 1 2 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brooks Caple 3 2/3 2 0 0 2 6 0 Marino Santy 2 1/3 2 1 1 1 4 0 Tyler Ras 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Christian Olivo's Historic Two Homers Power South Bend Past Lansing The South Bend Cubs hit four home runs and beat the Lansing Lugnuts 14-6 at Four Winds Field. South Bend trailed 2-0 after the first but scored in five separate innings to take control of the game. Christian Olivo led the offense with a 4-for-4 night that included two home runs, six runs batted in, three runs scored, and a walk, a history making evening as he and Kevin Alcántara are the only South Bend Cubs to achieve this feat. Alex Madera went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, while Ty Southisene added two hits and a run. Justin Stransky doubled, walked, and drove in two runs while crossing the plate twice. Matt Halbach reached base four times with a hit and three walks, scoring twice and driving in a run. Cole Mathis doubled, walked, and scored twice. Leonel Espinoza had two hits and an RBI, and Cameron Sisneros added a hit, a walk, and a run. The fifth and sixth innings broke it open. In the fifth, Cameron Sisneros singled, Cole Mathis doubled, Matt Halbach singled in a run, and Leonel Espinoza singled to bring home another. After two outs, Christian Olivo drilled a three-run homer to left to make it 8-3. The sixth started with Ty Southisene reaching on an error and two walks loading the bases. Alex Madera then singled in two runs, Justin Stransky doubled in two more, and Christian Olivo followed with a two-run home run to push the lead to 14-3. Kevin Valdez allowed three runs over 3 1/3 innings as the starter, giving up seven hits and two home runs with two walks and a strikeout. Kenyi Perez followed with 1 2/3 hitless innings, walking one and striking out five to earn the win. Ethan Flanagan worked four innings, allowing three runs while striking out five for the save. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 5 0 0 1 0 1 Ty Southisene 5 1 2 0 0 0 Cameron Sisneros 4 1 1 0 1 1 Cole Mathis 4 2 1 0 1 2 Matt Halbach 2 2 1 1 3 1 Leonel Espinoza 5 1 2 1 0 3 Alex Madera 5 2 3 2 0 0 Justin Stransky 4 2 1 2 1 0 Christian Olivo 4 3 4 6 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kevin Valdez 3 1/3 7 3 3 2 1 2 Kenyi Perez 1 2/3 0 0 0 1 5 0 Ethan Flanagan 4 7 3 3 1 5 1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans Erupt In 10th To Top Hickory The Myrtle Beach Pelicans broke a 2-2 tie with four runs in the 10th inning to beat the Hickory Crawdads 6-2. Myrtle Beach had taken a 2-0 lead through three innings before Hickory tied it with a two-run home run in the eighth, but the offense responded in extras to put the game away. Josiah Hartshorn went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored. Darlyn De Leon finished 1-for-3 with a home run, two runs, an RBI, and a walk. Alexis Hernandez led off with a 3-for-5 night and a run scored. Jose Escobar went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI, and Alexey Lumpuy added two hits and an RBI. Edward Vargas reached twice and scored a run. Michael Carico walked once and drove in a run. The 10th inning broke the game open. With Edward Vargas placed at second base as the zombie runner, Darlyn De Leon walked, and Alexis Hernandez singled to put runners at the corners. After a strikeout, Alexey Lumpuy singled to bring home Vargas. Michael Carico then grounded out to plate De Leon, and Jose Escobar followed with a two-run double to right field to push the lead to four. Dominick Reid was sharp in his start, throwing five scoreless innings on one hit with no walks and six strikeouts. Daniel Avitia worked three innings and allowed two runs on a home run in the eighth, taking a blown save. Jordan Henriquez closed it out with two hitless innings, striking out four to pick up the win. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez 5 1 3 0 0 0 Josiah Hartshorn 4 1 2 1 0 1 Alexey Lumpuy 5 1 2 1 0 0 Michael Carico 4 0 0 1 1 0 Jose Escobar 5 0 2 2 0 1 Derniche Valdez 5 0 0 0 0 3 Jairo Diaz 2 0 0 0 2 0 Edward Vargas 4 1 2 0 0 2 Darlyn De Leon 3 2 1 1 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dominick Reid 5 1 0 0 0 6 0 Daniel Avitia 3 3 2 2 1 5 1 Jordan Henriquez 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Moises Ballesteros: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Jefferson Rojas: 0-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K Kevin Alcántara: 1-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K, SB Jonathon Long: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB Ethan Conrad: DNP Pedro Ramírez: 3-for-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI Kane Kepley: 0-for-5, RBI, K Josiah Hartshorn: 2-for-4, HR, R, RBI, K, SB James Triantos: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, K Brandon Birdsell: DNP Cole Mathis: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 R, BB, 2 K Angel Cepeda: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Dominick Reid: 5 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K Ty Southisene: 2-for-5, R Erian Rodriguez: DNP View full article

