CBT847

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 3 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Saints win, 4–2 Season Record: 15–17 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 13–14 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): TinCaps win, 5-1 Season Record: 12–12 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Pelicans win, 4-2 Season Record: 13–14 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 15–17 Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (15–17) Series Standing: Lose, 2-4 May 3: The Iowa Cubs dropped their series at the St. Paul Saints with an 8-7 loss on Sunday at CHS Field. The Saints took a 2-0 lead in the first and would later make it a 7-0 game with four runs in the third before adding another in the fifth. Pedro Ramirez’ (3-for-5) RBI-double in the sixth broke the scoring run but St. Paul got that run back in the home half of the frame to make it 8-1. The Cubs plated three in the seventh to get back into the contest, with Hayden Cantrelle (1-for-4) driving in one with a double before RBI-singles from Justin Dean (1-for-3) and Ramirez. Kevin Alcántara (1-for-5) went yard for the third-straight game, and the fourth time in the series, in the eighth to make it an 8-5 ballgame. BJ Murray (1-for-4) cut the lead to one by driving in a pair in the ninth but Iowa was unable to rally further, ultimately falling 8-7. Jordan Wicks started for the Cubs and fell to 0-2 on the season by allowing six runs on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings of work, striking out four. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 13–14 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (12–15) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 May 3: The Knoxville Smokies earned a series split with the Rocket City Trash Pandas with a 1-0 win on Sunday at Toyota Field. Carter Trice’s (1-for-4) lead-off home run in the first was the difference as the Smokies earned their third shutout win of the season, despite being held to just two hits offensively. Ariel Armas (1-for-3) was the only other Knoxville batter that recorded a hit in the ballgame. Frankie Scalzo Jr. started the game with two scoreless frames before being relieved by Nick Dean, who would be credited with the win. Dean twirled 4 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits to go along with six strikeouts to improve to 3-1. Marino Santy (1 1/3 IP) and Luis Rujano (1 IP) closed out the ballgame, combining to allow just one hit and one strikeout. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 12–12 Series Opponent: Fort Wayne TinCaps (12–15) Series Standing: Lose, 1-5 May 3: The South Bend Cubs dropped their fifth-straight contest, falling 11-10 to the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Sunday at Four Winds Field. The TinCaps jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first before the Cubs answered with five runs of their own in the third. Ty Southisene (3-for-6), making his High-A debut, drove in a pair with a double and Kade Snell (2-for-5) followed with a two-run blast. Cole Mathis (2-for-5) immediately followed with a solo shot of his own to make it a 5-5 game. Fort Wayne re-took the lead with three runs in the fourth but South Bend was able to get two of those runs back in the home half of the frame on an RBI-groundout from Snell and an RBI-single from Mathis. The visitors responded with two in the fifth but the Cubs had an answer again with Southisene bringing home a run on a single. The scoring flurry continued with the TinCaps making it a 11-8 contest with another run in the sixth before Cameron Siseros’ (1-for-4) two-run blast to make it 11-10 after seven. After seven-straight half innings of runs being scored, neither team was able to continue pushing runs across as South Bend ultimately took the loss. Brayden Spears took the loss in relief, allowing three runs on four hits over 3 1/3 innings of work, striking out five. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 13–14 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (13–14) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 May 3: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their second-straight contest to the Columbia Fireflies, falling 7-3, to close out their series at Pelicans Ballpark. The Pelicans still claimed a series win with the defeat after prevailing in the first-four games of the series. The Fireflies plated five their first time to the plate before Myrtle Beach got on the board in the third through a solo blast from Derniche Valdez (1-for-4) to make it 5-1. The Pelicans added two in the sixth on an RBI-double from Michael Carico (2-for-4) and an RBI-groundout from Jose Escobar (1-for-3) to make it 5-3. Myrtle Beach was unable to mount a further rally as Columbia scored in the eighth and ninth innings to cruise to the 7-3 win. Noah Edders turned in 4 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing just two hits to go along with five strikeouts. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 1 Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Tied, 2–2 Season Record: 15–15 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 12–13 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): TinCaps lead, 3-1 Season Record: 12–10 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Pelicans lead, 4-0 Season Record: 13–12 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 15–15 Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (13–17) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 May 1: The Iowa Cubs evened their series at the St. Paul Saints with a 6-5 comeback victory on Friday night at CHS Field. Jonathan Long (3-for-5) opened the scoring in the first with an RBI-double but the Saints equaled the tally in the home half of the inning. The Cubs would regain the lead in the second on James Triantos’ (0-for-4) RBI-groundout. The hosts went back in front in the third by pushing three runs across to take a 4-2 lead and increased their advantage with another run in the fourth. The I-Cubs made it a one-run game by scoring two in the fifth, thanks to another home run from Kevin Alcántara (2-for-4), his 10th of the campaign, a two-run shot. Alcántara would then provide the biggest swing of the ballgame in the eighth, driving in two more with a double to give Iowa the 6-5 lead late. Gabe Klobosits worked a scoreless ninth, striking out a pair, to record his second save of the season. Zac Leigh earned his first win of the season, retiring all four batters he faced, picking up three punchouts. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 12–13 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (11–14) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 May 1: The Knoxville Smokies evened their series at the Rocket City Trash Pandas with a dominant 6-1 victory on Friday night at Toyota Field. Carter Trice (1-for-5) gave the Smokies a 1-0 lead with his first home run of the year in the third. The Trash Pandas tied the game in the fifth with their first run of the ballgame. Knoxville took control of the contest with two runs in the sixth, on an Andy Garriola (1-for-4) solo shot and a two-run double from Karson Simas (1-for-2). The Smokies added three more in the seventh to go ahead 6-1, all coming off the bat of Owen Ayers (1-for-5), who crushed a three-run blast for his second of the season. Jake Knapp took no decision in his start, allowing one run on one hit over 4 1/3 innings of work, whiffing four batters. Tyler Ras picked up the win in relief, tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings, yielding three hits and striking out one. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 12–10 Series Opponent: Fort Wayne TinCaps (10–15) Series Standing: Trail, 1-3 May 1: The South Bend Cubs dropped their third-straight contest, falling 6-2 to the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Friday night. The TinCaps claim at least a series split with the win. The Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the second through sacrifice flies from Justin Stransky (1-for-2) and Kane Kepley (1-for-2). Fort Wayne cut the lead in half with a run in the fourth and would later take a 4-2 advantage with three runs in the seventh. The visitors would add two more in the ninth and South Bend would go down in order in the home half of the inning to end the game. Brooks Caple got the start for the Cubs but did not factor into the decision. Caple worked three scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out two. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 13–12 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (11–14) Series Standing: Lead, 4-0 May 1: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans claimed a series victory by winning their fourth-straight ballgame, 8-7 in walkoff fashion, over the Columbia Fireflies. The Fireflies took a 1-0 lead after one but the Pelicans grabbed their first lead of the game with four runs in the second. Alexis Hernandez (1-for-4) cleared the bases with a three-run double and Alexey Lumpuy (2-for-5) drove in another with a single. Columbia cut the lead to one with two runs in the fifth but Myrtle Beach got both of those runs back in the home half of the frame on Logan Poteet’s (2-for-4) two-run shot, his third of the season. The visitors took their first lead of the contest with four runs in the seventh but Jose Escobar (1-for-4) leveled the game at 7-7 with an RBI-triple in the bottom of the inning. After the Fireflies were held scoreless in the ninth, Ty Southisene (1-for-4) drew a walk to start the inning and would make it to third on a pair of wild pitches. Michael Carico (0-for-2) was intentionally walked, bringing Poteet to the plate, who drove in his third run of the game with a single, ending the ballgame. Mason McGwire got the start for the Pelicans, but did not factor into the decision. McGwire allowed one run on four hits over four innings of work, striking out four. Eli Jerzembeck earned his first win of the season by working the final two innings of the game, allowing no runs on two hits to go along with three strikeouts. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - April 28 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Saints lead, 1–0 Season Record: 13–14 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels): No games played Season Record: 10–12 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 12–7 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Pelicans lead, 1-0 Season Record: 10–12 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 13–14 Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (12–15) Series Standing: Trail, 0-1 April 28: The Iowa Cubs slipped to under .500 for the first time since March 31 with a series-opening defeat to the St. Paul Saints, 9-5. The Saints scored five times in their first trip to the plate and extended the lead to 6-0 with another run in the second. Brett Bateman’s (1-for-3) first home run of the season got the Cubs on the board in the third and James Triantos (1-for-3) cut the six-run lead in half with a two run blast later in the frame, his fourth of the season. St. Paul pushed runs across in the fourth and fifth to make it 8-3 before Kevin Alcántara (1-for-4) blasted his ninth homer of the year, a solo shot. The hosts made it 9-4 with a run in the seventh and Hayden Cantrelle (1-for-1) launched the I-Cubs’ fourth homer of the game to make it 9-5, which would go on to be the final score. Jordan Wicks took the loss in the start, allowing six runs on seven hits over two innings of work, giving up three home runs. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 10–12 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (10–12) Series Standing: No games played April 28: The Knoxville Smokies’ series opener at the Rocket City Trash Pandas was postponed due to inclement weather. The two teams will begin play at Toyota Field today. Monday’s contest will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 12–7 Series Opponent: Fort Wayne TinCaps (7–15) Series Standing: Lead 1-0 April 28: The South Bend Cubs opened their series vs. the Fort Wayne TinCaps with a 6-4 win, staving off a late rally from the visitors to hold on for the victory. Kade Snell’s (1-for-4) sacrifice fly in the third opened the scoring in the ballgame but the TinCaps responded in the fourth with a run of their own to level the game at 1-1. Cole Mathis (2-for-4) would give the Cubs the lead back by drawing a walk with the bases loaded in the home half of the fourth and the hosts would extend their advantage with a pair of runs in the fifth. Cameron Cisneros (1-for-2) crushed a solo shot, his third of the year, and Christian Olivo (3-for-4) followed later in the inning with an RBI-double. Fort Wayne scored twice in the eighth to make it 4-3 but South Bend got those two runs right back, first on an RBI-single from Reginald Preciado (1-for-5) and then on a balk. The Cubs would need those insurance runs as the TinCaps scored once in the ninth but were unable to rally further as South Bend held on for the 6-4 triumph. Kenten Egbert got the start and did not factor into the decision, firing three shutout innings, allowing just three hits and striking out one. Brayden Spears picked up the win in relief, working three innings and allowing one run on one hit. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 10–12 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (11–11) Series Standing: Lead 1-0 April 28: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans snapped their six-game losing skid with a come-from-behind victory over the Columbia Fireflies, 6-4. The Pelicans opened the scoring in the ballgame with a pair of runs in the second, with Michael Carico (1-for-4) and Logan Poteet (1-for-3) starting the frame with back-to-back solo shots. The Fireflies evened the contest with two runs in the third and would eventually take a 6-3 lead after putting up a four spot in the seventh, following Eli Lovich’s (2-for-4) solo homer in the fifth. Myrtle Beach rallied for three runs after the stretch, with Ludwing Espinoza (1-for-2) sparking the offense by stealing home. Jose Escobar (1-for-4) made it 6-6 with a two-out, two-run single. Ty Southisene (1-for-4) had the decisive hit in the contest with his RBI-double in the eighth to give the Pelicans the 7-6 lead. Eli Jerzembeck capped his two-inning scoreless outing by striking out the side in the ninth to improve to 2-1 on the season. Jerzembeck didn’t allow a hit in his appearance and whiffed five batters. Noah Edders, who started for Myrtle Beach, allowed two runs, both unearned, over four innings of work, giving up five hits while striking out two batters. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - April 26 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): Bats win series 4–2 Season Record: 13–13 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Lookouts win series 4–2 Season Record: 10–11 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds): Tied 3–3 Season Record: 11–7 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros): Woodpeckers win series 6–0 Season Record: 9–12 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 13–13 Series Opponent: Louisville Bats (16–11) Series Standing: Lose 2–4 April 26: The Iowa Cubs fell to the Louisville Bats, 12-6, in Sunday’s series finale, dropping the series, 4-2. The Bats took a 5-0 lead their first time to the plate and never looked back, taking a 12-2 lead after five. Eric Yang (1-for-4) drove in the Cubs’ first run with an RBI-single in the second and Justin Dean (3-for-4) drove in the team’s second run in the fifth on his own RBI-single. Dean’s three-hit effort was his first multi-hit performance of the season. Iowa would plate four in the eighth, getting run-scoring singles from BJ Murray (3-for-4), James Triantos (1-for-5) and Hayden Cantrelle (1-for-2). Kevin Alcántara would also draw a walk with the bases loaded in the frame. Murray’s three-hit game was his third such performance in his last five. Paul Campbell took the loss in the start, allowing seven runs on seven hits over three innings of work. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 10–11 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (16–5) Series Standing: Lose 2-4 April 26: The Knoxville Smokies earned a 7-2 victory over the Chattanooga Lookouts in Sunday’s finale but the Lookouts ultimately claimed the series win, 4-2. Chattanooga took a 2-0 lead after the first but Knoxville rallied with three runs in the third to take the 3-2 lead. Alex Madera (2-for-4) had an RBI-single and Alex Ramírez (4-for-5) launched a two-run homer, his first of the season. Ramírez’ four hits in the ballgame marked a season high. Nick Dean earned the win out of the bullpen, firing four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, striking out five while issuing no walks. Frankie Scalzo Jr. and Luis Martinez-Gomez each tossed two shutout frames, combining to allow just one hit and seven punchouts. The Smokies put the game out of each in the eighth, pushing four runs across the plate, and would cruise to the 7-2 win. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 11–7 Series Opponent: Dayton Dragons (10–10) Series Standing: Tied 3–3 April 26: The South Bend Cubs were blanked by the Dayton Dragons, 3-0, in Sunday’s ballgame to split their series at Day Air Ballpark. The Dragons jumped out to a 2-0 lead after runs in the first and second and would later add some insurance in the sixth with their third run of the contest. The Cubs were held to just four hits offensively, two of which came off the bat off Matt Halbech, who went 2-for-4, his fourth multi-hit game of the series. Ethan Flanagan took the loss in the start, allowing two runs on four hits over four innings of work, picking up three strikeouts along the way. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 9–12 Series Opponent: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (9–12) Series Standing: Lose 0–6 April 26: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were swept by the Fayetteville Woodpeckers after falling in Sunday’s de facto doubleheader, falling 6-5 in the resumption of Saturday’s suspended contest and 6-2 in the regularly scheduled ballgame. Game 1: Play resumed in the seventh, where the Woodpeckers would rally for four runs to tie the game at 5-5. The ballgame would eventually head to extra innings, where the hosts would walk off the Pelicans in the 10th. Game 2: Myrtle Beach dropped their sixth-straight game with a 6-2 defeat to Fayetteville in seven innings. The Pelicans took the lead in the first with a run but the Woodpeckers scored two in the second and three in the third to take a 5-1 lead. Fayetteville extended the lead to 6-2 with a run in the sixth. Myrtle Beach would plate a run in the seventh but were unable to mount a larger rally. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - April 24 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): Bats lead 3–1 Season Record: 12–12 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Lookouts lead 3–1 Season Record: 9–10 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds): Tied 2–2 Season Record: 10–6 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros): Woodpeckers lead 4–0 Season Record: 9–10 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 12–12 Series Opponent: Louisville Bats (15–10) Series Standing: Trail 1–3 April 24: The Iowa Cubs suffered a second-straight defeat, falling to the Louisville Bats, 5-4, in extra innings on Friday night at Principal Park. The Cubs took the lead in the contest in the second on an RBI-single from Eric Yang (1-for-4). Kevin Alcántara (1-for-5) made it 2-0 Iowa with an RBI-single in the sixth. Trent Thornton started on the mound for the I-Cubs, working two scoreless innings and picking up a pair of strikeouts. Phil Maton, who was placed on the 15-day IL by the big-league Cubs on April 10, made his first rehab appearance at the Triple-A level, working a scoreless third, allowing two hits and striking out two. Jace Beck got the bulk of work in relief, firing three scoreless innings and whiffing a pair. The Bats got on the board in the eighth to make it 2-1 but Pedro Ramírez (0-for-3) restored the two-run advantage with an RBI-groundout in the home half of the frame. Louisville would rally in the ninth with a pair of runs to send the game to extras. Both teams would score in the 10th, with Jonathan Long (4-for-5) driving in the Cubs’ run but the Bats would go ahead again in the 11th and keep Iowa off the board, handing the home team the loss. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 9–10 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (15–4) Series Standing: Trail 1-3 April 24: The Knoxville Smokies snapped their five-game losing skid with an 11-9 win over the Chattanooga Lookouts on Friday night. Ethan Hearn’s (1-for-4) two-run shot in the second, his first of the year, gave the Smokies the 2-0 but the Lookouts tied the ballgame with two runs in the third. Knoxville responded in the bottom of the inning with three runs to re-take the lead at 5-2. Owen Ayers (2-for-2) launched his first-career Double-A home run, a solo blast, and Edgar Alvarez (1-for-5) followed with a two-run shot later in the frame. Chattanooga cut the lead to 5-4 with runs in the fourth and fifth and would eventually take the lead with three runs in the eighth. The Smokies offense then erupted for sixth runs in the bottom of the inning, thanks to a two-run double from Alex Ramírez (1-for-5) and a grand slam from Andy Garriola (1-for-2) to make it 11-7. The Lookouts halved the deficit with a pair of runs in the ninth but Knoxville was able to hang on for the 11-9 victory. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 10–6 Series Opponent: Dayton Dragons (9–9) Series Standing: Tied 2–2 April 24: The South Bend Cubs fell to the Dayton Dragons, 6-4, in seven innings, in a rain-shortened game on Friday night at Day Air Ballpark. The Cubs took a 2-0 lead their first time to the plate through a sacrifice fly from Cameron Sisneros (1-for-1) and an RBI-double from Reginald Preciado (1-for-3). The Dragons answered with two runs of their own their first time up to make it 2-2. South Bend went back in front with two more runs in the third thanks to RBI-doubles from Kade Snell (1-for-3) and Sisneros. Dayton responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-4 and to take the lead for good. The hosts tacked on one more in the sixth before rain stopped play after seven. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 9–10 Series Opponent: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (7–12) Series Standing: Trail 0–4 April 24: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans suffered a fourth-straight defeat with a 5-2 loss to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, who claim a series win. The Woodpeckers took a 2-0 lead in the second and made it 3-0 after the sixth. The Pelicans scored on a wild pitch in the seventh but Fayetteville answered with two more in the eighth to make it 5-2. Myrtle Beach scored on a passed ball in the ninth but were unable to rally and ultimately fell 5-2. The Pelicans were held to just three hits offensively, going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: April 21 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): Cubs trail 1–0 Season Record: 11–10 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Lookouts lead 1–0 Season Record: 8–8 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds): Lead 1–0 Season Record: 9–4 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Fayetetville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros): Woodpeckers lead 1–0 Season Record: 9–7 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 11–10 Series Opponent: Louisville Bats (13–9) Series Standing: Trail 0–1 April 21: The Iowa Cubs opened their series with the Louisville Bats with a 10-3 defeat. The Bats jumped out to a 6-0 lead after four, thanks to a five-spot in the third, and held on the rest of the way. The Cubs scored all three of their runs in the home-half of the fourth, thanks to Dylan Carlson’s (1-for-4) three-run home run, his first of the season. BJ Murray went 3-for-4, extending his hitting streak to six games. Chas McCormick also posted a multi-hit effort, going 2-for-3. Paul Campbell took the loss in the start, allowing seven runs, six earned, over 4 2/3 innings of work, striking out two. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 8–8 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (13–3) Series Standing: Trail 0-1 April 21: The Knoxville Smokies were blanked in their series opener vs. the Chattanooga Lookouts, 4-0. The Lookouts scored all four of their runs in the second to claim their fifth-straight win. Andy Garriola and Karson Simas each posted two-hit nights. It was Garriola’s fourth two-hit performance in seven games. Nick Dean took the loss in the start, allowing four runs on five hits over three innings of work, picking up three strikeouts. Dawson Netz, Vince Reilly and Tyler Ras combined for six shutout innings in relief, yielding just three hits and whiffing six batters. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 9–4 Series Opponent: Dayton Dragons (9–4) Series Standing: Lead 1–0 April 21: The South Bend Cubs used a six-run rally in the ninth to earn a 16-10 shootout victory on Tuesday night. The Dragons took a 3-0 lead after two before the Cubs got on the board in the third through Christian Olivo’s solo blast, his first of the year. Dayton pushed the lead to 5-1 with two more runs in the bottom-half of the frame before South Bend posted two runs in the fifth, with Kade Snell (2-for-4) and Matt Halbach (2-for-6) picking up RBI knocks. Snell would later pick up another RBI on a sacrifice fly in the seventh, capping another two-run frame that would tie the contest at 5-5. The Cubs took their first lead of the ballgame with five runs in eighth, through an RBI-groundout from Justin Stransky (0-for-4), a three-run double from Cole Mathis (1-for-6) and an RBI-single from Snell, his third of the contest. Dayton would bring the game level with four runs in the home-half of the eighth but the Cubs erupted for six runs in ninth to put the game away. Stranksy was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give South Bend the lead and Halbech would put the contest out of reach with a three-run single to make it 16-10. Ethan Flanagan allowed one run on three hits over four innings of work, striking out four, and Ethan Bell would earn the win with two scoreless frames, allowing just one hit. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 9–7 Series Opponent: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (4–12) Series Standing: Trail 0–1 April 21: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans suffered a 6-2 defeat to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers to open their series on Tuesday night. The Woodpeckers took a 3-0 lead in the second and pushed their advantage to 4-0 with a run in the fourth. The Pelicans got on the board with a pair of runs in the seventh through RBI-singles from Josiah Hartshorn (2-for-5) and Michael Carico (1-for-4). Fayetteville would grab those runs right back in the home-half of the frame and would go on to earn the 6-2 win. Dominick Reid suffered the loss in the start, allowing three runs on five hits over three innings of work, picking up one strikeout. View full article

Cubs Affiliate Overview (April 14–16) Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): Cubs lead 2–1 Season Record: 10–7 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins): Smokies lead 2–1 Season Record: 7–5 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Beloit Sky Carp (Miami Marlins): Lead 3–0 Season Record: 7–2 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox): Pelicans lead 2–1 Season Record: 7–5 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 10–7 Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (9–9) Series Standing: Lead 2–1 April 14: The Iowa Cubs opened their series at the Columbus Clippers with an 8-1 victory. Connor Noland earned his first win of the season, tossing 5.0 innings on one-run ball, allowing just five hits to go along with six strikeouts and no walks. The Clippers jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the opening frame but the Cubs would take the lead for good in the second when James Triantos scored on a wild pitch. The I-Cubs would break the game open with five runs in the fifth, thanks to a two-run single from Pedro Ramírez and a two-run smash from Kevin Alcántara. The duo each went 2-for-5 in the contest with Alcántara’s home run marking his seventh of