South Bend and Myrtle Beach claimed wins while Iowa and Knoxville suffered narrow defeats. Cole Mathis launched a two-run homer in the sixth as South Bend topped Lansing 3-1, with Koen Moreno tossing four scoreless innings. Grant Kipp struck out eight over five frames in Knoxville's 4-1 loss. Myrtle Beach rallied for six runs in the eighth to top Hickory 9-7. Connor Noland fanned five over five innings in Iowa's 4-2 loss. Cubs Transactions Chicago Cubs designated RHP Corbin Martin for assignment. Chicago Cubs recalled RHP Gavin Hollowell from Iowa Cubs. Athletics traded RHP Tyler Ferguson to Chicago Cubs. Chicago Cubs optioned RHP Tyler Ferguson to Iowa Cubs. Iowa Cubs Drop Close Decision To Columbus On Late Home Runs The Iowa Cubs fell 4-2 to the Columbus Clippers, dropping a tight game decided by back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning. Iowa managed five hits and stranded four runners. The Cubs pushed both of their runs across in the bottom of the third. Ben Cowles drew a leadoff walk, Scott Kingery followed with a single, and Owen Miller singled to load the bases. Justin Dean grounded into a double play that scored Cowles for the tying run. After BJ Murray walked, Kingery scampered home on a wild pitch during Pedro Ramirez's strikeout to give Iowa a 2-1 edge. The game was at a tie until the eighth thanks to great defensive plays, particularly from Kingery at second. In the eighth, Paul Campbell allowed solo home runs to two consecutive Columbus batters that flipped the score for good. Connor Noland started for Iowa, working five innings while allowing two runs on four hits with five walks and five strikeouts. Campbell took the loss, surrendering two runs on three hits over four innings with four strikeouts. BJ Murray, Kevin Alcantara, James Triantos, Scott Kingery, and Owen Miller each collected a base hit. Iowa drew three walks but did not record an RBI as a team. Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin Dean 3 0 0 0 1 0 BJ Murray 3 0 1 0 1 0 Pedro Ramírez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Kevin Alcántara 4 0 1 0 0 1 Christian Bethancourt 3 0 0 0 0 1 James Triantos 4 0 1 0 0 2 Ben Cowles 2 1 0 0 1 0 Scott Kingery 3 1 1 0 0 0 Owen Miller 3 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Connor Noland 5 4 2 2 5 5 0 Paul Campbell 4 3 2 2 0 4 2 Owen Ayers' Solo Shot Not Enough In Knoxville Loss Owen Ayers' second-inning home run gave the Knoxville Smokies an early lead, but the offense could not add to it as the Birmingham Barons rallied for a 4-1 win. Knoxville committed three errors and stranded six. Ayers connected on a solo shot to left center in the bottom of the second for Knoxville's lone run. The Smokies finished with five hits and went silent over the final seven innings. Birmingham tied the game in the third on a triple. An error by Ayers in the sixth allowed an unearned run to score, putting the Barons ahead. Birmingham added insurance in the ninth on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single. Grant Kipp turned in a strong start, allowing one run on three hits over five innings while striking out eight without walking a batter. Jace Beck took the loss with two innings of relief, surrendering one unearned run on one hit with one walk and four strikeouts. Evan Taylor worked a clean inning, while Luis Rujano gave up two runs on two hits with two walks in the ninth. Ayers' homer was Knoxville's only extra-base hit. Jordan Nwogu, Ariel Armas, Hayden Cantrelle, and Karson Simas each added a single. Jefferson Rojas, Nwogu, and Cantrelle drew walks for the Smokies. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carter Trice 4 0 0 0 0 0 Jordan Nwogu 3 0 1 0 1 0 Jefferson Rojas 3 0 0 0 1 1 Andy Garriola 3 0 0 0 0 0 Owen Ayers 4 1 1 1 0 1 Ariel Armas 4 0 1 0 0 2 Alex Ramírez 4 0 0 0 0 0 Hayden Cantrelle 2 0 1 0 1 1 Karson Simas 3 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Grant Kipp 5 3 1 1 0 8 0 Jace Beck 2 1 1 0 1 4 0 Evan Taylor 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Luis Rujano 1 2 2 2 2 1 0 Cole Mathis' Three-Run Sixth Powers South Bend Past Lansing The South Bend Cubs broke open a scoreless game with a three-run sixth inning, holding on to defeat the Lansing Lugnuts 3-1. Cole Mathis' two-run homer was the centerpiece of the rally, and Koen Moreno led a strong pitching effort. Lansing scratched out their only run in the eighth on a wild pitch, but the Cubs held on. Moreno started and tossed four scoreless innings on two hits, walking two and striking out five. Jackson Brockett earned the win with two scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out five. JP Wheat was charged with the run on one hit over 1 1/3 innings, fanning two. Ethan Bell recorded the save across 1 2/3 innings, allowing two hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Mathis finished with the homer, two RBI, a walk, and a run scored. Bowser had two hits, including a double, and an RBI. Snell added two singles, a stolen base, and a run scored. Kane Kepley and Alex Madera each had a hit, while Sisneros walked twice and scored. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 4 0 1 0 0 0 Ty Southisene 4 0 0 0 0 0 Cameron Sisneros 2 1 0 0 2 1 Cole Mathis 3 1 1 2 1 1 Kade Snell 4 1 2 0 0 0 Leonel Espinoza 4 0 0 0 0 1 Drew Bowser 4 0 2 1 0 1 Justin Stransky 3 0 0 0 0 2 Alex Madera 3 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Koen Moreno 4 2 0 0 2 5 0 Jackson Brockett 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 JP Wheat 1 1/3 1 1 1 0 2 0 Ethan Bell 1 2/3 2 0 0 1 4 0 Pelicans Rally For Six In Eighth To Top Hickory The Myrtle Beach Pelicans erased a four-run deficit with a six-run eighth inning to beat the Hickory Crawdads 9-7. The rally featured five walks, an error, and an RBI single by Alexis Hernandez. Myrtle Beach trailed 7-3 entering the eighth. After two quick outs, the Pelicans loaded the bases on consecutive walks from Michael Carico, Logan Poteet, and Jose Escobar. Yahil Melendez reached on a missed catch error that allowed Carico and Poteet to score, cutting the lead to 7-5. Eli Lovich walked, and Darlyn De Leon drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home Escobar. Hernandez then singled to center to plate Melendez and Lovich for the go-ahead runs. De Leon scored on a wild pitch during Josiah Hartshorn's at-bat, and Hartshorn walked before Alexey Lumpuy struck out to end the frame. Earlier, Logan Poteet homered in the fourth for the team's first run, and Lumpuy's two-run homer to right center in the sixth had pulled the Pelicans within 4-3. Mason McGwire started and allowed three runs, one earned, on six hits over four innings, walking one and striking out seven. Braylon Myers earned the win despite a rough outing, allowing four runs on four hits across three innings with one walk and four strikeouts. Riely Hunsaker closed the door with two scoreless innings, recording one strikeout and earning the save. Hernandez led the offense with two hits, two RBI, and a stolen base. Lumpuy added a hit and two RBI on his homer. Poteet went 2-for-3 with the homer and a walk. Jose Escobar collected two hits and two walks. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez 5 0 2 2 0 1 Josiah Hartshorn 4 1 0 0 1 1 Alexey Lumpuy 5 1 1 2 0 1 Michael Carico 3 1 0 0 2 2 Logan Poteet 3 2 2 1 1 0 Jose Escobar 3 1 2 0 2 0 Yahil Melendez 5 1 0 0 0 2 Eli Lovich 3 1 0 0 1 2 Darlyn De Leon 3 1 1 1 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Mason McGwire 4 6 3 1 1 7 0 Braylon Myers 3 4 4 4 1 4 0 Riely Hunsaker 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Moises Ballesteros: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Jefferson Rojas: 0-for-3, BB, K Kevin Alcantara: 1-for-4, K Jonathon Long: DNP Ethan Conrad: DNP Pedro Ramirez: 0-for-4, K Kane Kepley: 1-for-4 Josiah Hartshorn: 0-for-4, R, BB, K James Triantos: 1-for-4, 2 K Brandon Birdsell: DNP Cole Mathis: 1-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K Angel Cepeda: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Dominick Reid: DNP Ty Southisene: 0-for-4 Erian Rodriguez: DNP ``` View full article

Cubs Transactions Chicago Cubs designated LHP Charlie Barnes for assignment. Chicago Cubs placed LHP Matthew Boyd on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 4, 2026. Left meniscus injury. Chicago Cubs sent RHP Yacksel Ríos outright to Iowa Cubs. Chicago Cubs selected the contract of RHP Trent Thornton from Iowa Cubs. Pedro Ramírez Walks Off Iowa Past Columbus In 11 The Iowa Cubs outlasted the Columbus Clippers 3-2 in 11 innings on a walk-off single from Pedro Ramírez that scored Owen Miller from second base. Ramírez finished 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Miller produced the top hitting line, going 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Christian Bethancourt knotted the game in the bottom of the 10th on an RBI single up the middle that scored zombie runner Ben Cowles, and BJ Murray drove in Miller with a sixth-inning sacrifice fly for Iowa's first run. Charlie Barnes opened with five scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out four. Collin Snider was charged with one earned run across 1 1/3 innings, but Luke Little held Columbus to a single unearned run over two innings to pick up the win. The decisive stretch came in the final two frames. Columbus took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 10th when Kody Huff doubled to left to plate the zombie runner, only for Bethancourt to answer in the bottom half. In the 11th, Miller again opened the inning at second as the zombie runner, Justin Dean dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move him to third, Murray drew a walk, and Ramírez lined his single to left to send Iowa home a winner. Iowa managed only four hits but drew five walks and stranded seven runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin Dean, cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 BJ Murray, 1b 3 0 0 1 1 2 Pedro Ramírez, 3b 4 0 1 1 1 1 Kevin Alcántara, rf 3 0 0 0 1 1 Jonathon Long, lf 3 0 0 0 1 2 Ben Cowles, pr-ss 0 1 0 0 0 0 James Triantos, 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 Christian Bethancourt, dh 4 0 1 1 0 0 Eric Yang, c 4 0 0 0 0 1 Owen Miller, ss-lf 3 2 2 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Charlie Barnes 5 4 0 0 1 4 0 Ethan Roberts 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 Collin Snider 1 1/3 2 1 1 1 1 0 Gabe Klobosits 1 2/3 3 0 0 0 2 0 Luke Little 2 1 1 0 1 2 0 Knoxville Smokies Game Postponed The Double-A Knoxville Smokies did not play. The game was postponed. Cole Mathis Powers South Bend Past Lansing The South Bend Cubs took down the Lansing Lugnuts 3-1 behind a three-run sixth inning fueled by a Cole Mathis two-run home run to follow his pervious games triple, homerun, and triple at the plate. Mathis finished 1-for-3 with the homer, two RBIs, a walk, a run scored, and a strikeout, and the long ball was his second of the season. Cole Mathis was labeled Player of the Game, if you haven't had a chance to hear from him check below. Drew Bowser added a 2-for-4 night with a double, an RBI, and a strikeout. Kade Snell also collected two hits and scored a run while stealing a base, while Kane Kepley and Alex Madera each contributed singles to South Bend's seven-hit total. Koen Moreno started and turned in four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out five on 75 pitches. Jackson Brockett followed with two hitless and scoreless innings, striking out five. The bottom of the sixth flipped a scoreless contest. Cameron Sisneros opened with a walk before Mathis launched a two-run shot to left field. Snell singled, Leonel Espinoza struck out, and Bowser doubled into left to plate Snell from first. Justin Stransky struck out, and Madera then added a bunt single, but Bowser was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second to end the rally. South Bend stranded seven runners on the night. A play of note was Kane Kepley's wild sprint in center for a diving play in the seventh. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley, cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 Ty Southisene, ss 4 0 0 0 0 0 Cameron Sisneros, 1b 2 1 0 0 2 1 Cole Mathis, dh 3 1 1 2 1 1 Kade Snell, rf 4 1 2 0 0 0 Leonel Espinoza, lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 Drew Bowser, 2b 4 0 2 1 0 1 Justin Stransky, c 3 0 0 0 0 2 Alex Madera, 3b 3 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Koen Moreno 4 2 0 0 2 5 0 Jackson Brockett 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 JP Wheat 1 1/3 1 1 1 0 2 0 Ethan Bell 1 2/3 2 0 0 1 4 0 Logan Poteet Homers, But Pelicans Fall To Hickory The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped a 4-2 decision to the Hickory Crawdads despite a Logan Poteet solo home run, his fourth of the season, in the top of the ninth inning. Poteet finished 1-for-4 with the homer, an RBI, a run scored, and a strikeout. Geuri Lubo led the offense with a 2-for-4 effort that included a double, an RBI, and a strikeout. Pierce Coppola opened with four scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking none, and striking out five on 64 pitches. Edwardo Melendez took the loss after surrendering four earned runs on four hits and two walks across two innings, with two home runs allowed. Aiden Moffett followed with two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out one. Lubo gave the Pelicans the early edge with an RBI double in the top of the fourth that scored Carico, and Coppola kept Hickory off the board through four. The Crawdads broke through against Melendez in the fifth on a triple and a sacrifice fly to take a 2-1 lead, then added two more in the sixth on solo home runs to push their advantage to 4-1. Poteet's ninth-inning shot pulled Myrtle Beach within two but came too late. The Pelicans stranded five runners on the night. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez, ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 Josiah Hartshorn, rf 3 0 0 0 1 1 Alexey Lumpuy, cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 Michael Carico, 1b 2 1 0 0 2 1 Logan Poteet, c 4 1 1 1 0 1 Jose Escobar, 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 Geuri Lubo, lf 4 0 2 1 0 1 Derniche Valdez, 3b 3 0 1 0 0 1 Edward Vargas, dh 3 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Pierce Coppola 4 2 0 0 0 5 0 Edwardo Melendez 2 4 4 4 2 1 2 Aiden Moffett 2 1 0 0 3 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Moises Ballesteros: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Jefferson Rojas: DNP Kevin Alcantara: 0-for-3, BB, K Jonathon Long: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K Ethan Conrad: DNP Pedro Ramirez: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K Kane Kepley: 1-for-4 Josiah Hartshorn: 0-for-3, BB, K James Triantos: 0-for-4, K Brandon Birdsell: DNP Cole Mathis: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K Angel Cepeda: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Dominick Reid: DNP Ty Southisene: 0-for-4 Erian Rodriguez: DNP View full article

Cubs Transactions No Roster Moves Alcántara's Three-Hit Night Wasted In 16-2 Iowa Loss At St. Paul The Iowa Cubs were buried 16-2 in St. Paul, allowing seven home runs as a staff while managing only six hits of their own. Kevin Alcántara was the lone bright spot at the plate. The cleanup hitter went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, his 11th of the season, scoring twice and driving in a run. BJ Murray added a 2-for-3 line with a double, an RBI, and a walk, and leadoff man Brett Bateman drew two walks. The Cubs went a combined 0-for-22 from everyone outside of Alcántara, Murray, and Bateman. Things came apart immediately. Starter Collin Snider lasted just 1 1/3 innings, surrendering three home runs and three runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Paul Campbell followed with four innings, allowing seven hits, five runs, and three more long balls while striking out four. Doug Nikhazy took the loss in his Iowa debut, charged with eight earned runs on six hits and three walks across 2 2/3 innings, with four strikeouts. The Saints stretched the game open with a four-run third that included a two-run shot off Campbell, then added three more in the seventh and one in the eighth. Alcántara accounted for both Iowa runs. He singled in the second and scored on Murray's RBI double, then launched his solo homer to right-center in the seventh. Iowa left five on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Brett Bateman 2 0 1 0 2 0 Pedro Ramírez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jonathon Long 4 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Alcántara 4 2 3 1 0 1 BJ Murray 3 0 2 1 1 0 Owen Miller 3 0 0 0 1 1 Christian Bethancourt 4 0 0 0 0 2 Scott Kingery 3 0 0 0 0 2 Hayden Cantrelle 2 0 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Collin Snider 1 1/3 3 3 3 1 2 3 Paul Campbell 4.0 7 5 5 1 4 3 Doug Nikhazy (L, 0-2) 2 2/3 6 8 8 3 4 1 Garriola's Two-Homer Game Falls Short In Smokies' 7-5 Loss The Knoxville Smokies dropped a 7-5 decision at Rocket City, undone by a five-run bottom of the fifth that erased a two-run Knoxville lead. Andy Garriola powered the offense with two home runs, three RBI, two runs scored, and a walk over a 2-for-3 night. He gave Knoxville its first lead with a two-run shot in the second that scored cleanup hitter Jefferson Rojas, then went deep again leading off the fourth to push the margin to 3-1. Rojas finished 2-for-4 with a double, a run, and an RBI, knocking in Owen Ayers in the sixth. Ethan Hearn drove in Jordan Nwogu with a double in the eighth. Tyler Schlaffer started and worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks while striking out three. Vince Reilly tossed two scoreless and hitless innings of relief, walking none and striking out four. Jace Beck took the loss, charged with five earned runs on seven hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings, with two strikeouts. The decisive frame opened with a Schlaffer groundout, but a single off Schlaffer brought on Beck, and Beck immediately surrendered three straight singles, with the third plating the runner he inherited and a teammate to tie the score at 3. A walk loaded the bases, and a fielder's choice grounder fielded by Hearn at first scored two more runs after a fielding error by catcher Ayers. A two-out RBI double accounted for the fifth run. Knoxville left seven on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alex Ramírez 4 0 1 0 0 0 Jordan Nwogu 4 1 1 0 0 1 Owen Ayers 3 1 0 0 1 2 Jefferson Rojas 4 1 2 1 0 0 Andy Garriola 3 2 2 3 1 0 Ethan Hearn 4 0 1 1 0 2 Carter Trice 4 0 1 0 0 3 Ed Howard 3 0 1 0 0 1 Edgar Alvarez 1 0 0 0 0 0 Alex Madera 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tyler Schlaffer 4 1/3 3 2 1 4 3 0 Vince Reilly 2.0 0 0 0 0 4 0 Jace Beck (L, 2-1) 1 2/3 7 5 5 1 2 0 South Bend Loses 7-6 As Bullpen Coughs Up Late Lead To Fort Wayne The South Bend Cubs squandered a one-run lead in the ninth and fell 7-6 to the Fort Wayne TinCaps, with reliever JP Wheat charged with the loss and a blown save after walking in two runs. Cleanup hitter Cole Mathis paced the offense with a 1-for-3 night that included a triple, two runs scored, an RBI, two walks, and a stolen base. Drew Bowser tied the game in the fifth with a two-run double. Leadoff man Kane Kepley went 1-for-4 with an RBI walk, a run scored, and a walk. Cameron Sisneros walked twice and added an RBI single in the third. Starter Ethan Flanagan delivered four innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out four. Kevin Valdez followed with 3 2/3 innings of relief, charged with four earned runs on six hits, three walks, and two strikeouts, including a solo homer in the fifth. Kenyi Perez recorded one out without surrendering a baserunner. Wheat covered one inning, walking four batters and giving up two runs without allowing a hit while striking out one. South Bend trailed 5-3 entering the bottom of the fifth before Bowser tied it with his two-run double, scoring Mathis and Sisneros. The Cubs grabbed a 6-5 lead in the eighth, when Kepley's bases-loaded walk plated Matt Halbach. Wheat opened the ninth with two quick groundouts before walking four straight batters; the fourth walk resulted in two runs scoring to put Fort Wayne ahead 7-6, and a strikeout ended the inning. South Bend left nine on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 4 1 1 1 1 1 Leonel Espinoza 5 1 1 0 0 3 Kade Snell 4 0 0 0 1 1 Cole Mathis 3 2 1 1 2 2 Cameron Sisneros 3 1 1 1 2 2 Matt Halbach 4 1 0 1 1 1 Drew Bowser 2 0 1 2 1 1 Justin Stransky 4 0 1 0 0 1 Christian Olivo 4 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ethan Flanagan 4.0 4 1 1 1 4 0 Kevin Valdez 3 2/3 6 4 4 3 2 1 Kenyi Perez 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 JP Wheat (L, 1-1)(BS, 1) 1.0 0 2 2 4 1 0 Pelicans Edged 4-3 Despite Reid's Strong Five-Inning Outing The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped a 4-3 decision to the Columbia Fireflies, falling behind for good in the eighth on a fielder's choice grounder. Starter Dominick Reid turned in five innings, allowing five hits, two runs (one earned), four walks, and striking out six. Hayden Frank took the loss across four innings of relief, charged with two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Myrtle Beach grabbed an early lead in the bottom of the first. Leadoff man Alexis Hernandez singled, Josiah Hartshorn walked, and after a strikeout, cleanup hitter Logan Poteet drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Jose Escobar then singled to left to plate Hernandez and Hartshorn for a 2-0 advantage. Columbia tied the game at 2 in the fifth, getting a run on a bases-loaded walk and another on an RBI single after a fielding error by third baseman Yahil Melendez extended the inning. The Fireflies took a 3-2 lead in the seventh on a soft RBI grounder, but Myrtle Beach answered in the bottom half when Poteet singled home Michael Carico to tie it at 3. Columbia retook the lead in the eighth, stringing together two singles and a walk against Frank before a force-out grounder plated the winning run. Hartshorn went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored, Hernandez had a hit and a run, Melendez doubled, Carico walked twice and stole a base, and Escobar drove in the two first-inning runs. The Pelicans left nine on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez 5 1 1 0 0 0 Josiah Hartshorn 4 1 1 0 1 0 Michael Carico 3 1 0 0 2 1 Logan Poteet 2 0 1 1 2 0 Jose Escobar 4 0 1 2 0 1 Derniche Valdez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Yahil Melendez 4 0 1 0 0 0 Edward Vargas 4 0 0 0 0 0 Darlyn De Leon 3 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dominick Reid 5.0 5 2 1 4 6 0 Hayden Frank (L, 1-1) 4.0 3 2 1 1 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Moises Ballesteros: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Jefferson Rojas: 2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI Kevin Alcantara: 3-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, K Jonathon Long: 0-for-4 Ethan Conrad: DNP Pedro Ramirez: 0-for-4, K Kane Kepley: 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB, K Josiah Hartshorn: 1-for-4, R, BB James Triantos: DNP Brandon Birdsell: DNP Cole Mathis: 1-for-3, 3B, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, SB Angel Cepeda: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Dominick Reid: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K Ty Southisene: DNP Erian Rodriguez: DNP View full article