the campaign. The Iowa bullpen would turn in four scoreless frames as the staff as a whole would go on to register 10 strikeouts. April 15: The Cubs suffered a 9-4 defeat to the Clippers in the second game of the series. Iowa would jump out to a 3-0 lead in the second after a Justin Dean (1-for-5) double with two outs and would extend the lead to 4-0 with a run in the fourth but Columbus would score the next nine runs in the ballgame to earn the victory. Paul Campbell, making his organization debut in the start, allowed two runs over 4.0 innings of work, whiffing four batters and issuing no walks. April 16: The Cubs re-took the series lead with an 11-10 victory in extra innings over the Clippers. Iowa took a 5-0 lead after two, with Pedro Ramírez (4-for-6) driving in three of those runs, two of which coming on his fifth long ball of the year in the second. After Columbus got three runs back in their half of the second, Iowa plated two more in the third to make it 7-3. The Clippers would rally to cut the lead to 8-7 in the eighth and would send the game to extras with a run in the ninth. Ben Cowles (2-for-4) gave the I-Cubs the lead in the 10th with a sacrifice fly and Brett Bateman (2-for-5) and Ramírez each had RBI-singles to give Iowa an 11-8 edge. Columbus scored twice in the 10th but Iowa would hold on for the win. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 7–5 Series Opponent: Pensacola Blue Wahoos (3–8) Series Standing: Lead 2–1 April 14: The Knoxville Smokies opened their series at the Pensacola Blue Wahoos with a 5-1 defeat. The Smokies were held to just four hits in the ballgame, two of which came off the bat of Jordan Nwogu (2-for-3). Nwogu drove in Knoxville’s only run with his RBI-single in the third. Tyler Schlaffer took the loss on the mound in the start, allowing four runs on two hits over 2.0 innings of work, striking out two and walking three. Luis Rujano worked 2 2/3 scoreless frames out of the bullpen, picking up one strikeout. April 15: The Smokies bounced back on Wednesday with an 8-0 shutout victory over the Blue Wahoos. Four Knoxville pitchers combined to blank Pensacola, with Jace Beck claiming the victory in relief after spinning 2 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out six. The Smokies scored four times in the second, thanks to Ethan Hearn’s (2-for-4) two-run double and Alex Ramirez’ two-run single. Miguel Useche (1-for-1) launched his first homer of the year in the ninth as a pinch hitter. April 16: Knoxville claimed their first lead of the series with a 10-9 comeback victory over Pensacola. The Smokies took a 2-0 lead in the second through a solo shot from Edgar Alvarez (1-for-2) and an RBI-double from Andy Garriola (2-for-3) but the Blue Wahoos responded with three runs in the bottom half of the frame to take the lead. The hosts would add five more runs in the fifth to push their lead to 8-2. Knoxville would bring the contest level with six runs in the eighth, scoring two runs on wild pitches to begin the rally before drawing a bases-loaded walk to plate its third run of the inning. Alex Ramírez (1-for-4) would earn an RBI with a sacrifice fly followed by an RBI-single from Jordan Nwogu (1-for-6). Karson Simas (1-for-5) gave the Smokies the lead with an RBI-groundout. After the dramatic rally, the Blue Wahoos would score in eighth to re-claim their advantage but Knoxville rallied again with two in the ninth, with Ramirez driving in the go-ahead and tying runs with a base hit. Vince Reilly picked up his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth to give the Smokies the win. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 7–2 Series Opponent: Beloit Sky Carp (4–7) Series Standing: Lead 3–0 April 14: The South Bend Cubs earned their fourth-straight victory with a 5-1 victory over the Beloit Sky Carp in the series opener. Owen Ayers (2-for-4) slugged a two-run shot in the first, his third of the year, that would give the Cubs the lead for good in the ballgame. Brooks Caple improved to 2-0 on the season thanks to 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball, firing nine strikeouts while dealing no walks. After Beloit cut the lead to one in the sixth, South Bend added two more runs in the bottom half of the frame to restore its cushion. The Cubs added one more run in the seventh and cruised to a 5-1 win. The South Bend pitching staff limited Beloit to just two hits in the contest, racking up 13 punchouts. April 15: The Cubs pushed their winning streak to five games with a 9-5 win over the Sky Carp on Wednesday. Beloit would take a 3-0 before South Bend stepped to the plate but the hosts hit back with two runs in the inning, thanks to an RBI-triple from Leonel Espinoza (1-for-4) and a Kade Snell (1-for-4) RBI-groundout. The Cubs would take a 4-3 lead after