Iowa Bullpen Shines But Bats Strand Eight In 3-1 Loss The Iowa Cubs collected eight hits at St. Paul but stranded eight runners in a 3-1 loss to the Saints. James Triantos went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Jonathon Long also went 2-for-4 and drove in the team's only run. Charlie Barnes took the loss after five innings, allowing two hits, three earned runs, three walks, and a home run while striking out four. Luke Little, Ethan Roberts, and Tyler Beede combined for three scoreless innings out of the bullpen, with Little issuing two walks, Beede issuing one, and the trio combining for three strikeouts. The Saints jumped ahead in the bottom of the third on a solo home run. Iowa's deficit grew in the bottom of the fifth when, with the bases loaded, a walk forced in the second run and a sacrifice fly drove in the third for a 3-0 lead. Iowa cut the lead in the top of the eighth. With one out, Triantos singled, advanced to third on a fielding error, and scored when Long lined a single to left field. Chas McCormick flied out to end the inning, and the Cubs went down quietly in the ninth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Brett Bateman, CF 3 0 1 0 1 0 James Triantos, 3B 4 1 2 0 0 0 Pedro Ramírez, 2B 4 0 1 0 0 1 Jonathon Long, 1B 4 0 2 1 0 0 Hayden Cantrelle, LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 Chas McCormick, DH 4 0 0 0 0 1 Dylan Carlson, LF-1B 4 0 1 0 0 0 Scott Kingery, SS 4 0 0 0 0 3 Christian Bethancourt, C 4 0 1 0 0 2 Justin Dean, RF 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Charlie Barnes (L) 5.0 2 3 3 3 4 1 Luke Little 1.0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Ethan Roberts 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Tyler Beede 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Smokies Held To Two Hits In 4-1 Loss At Rocket City The Knoxville Smokies managed just two hits in a 4-1 loss to Rocket City. Jefferson Rojas doubled, and Alex Madera singled. Jordan Nwogu drew two walks and scored Knoxville's lone run, Owen Ayers picked up the team's only RBI on a sacrifice fly, and Andy Garriola and Edgar Alvarez each walked. Grant Kipp took the loss after 1 2/3 innings, surrendering five hits, four earned runs, and three walks while striking out two. The bullpen kept the deficit at four. Luis Martinez-Gomez tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, two walks, and a hit allowed, and Frankie Scalzo Jr. followed with two scoreless frames, allowing one hit, two walks, and striking out two. The Trash Pandas got on the board first in the bottom of the first when an RBI single brought home a run. They tacked on three more in the bottom of the second. A walk preceded a wild pitch by Kipp that allowed a run to score, and a two-run single capped the rally to push the lead to 4-0. Knoxville's only run came in the top of the sixth. With one out, Nwogu walked, Rojas doubled to right field to put runners on second and third, and Ayers lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring Nwogu home. Garriola walked to extend the inning, but Alvarez struck out to leave two runners stranded. Player AB R H RBI BB K Jordan Nwogu, CF 1 1 0 0 2 1 Jefferson Rojas, SS 3 0 1 0 0 1 Owen Ayers, C 2 0 0 1 0 0 Andy Garriola, RF 2 0 0 0 1 1 Edgar Alvarez, 1B 2 0 0 0 1 2 Carter Trice, LF 3 0 0 0 0 1 Ethan Hearn, DH 3 0 0 0 0 1 Devin Ortiz, 3B 3 0 0 0 0 0 Alex Madera, 2B 2 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Grant Kipp (L) 1 2/3 5 4 4 3 2 0 Luis Martinez-Gomez 2 1/3 1 0 0 2 3 0 Frankie Scalzo Jr. 2.0 1 0 0 2 2 0 Espinoza's Two-Hit Night Lone Bright Spot In South Bend's 6-1 Loss The South Bend Cubs were limited to four hits in a 6-1 home loss to Fort Wayne, with Leonel Espinoza accounting for two of them and the team's only run. Espinoza finished 2-for-2 with a double, a solo home run, and an RBI. Cole Mathis added a single and a walk, Matt Halbach singled, and Reginald Preciado was hit by a pitch before being lifted for Espinoza. Koen Moreno took the loss after 4 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits, five earned runs, one walk, and a home run while striking out five. The bullpen held Fort Wayne off the board for a stretch. Nate Williams worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, a walk, and a hit allowed. The TinCaps scored single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings, then broke the game open in the top of the fifth on a two-run home run that pushed the lead to 5-0. Espinoza got South Bend on the board in the bottom of the eighth with a home run to left center field that pulled the Cubs within 5-1. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kade Snell, CF 4 0 0 0 0 0 Cole Mathis, 1B 3 0 1 0 1 0 Cameron Sisneros, LF 3 0 0 0 1 0 Matt Halbach, 3B 4 0 1 0 0 0 Reginald Preciado, DH 0 0 0 0 0 0 Leonel Espinoza, DH 2 1 2 1 0 0 Drew Bowser, 2B 3 0 0 0 0 2 Miguel Useche, C 3 0 0 0 0 1 Geuri Lubo, RF 3 0 0 0 0 3 Christian Olivo, SS 2 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Koen Moreno (L) 4 2/3 7 5 5 1 5 1 Nate Williams 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 3 0 Ethan Bell 2.0 0 0 0 0 4 0 Kenyi Perez 1.0 1 1 1 1 2 0 Pelicans Plate Four In Second, Hold Off Columbia 4-2 The Myrtle Beach Pelicans plated all four of their runs in the bottom of the second inning and held off Columbia 4-2 at home. Alexey Lumpuy led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Michael Carico and Eli Lovich each added two hits, Alexis Hernandez tripled and walked, and Derniche Valdez singled, walked, and drove in a run. Jairo Diaz contributed an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Edwardo Melendez delivered four innings of one-hit ball, walking one, striking out four, and allowing one unearned run. Victor Zarraga earned the win after 3 1/3 innings, giving up two hits and one earned run while issuing three walks and striking out six. Braylon Myers picked up the save with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two walks while striking out three. Columbia scored an unearned run in the top of the second when a runner came home from third on a groundout that was extended by an error. Myrtle Beach answered immediately. Carico and Lovich opened the bottom half with back-to-back singles, and Hernandez walked to load the bases. Valdez walked to force in Carico, and Diaz lifted a sacrifice fly to score Lovich. After a lineout, Ty Southisene was hit by a pitch to reload the bases, and Lumpuy lined a two-run double