runs in the second and third but the visitors grabbed the lead right back after scoring twice in the top of the fourth. South Bend would take the lead for good after plating two runs in the home half of the fourth on Snell’s two-run single. Snell would pick up his fourth RBI of the night on a sacrifice fly in the sixth and Ayers would go deep again in the eighth to make it 9-5 Cubs. Ethan Bell picked up the win in relief, blanking the Sky Carp over 1 2/3 frames, while Ethan Flanagan earned a save by tossing four shutout innings to close the game, whiffing seven batters. April 16: South Bend continued its torrid start to the season with a 7-5 triumph over Beloit to claim at least a series split and push its winning streak to six games. The Cubs used a four-run outburst in the third to take control of the game, with Reginald Preciado (1-for-4) and Justin Stransky (1-for-4) each picking up run-scoring hits in the inning.After the Sky Carp clawed one back in the fourth, Iowa hit back with two more runs thanks to Owen Ayer’s (2-for-5) two-run blast. Nazier Mulé took no decision in the start, allowing one run on four hits over 3 1/3 innings of work, striking out four. Brayden Spears picked up the win in relief to improve to 1-0 on the season and Kenyi Perez worked two scoreless frames to close out the contest and earn his first save of the season. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 7–5 Series Opponent: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (3–9) Series Standing: Lead 2–1 April 14: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans opened their series against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers with a 4-0 shutout victory to snap a four-game losing skid. Hayden Frank worked four scoreless frames in his start, striking out three. Mason McGwire earned the win in relief after twirling three shutout innings, whiffing five batters. Cole Mathis (1-for-4) slugged a three-run shot in the third, his fourth of the season and Alexey Lumpuy picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. April 15: The Pelicans took a 2-0 series advantage with a 5-4 walk-off victory in 10 innings over the Cannon Ballers. Myrtle Beach took a 2-0 lead its first time to the plate thanks to a two-run blast with Cole Mathis (4-for-5) his fifth of the season. After Kannapolis evened the ballgame with two in the third, the Pelicans grabbed those runs right back with two more runs, thanks to another two-run shot from Mathis. The Cannon Ballers would score a run in each the fourth and eighth innings, tying the game at 4-4. The Pelicans would keep Kannapolis off the board in the 10th and Jose Escobar’s (3-for-4) RBI-single in the home half of the frame delivered the win. April 16: Myrtle Beach had its brief two-game winning streak snapped with a 9-4 defeat to Kannapolis. The Pelicans were held to just four hits and were led at the plate offensively by Josiah Hartshorn, who went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Noah Edders took the defeat in his start, allowing one run over three innings of work, striking out five while issuing just one walk. View full article

Cubs Affiliate Overview (September 18-19) Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): Mud Hens Lead 3-1 Season Record: 74-73 Double-A Knoxville Smokies 2025 Season Record: 69-67 High-A South Bend Cubs 2025 Season Record: 56–75 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans 2025 Season Record: 68–60 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 74–73 Series Opponent: Toledo Mud Hens (82–66) Series Standing: Trail 3-1 Sept. 18: The Iowa Cubs and Toledo Mud Hens were tied 4-4 heading into the ninth inning but the visitors exploded for six runs in the top half of the frame to hand the Cubs a 10-4 defeat. Dixon Machado went 2-for-5 and drove in two runs while Chase Strumpf went 1-for-4 with a home run, his 13th of the season. Keegan Thompson worked two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out three batters and giving up just one hit. Sept. 19: The I-Cubs bounced back from Thursday’s defeat with a 1-0 shutout victory of the Mud Hens. Nicky Lopez (2-for-4) hit a go-ahead RBI-triple with two outs in the eighth to put Iowa in front. Walker Powell, making his season debut at the Triple-A level, did not factor into the decision despite his quality start. Powell allowed just three hits over six scoreless frames, punching out five batters without issuing a walk. Ryan Brasier turned in a scoreless seventh and Ethan Roberts picked up the win by tossing the final two innings, allowing three hits and whiffing two. All other minor league affiliates of the Cubs are finished with their respective seasons. Only Myrtle Beach made the playoffs, where they lost to the Columbia Fireflies in the first round. View full article