to right field to make it 4-1. The Fireflies pulled within two with an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth, but Myers stranded the bases loaded with a strikeout to end the threat and retired Columbia in order in the ninth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Ty Southisene, SS 3 0 0 0 0 0 Alexey Lumpuy, CF 4 0 2 2 0 0 Josiah Hartshorn, RF 4 0 0 0 0 0 Michael Carico, 1B 4 1 2 0 0 0 Eli Lovich, LF 4 1 2 0 0 1 Alexis Hernandez, 2B 3 1 1 0 1 2 Derniche Valdez, 3B 3 1 1 1 1 0 Jairo Diaz, C 2 0 0 1 0 1 Edward Vargas, DH 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Edwardo Melendez 4.0 1 1 0 1 4 0 Victor Zarraga (W) 3 1/3 2 1 1 3 6 0 Braylon Myers (S) 1 2/3 0 0 0 2 3 0 Cubs Transactions No Roster Moves Top-20 Prospect Performance Moises Ballesteros: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Jefferson Rojas: 1-for-3, 2B, K Kevin Alcantara: DNP Jonathon Long: 2-for-4, RBI Ethan Conrad: DNP Pedro Ramirez: 1-for-4, K, SB Kane Kepley: DNP Josiah Hartshorn: 0-for-4 James Triantos: 2-for-4, R Brandon Birdsell: DNP Cole Mathis: 1-for-3, BB Angel Cepeda: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Dominick Reid: DNP Ty Southisene: 0-for-3 Erian Rodriguez: DNP View full article

Chicago Cubs Transactions (4/29) No Roster Moves Pedro Ramírez Homer, Long's Three RBI Lead I-Cubs Past Saints 11-4 The Iowa Cubs piled up 14 hits in an 11-4 road win over St. Paul. Pedro Ramírez led the charge with a two-run homer, three runs scored, and two RBI. Cleanup hitter Jonathon Long went 3-for-6 with three RBI, and Chas McCormick added three hits, two runs, and three RBI with a homer of his own. Ty Blach turned in a winning effort, working five innings with four hits allowed, three runs, three earned, one walk, and six strikeouts to improve to 2-1. Collin Snider, Ryan Jensen, and Gabe Klobosits each tossed a scoreless inning out of the bullpen, and Zac Leigh allowed a solo home run in the seventh. Iowa fell behind 3-1 after the second when the Saints answered Bateman's RBI double with a run-scoring single and a two-run homer. Ramírez tied it in the third with his two-run homer that scored Triantos. The lead and the offensive surge came in the sixth. BJ Murray opened with a single, Triantos walked, and after a force out, Long lined a two-run single to right that scored Murray and Ramírez. Kevin Alcántara then walked, and McCormick lined a single to right scoring Long for a 9-3 lead. Iowa added two more in the seventh on another RBI single from Long. Player AB R H RBI BB K BJ Murray 6 1 1 1 0 1 James Triantos 5 2 2 0 1 0 Pedro Ramírez 4 3 1 2 1 1 Jonathon Long 6 1 3 3 0 1 Kevin Alcántara 3 1 1 0 1 1 Justin Dean 0 0 0 0 1 0 Chas McCormick 4 2 3 3 1 0 Brett Bateman 3 0 1 1 2 0 Eric Yang 3 0 0 0 2 2 Hayden Cantrelle 5 1 2 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ty Blach 5.0 4 3 3 1 6 1 Collin Snider 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Zac Leigh 1.0 3 1 1 0 1 1 Ryan Jensen 1.0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Gabe Klobosits 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Smokies Held To Four Hits In 6-0 Shutout Loss At Rocket City Knoxville was held to just four hits in a 6-0 loss at the Trash Pandas. Cleanup hitter Jefferson Rojas had the lone extra-base hit, a double in three at-bats. Jordan Nwogu, Carter Trice, and Karson Simas each contributed a single. The Smokies struck out seven times and stranded three runners. Starter Yenrri Rojas turned in a strong outing in defeat, going four innings with five hits, two earned runs, no walks, six strikeouts, and one home run allowed to fall to 0-2. Ben Johnson followed with two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Evan Taylor came on in the seventh and finished the game with 1 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings and four strikeouts. Rocket City scored single runs in the second on a two-out RBI single, and in the third on a leadoff solo home run off Yenrri Rojas. The seventh broke the game open. Tyler Ras worked the inning and was tagged for three hits, two walks, and four runs (three earned) while recording just one out. The big damage came on a ground-rule double, a two-RBI single that drove in the runners, and a fielder's choice that brought in the inning's fourth run on a missed catch error at second base. Taylor entered to record the final two outs of the frame. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alex Ramírez 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jordan Nwogu 4 0 1 0 0 0 Owen Ayers 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jefferson Rojas 3 0 1 0 0 0 Andy Garriola 3 0 0 0 0 0 Edgar Alvarez 3 0 0 0 0 1 Carter Trice 3 0 1 0 0 1 Ariel Armas 3 0 0 0 0 0 Karson Simas 3 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Yenrri Rojas 4.0 5 2 2 0 6 1 Ben Johnson 2.0 2 0 0 1 0 0 Tyler Ras 0.1 3 4 3 2 0 0 Evan Taylor 1.2 0 0 0 0 4 0 Reginald Preciado's Three-Run Homer Not Enough In 7-4 Loss South Bend dropped a 7-4 game to Fort Wayne despite a four-run rally in the fourth inning. Reginald Preciado was the offensive star with a three-run homer, his second of the season, in three at-bats with a walk. Matt Halbach doubled and scored a run, Cole Mathis doubled in his only hit, and leadoff hitter Kane Kepley drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Cameron Sisneros reached base three times via a single and two walks. In spite of the lose, South Bend set a new homerun record thanks to Sisneros, padded by Preciado, by hitting over 20 homers in the month of April, beating the record set back in 2022 by the MWL Championship team. Cole Reynolds turned in a tough start, allowing seven hits and four earned runs in 3 1/3 innings with one walk and five strikeouts. Adam Stone provided the bullpen's best work with two scoreless innings, two walks, and four strikeouts. Jackson Brockett took the loss to drop to 0-1, surrendering three hits and two earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. Grayson Moore allowed an earned run on a hit and two walks across two innings of relief, striking out two. The TinCaps put up four runs in the top of the fourth on five singles, including a two-RBI single that scored two and another two-RBI single that chased Reynolds. South Bend answered immediately. Sisneros singled, Halbach followed with a double, and Preciado launched his three-run homer to left. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 3 0 1 1 1 0 Leonel Espinoza 5 0 0 0 0 2 Cole Mathis 4 0 1 0 0 2 Cameron Sisneros 2 1 1 0 2 0 Matt Halbach 4 1 1 0 0 1 Reginald Preciado 3 1 1 3 1 0 Drew Bowser 3 1 0 0 1 0 Justin Stransky 4 0 0 0 0 0 Christian Olivo 3 0 1 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Cole Reynolds 3.1 7 4 4 1 5 0 Jackson Brockett 1.2 3 2 2 0 0 1 Adam Stone 2.0 0 0 0 2 4 0 Grayson Moore 2.0 1 1 1 2 2 0 Three Homers, Four-Run First Push Pelicans Past Fireflies 7-3 Myrtle Beach hit three home runs and got a four-run first inning to beat Columbia 7-3. Jose Escobar went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and two RBI. Logan Poteet added a solo home run, two RBI, and a run scored, and Eli Lovich also went deep for a solo shot in the second. Leadoff hitter Ty Southisene reached three times via a single, a walk, and a stolen base. Starter David Bracho was efficient, going 3 2/3 innings with seven hits allowed, no runs, no walks, and three strikeouts. Aiden Moffett earned the win in 2 1/3 scoreless relief innings, walking one and striking out four to improve to 1-0. Jordan Henriquez picked up his first save with three innings, allowing one hit, three runs, two earned, two walks, and four strikeouts with a home run. The Pelicans erupted in the bottom of the first. Southisene led off with a single, Alexey Lumpuy reached on an error, and Josiah Hartshorn walked to load the bases. Cleanup hitter Michael Carico lifted a sacrifice fly to score Southisene, and Poteet followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Lumpuy. Escobar then crushed a two-run homer to left, scoring Hartshorn ahead of him. Lovich added a solo shot to lead off the second. Player AB R H RBI BB K Ty Southisene 3 1 1 0 1 0 Alexey Lumpuy 4 1 0 0 0 2 Josiah Hartshorn 2 1 0 0 2 0 Michael Carico 3 0 0 1 0 1 Logan Poteet 3 1 1 2 0 1 Jose Escobar 4 1 2 2 0 0 Yahil Melendez 3 0 0 0 1 1 Eli Lovich 4 1 1 1 0 0 Alexis Hernandez 3 1 1 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR David Bracho 3.2 7 0 0 0 3 0 Aiden Moffett 2.1 0 0 0 1 4 0 Jordan Henriquez 3.0 1 3 2 2 4 1 Top-20 Prospect Performance Moises Ballesteros: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Jefferson Rojas: 1-for-3, 2B Kevin Alcántara: 1-for-3, R, BB, K Jonathon Long: 3-for-6, R, 3 RBI, K Ethan Conrad: DNP Pedro Ramírez: 1-for-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB, K Kane Kepley: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, SB Josiah Hartshorn: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, SB James Triantos: 2-for-5, 2 R, BB, 2 SB Brandon Birdsell: DNP Cole Mathis: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K Angel Cepeda: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Dominick Reid: DNP Ty Southisene: 1-for-3, R, BB, SB Erian Rodriguez: DNP View full article

Image courtesy of © Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images RHP Brooks Caple (South Bend Cubs) How He Got Here: A ninth-round pick in the 2024 draft, Caple worked through a full season in 2025 before moving into a larger role at South Bend. Early in 2026, he's already picked up a Pitcher of the Week honor, a sign that his progress is being noticed. Hitting the Hot Button: Caple has taken a clear step forward to open the season, posting a 2.89 ERA across 18 2/3 innings, with 24 strikeouts against just three walks. The improved control has allowed him to work cleaner innings while still missing bats. Opponents are hitting .179 against him, and he has done a strong job keeping runners off base and avoiding big innings. RHP Grant Kipp (Knoxville Smokies) How He Got Here: Kipp returned to Double-A after logging over 100 innings at the level last season, entering the year with a focus on tightening his approach. That work has already paid off, earning him multiple Pitcher of the Week honors along with a non-roster invite to big-league camp. Hitting the Hot Button: Kipp has looked more settled at the Double-A level, putting together 18 1/3 innings with a 2.45 ERA while striking out 21 and walking five. The strikeout ability has held steady, and the reduced walks reflect an improved ability to work ahead in counts and limit extended innings. Opponents are hitting just .175 against him, reflecting how well he has managed contact. LHP Jackson Brockett (Myrtle Beach Pelicans) How He Got Here: Signed to a minor-league deal in February, Brockett jumped straight into his first professional assignment with Myrtle Beach and has worked primarily in a multi-inning relief role. Hitting the Hot Button: Brockett has made an immediate impression in his first taste of pro ball, tossing 14 2/3 scoreless innings while holding hitters to a .109 average. He has struck out 15 along the way, and just as importantly, he's kept contact to a minimum while working efficiently through his outings. While the sample is still building, it's an early return worth following. Final Thoughts It is still early, but this group offers a snapshot of how the Cubs’ pitching pipeline is beginning to take shape. Caple’s early step forward, Kipp’s continued progress at Double-A, and Brockett’s fast start in his first pro action highlight the range of development across the system. If these trends hold, the Cubs could soon have multiple arms pushing into bigger conversations as the season takes shape. View full article