CBT847

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report (September 5) Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): Clippers lead, 3-1 Season Record: 57–76-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 69–60 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins): Cubs lead, 4-0 Season Record: 76–50 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Pelicans lead, 3-1 Season Record: 50–77 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 57–76-1 Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (72-61) Series Standing: Trail, 3-1 Sept. 4: The Iowa Cubs dropped their contest to the Columbus Clippers, 7-1, on Friday night at Huntington Park. Ben Cowles (2-for-4) put the Cubs in front with an RBI-double in the third but the Clippers immediately grabbed the lead for good with two runs in the home half of the frame. Columbus would then put the game away with two runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to cruise to the win. Braxton Garrett got the start on the mound for Iowa and took the loss, falling to 5-6 on the season. Garrett allowed two runs on three hits over 4 2/3 innings of work, walked three and struck out five. Edward Cabrera made his second rehab appearance with the I-Cubs, again coming out of the bullpen, and gave up four runs on three hits in just 2/3 of an inning, walked two and whiffed one. Cowles’ two hits were the only hits from the Iowa offense in the ballgame, as they took just two at-bats with runners in scoring position, going 0-for-2. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 69–60 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (58–72) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 Sept. 4: The Knoxville Smokies evened their series vs. the Chattanooga Lookouts with an 8-3 victory on Friday night at Covenant Health Park. Alex Ramírez (1-for-5) led off the game with a solo blast, his 14th of the season, to give the Smokies an early lead but the Lookouts quickly tied the game with a run in the second. Knoxville went back in front in the third on Edgar Alvarez’ (1-for-3) RBI-double but again Chattanooga had an answer with a run in the fourth to make it 2-2. The visitors would take the lead with a run in the sixth but the Smokies scored three runs in the home half of the frame to make it 5-3. Alex Madera (4-for-4) doubled home a pair and came around to score on Drew Bowser’s (1-for-4) RBI-single. Miguel Useche’s (1-for-3) RBI-double and Ariel Armas’ (1-for-4) RBI-groundout in the seventh made it 7-3 and Karson Simas added to the lead with an RBI-double in the eighth to make it 8-3. Luis Martinez-Gomez got the start on the mound for Knoxville and took no decision. Martinez-Gomez allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits over three innings of work, walked two and struck out three. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 76–50 Series Opponent: Cedar Rapids Kernels (47–81) Series Standing: Lead, 4-0 Sept. 4: The South Bend Cubs earned a series victory by winning their fourth-straight game over the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 14-3, on Friday night at Four Winds Field. The Cubs took a 4-0 lead in the first, highlighted by a two-run double from Alexey Lumpuy (5-for-5). Justin Stransky (0-for-1) made it 5-0 in the third with his second sacrifice fly of the ballgame. The Kernels made it 5-3 after scoring twice in the fourth and one more in the fifth but South Bend broke the game open with seven runs in the seventh. Kade Snell (1-for-5) started the scoring with a fielder’s-choice RBI and Matt Halbach (2-for-3) drew a walk with the bases loaded two batters later to bring in a run. Lumpuy picked up an RBI on a single, which was followed by another bases-loaded walk, this time drawn by Stransky. Brennan Hudson (1-for-5) then delivered the biggest hit of the inning, a bases-clearing double to bring home three runs. The Cubs added two more in the eighth, as Lumpuy tallied hit No. 5 and RBI No. 4 on a double and Stransky earned his fourth RBI of the ballgame on his third sacrifice fly to make it 14-3. Alfredo Romero got the start on the mound for the Cubs and took no decision. Romero allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits over 3 1/3 innings of work, walked three and struck out four. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 50–77 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (64–65) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 Sept. 4: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans earned at least a series split by winning their third-straight game over the Columbia Fireflies, 7-2, on Friday night at Pelicans Ballpark. The Fireflies took a 2-0 lead in the first but the Pelicans were able to cut that lead in half with a run in the second on Ivan Cespedes’ (0-for-3) RBI-groundout. Juan Tomas’ (1-for-4) first-career home run in the fifth made it 2-2. Myrtle Beach then took the lead for good with five runs in the seventh to make it 7-2. Darlyn De Leon (1-for-5) put the Pelicans in front with an RBI-single and came around to score on Alexis Hernandez’ (1-for-3) two-run single. Corey Nunez added a run on an RBI-fielder’s choice, with another run scoring on an error on the play. Riely Hunsaker got the start on the mound for Myrtle Beach and took no decision. Hunsaker allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits over five innings of work, walked two and struck out four. Luis Mata and Victor Zarraga each tossed two shutout innings in relief and neither allowed a hit. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report (September 2) Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): Clippers lead, 1-0 Season Record: 56–74-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Smokies lead, 1-0 Season Record: 68–58 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 73–50 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Fireflies lead, 1-0 Season Record: 47–77 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 56–74-1 Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (70-60) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 Sept. 1: The Iowa Cubs opened their series at the Columbus Clippers with a 7-6 defeat on Tuesday night at Huntington Park. Justin Dean’s (0-for-3) sacrifice fly in the second gave the Cubs the lead but the Clippers responded with two runs in the home half of the frame to go in front 2-1. Columbus added another run in the fourth but Iowa hit back with a three-spot in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead. Two would score, one via error, on Owen Miller’s triple (3-for-5), and one would score on Jordan Nwogu’s (3-for-5) double. The I-Cubs made it 6-3 in the sixth when Miller doubled home a run and Owen Ayers (1-for-4) followed with an RBI-single. The Clippers cut the lead to two by scoring a run in the home half of the sixth and would eventually go ahead with three runs in the eighth to make it 7-6. The Cubs would get the tying run to third in the ninth but could not bring the runner home. Kohl Franklin got the start on the mound for Iowa and took no decision. Franklin allowed three runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings of work, walked three and struck out two. Edward Cabrera, making his first rehab appearance with the Cubs since being placed on the IL on Aug. 17, allowed a solo home run in his inning in relief and whiffed two. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 68–58 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (56–71) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 Sept. 1: The Knoxville Smokies opened their series vs. the Chattanooga Lookouts with a 12-3 victory on Tuesday night at Covenant Health Park. The Smokies broke the deadlock in the third thanks to a three-run homer from Carter Trice (1-for-4). The Lookouts cut the lead to one by scoring twice in the sixth but Knoxville was able to put up a four spot in the bottom of the inning to make it 7-2. Drew Bowser (0-for-2) worked a walk with the bases loaded and then Karson Simas (2-for-3) followed with a bases-clearing triple. Chattanooga pulled another run back in the eighth but the Smokies responded with five more in the home half of the frame to put the contest out of reach. Alex Ramírez (1-for-5) brought home three on a double and then came around to score on Miguel Useche’s (1-for-5) RBI-single. Edgar Alvarez (1-for-2) then made it 12-3 with an RBI-double. Kevin Valdez got the start on the mound for Knoxville and earned the win to improve to 2-1 on the season. Valdez allowed two runs on two hits over five innings of work, walked two and struck out seven. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 73–50 Series Opponent: Cedar Rapids Kernels (47–78) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 Sept. 1: The South Bend Cubs started their final series of the regular season with an 8-4 triumph over the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field. The Kernels took a 1-0 lead in the first and then doubled their advantage with a run in the third. The Cubs responded with three in the home half of the third to take the lead. Angel Cepeda (3-for-4) singled home a run and Jose Escobar (1-for-4) followed two batters later with a two-run double. Cedar Rapids made it 3-3 with a run in the fourth but South Bend would take the lead for good in the ballgame with three runs in the fifth. Kade Snell (2-for-4) got the scoring started with an RBI-triple and came around to score on Cepeda’s two-run shot that made it 6-3. The Kernels pulled one back in the sixth but solo shots from Josiah Hartshorn (2-for-3) and Cepeda in the eighth made it 8-4, putting the contest out of reach. Hartshorn’s blast was his 18th at High-A and 23rd overall on the season. The Cubs’ sixth round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft upped his RBI tally with South Bend to 82, which sets a new franchise record, needing just 78 games to reach that mark. Jostin Florentino got the start on the mound for the Cubs and took no decision. Florentino allowed three runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings of work, walked one and struck out four. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 47–77 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (64–62) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 Sept. 1: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans opened their final series of the 2026 season with a 13-6 defeat to the Columbia Fireflies on Tuesday night at Pelicans Ballpark. The Pelicans took a 1-0 lead in the first on a wild pitch but the Fireflies would take a 6-1 lead in the contest by scoring three times in both the third and fourth innings. Myrtle Beach made it 6-3 in the fourth through an RBI-triple from Eli Lovich (1-for-2) and an RBI-single from Alexis Hernandez (3-for-4). The Fireflies made it 10-3 by scoring once in the fifth and three more times in the sixth. Derniche Valdez (2-for-4) singled home a run in the sixth but Columbia got that run right back in the seventh to make it 11-4. The visitors then added two more in the eighth before Hernandez launched a solo home run later in the inning and Corey Nunez (2-for-5) picked up an RBI-single in the ninth that made it 13-6. Jubrayker Salaya got the start on the mound for the Pelicans and took the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season. Salaya allowed three runs on five hits over three innings of work, struck out five and walked none. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - August 31 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 56–73-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 67–58 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 72–50 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): GreenJackets win, 4-2 Season Record: 47–76 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 56–73-1 Series Opponent: Omaha Storm Chasers (59-70) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 Aug. 30: The Iowa Cubs dropped their series finale to the Omaha Storm Chasers, 3-1, on Sunday at Principal Park. James Triantos (2-for-4) gave the Cubs the lead in the fourth with a solo home run, his ninth of the season, but the Storm Chasers got that run right back in the fifth to make it 1-1. Javier Assad got the start on the mound for Iowa and took no decision. Assad allowed one run on three hits over 5 1/3 innings of work, struck out five batters and walked none. Tyler Ferguson and Jaxon Wiggins combined for 2 1/3 shutout innings in relief, allowed one hit and whiffed one to get the contest to the ninth tied, but Omaha scored twice to up 3-1 late. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 67–58 Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (59–63) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 Aug. 30: The Knoxville Smokies earned a series split with the Biloxi Shuckers following a 12-2 victory on Sunday at Keesler Federal Park. Edgar Alvarez (3-for-5) opened the scoring with a solo home run in the second, his 11th of the season, before the Smokies made it 6-0 with five runs in the third. Alex Ramírez (1-for-4) singled home a run and came around to score on Alvarez’s two-run single. Alex Madera (2-for-4) capped the scoring in the frame with a two-run triple. The Shuckers scored both of their runs in the home half of the third, but Knoxville would make it 10-2 with four more runs in the sixth. Dom Krupinski (1-for-2) doubled home two and Miguel Useche (3-for-4) singled home two more. Alvarez then picked up his fourth RBI of the contest in the ninth on an RBI-single, and Ariel Armas (1-for-3) put one more on the board with a sacrifice fly to make it 12-2. Connor Schultz got the start on the mound for the Smokies and took no decision. Schultz allowed two runs on six hits over four innings of work, struck out four without a walk being issued. Yenrri Rojas picked up the win in relief to improve to 5-6 on the season. Rojas allowed one hit over two scoreless innings, walked one and whiffed one. The Knoxville offense tallied 11 hits in the ballgame, with five going for extra bases. The offense also went 7-for-13 with runners in scoring position. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 72–50 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (65–56) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 Aug. 30: The South Bend Cubs dropped their series finale to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 11-10, on Sunday at Neuroscience Group Field to split the six-game set. Josiah Hartshorn (1-for-2) opened the scoring in the ballgame with a sacrifice fly in the third, but the Timber Rattlers scored twice in the home half of the frame to take the lead. The Cubs re-took the lead in the fourth thanks to Logan Poteet’s (3-for-4) two-run shot to make it 3-2. Alexey Lumpuy (3-for-5) and Leonel Espinoza (2-for-4) each picked up RBI-singles in the sixth to make it a 5-2 game. Wisconsin responded with two runs to cut South Bend’s lead to one but Lumpuy would drive in three runs with a bases-clearing triple to make it 8-4 in the seventh. The Cubs could not turn in a shutdown inning as the Timber Rattlers scored twice after the stretch and then took an 11-8 lead after scoring five times in the eighth. South Bend scored twice in the ninth, thanks to back-to-back solo shots from Poteet and Lumpuy but were unable to keep the rally going, eventually falling 11-10. Anhuar Garcia got the start on the mound for the Cubs and took no decision. Garcia allowed two runs on six hits over four innings of work and struck out five batters with no walks issued. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 47–76 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (68–57) Series Standing: Lose, 4-2 Aug. 30: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their series finale to the Augusta GreenJackets, 10-8, on Sunday at SRP Park. Alexis Hernandez (3-for-4) gave the Pelicans a 1-0 lead in the first, which was later doubled in the frame when Jhoander Irigoyen (1-for-3) scored on a wild pitch. The GreenJackets cut the lead in half with a run in the second but Myrtle Beach got that run right back in the third when Eli Lovich (1-for-4) doubled in a run. Hernandez and Darniche Valdez (2-for-4) each launched solo shots in the sixth to give the Pelicans a 5-1 lead. Myrtle Beach starter Freddy Rodriguez, who eventually took no decision, allowed just one run over four innings of work, gave up two hits, walked three and struck out five. Fenuel James turned in three shutout innings in relief, retiring all nine batters he faced, three via strikeout. In the eighth, Daryln De Leon (1-for-4) and Valdez both went deep with solo shots, giving the Pelicans an 8-1 lead and seemingly putting the ballgame out of reach. But Augusta would stun the visitors with nine runs in the eighth to go ahead 10-8 late. Myrtle Beach would go down in order in the ninth to end the game. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals): Cubs lead, 3-1 Season Record: 55–72-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 66–57 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 71–49 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): GreenJackets lead, 3-1 Season Record: 46–75 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 55–72-1 Series Opponent: Omaha Storm Chasers (58-69) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 Aug. 28: The Iowa Cubs clinched at least a series split with a 4-3 walk-off victory, in 10 innings, over the Omaha Storm Chasers on Friday night at Principal Park. The two teams traded runs in the first, with the Cubs getting their run on a BJ Murray (2-for-5) solo shot, his 15th of the season. Iowa then went in front 2-1 in the second when Hayden Cantrelle (1-for-3) doubled home a run. The I-Cubs would keep that lead through six innings thanks to 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball from starter Jordan Wicks. Wicks, who would eventually take no decision, allowed seven hits to go along with two walks and two strikeouts. Relievers Shelby Miller and Luis Peralta then combined for 1 2/3 frames of shutout ball, did not allow a hit and whiffed two batters. Omaha would then tie it in the seventh and the game would go to the 10th as neither side found a breakthrough in the eighth or ninth. The Storm Chasers would score once in the 10th and the Cubs would load the bases with one out in their chance in the final frame. Iowa tied the game on a balk and then Ben Cowles (2-for-5) completed the comeback with an RBI-single to make it 4-3. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 66–57 Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (58–62) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 Aug. 28: The Knoxville Smokies evened their series at the Biloxi Shuckers with a 3-1 victory on Friday night at Keesler Federal Park. The Smokies would score first in the ballgame in the fourth when Ariel Armas (2-for-4) launched a solo home run, his sixth of the season. The Shuckers would tie the game in the fifth before Knoxville would go back in front in the ninth with a pair of runs to make it 3-1, thanks to Andy Garriola’s (1-for-4) two-run single. Garriola now has 80 RBI on the season, good for fifth most in the Southern League. Biloxi would bring the winning run to the plate in the ninth but Tyler Ras would come out of the bullpen to retire the lone batter he faced and earn his seventh save of the campaign and seal the win for the Smokies. Dawson Netz got the start on the mound for Knoxville and took no decision. Netz spun five innings of one-run ball, allowed four hits to go along with one walk and seven strikeouts. Marino Santy and Frankie Scalzo Jr. combined for 3 2/3 scoreless frames in relief, did not allow a hit and whiffed six batters. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 71–49 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (64–55) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 Aug. 28: The South Bend Cubs evened their series at the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers with a dramatic 10-7 comeback victory on Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field. The Timber Rattlers took an early 7-0 lead after plating three runs in the first and four more in the seventh. The Cubs started their rally with a run in the fourth on a Logan Poteet (2-for-5) RBI-single and then made it 7-4 when Josiah Hartshorn (1-for-4) launched a three-run shot, his 17th long ball at High-A on the season. Edwardo Melendez kept South Bend in the contest thanks to 2 2/3 scoreless frames in relief, allowing one hit and walking one. Trailing by three heading into the ninth, Brennan Hudson (1-for-2) would start the comeback with a two-out single to keep the Cubs alive. A Geuri Lubo (3-for-4) single and an intentional walk to Hartshorn would load the bases, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate. Jose Escobar (0-for-4) and Angel Cepeda (0-for-3) would both draw walks to make it 7-6. Kade Snell (2-for-3) then gave South Bend the lead with a two-run single and Poteet would tack on some insurance runs with a two-run single of his own to make it 10-7. Cole Reynolds would turn in a 1-2-3 ninth to earn the win, improving to 4-2 on the season, and complete his 3 1/3 scoreless outing out of the bullpen. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 46–75 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (67–56) Series Standing: Trail, 3-1 Aug. 28: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their third-straight contest as they were blanked by the Augusta GreenJackets, 8-0, on Friday night at SRP Park. The Green Jackets took a 3-0 lead in the second and never looked back, eventually scoring two in the fifth and three more in the sixth. The Pelicans were held to just two hits in the ballgame, with Jhoander Irigoyen (1-for-3) and Derik Alcantara (1-for-3) picking up the knocks. Myrtle Beach starter Luis Mata took the loss on the mound, falling to 0-2 on the season. Mata allowed three runs on two hits over two innings of work, walked three and struck out two. Sam Mettert was a bright spot out of the bullpen, allowing three hits over 1 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out three and walking none. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals): Storm Chasers lead, 1-0 Season Record: 52–72-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Smokies lead, 1-0 Season Record: 65–55 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Timber Rattlers lead, 1-0 Season Record: 69–48 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): Pelicans lead, 1-0 Season Record: 46–72 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 52–72-1 Series Opponent: Omaha Storm Chasers (58-66) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 Aug. 25: The Iowa Cubs dropped their series opener to the Omaha Storm Chasers, 9-6, on Tuesday night at Principal Park. BJ Murray (3-for-5) got the Cubs on the board in the first with an RBI-triple but the Storm Chasers would eventually make it a 3-1 game after evening the score in the second and going ahead with two in the third. Omaha then made it an 8-1 game by scoring once in the seventh and four more in the eighth. In the home half of the eighth, Murray doubled home a pair of runs to make it 8-3 but the Storm Chasers would get one of those runs back in the ninth to push their lead back to six. Iowa would score three times in its final trip to the plate, on a run-scoring single from Murray and a two-run single from Chas McCormick (1-for-3), but could not rally any further. Javier Assad got the start on the mound for the I-Cubs and took the loss, falling to 0-3 on the season. Assad allowed three runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings of work, walked two and struck out two. Hoby Milner made his 10th appearance on his rehab assignment with the Cubs and worked a perfect sixth inning. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 65–55 Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (56–61) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 Aug. 25: The Knoxville Smokies opened their series at the Biloxi Shuckers with a 9-4 victory on Tuesday night at Keesler Federal Park. Carter Trice (2-for-4) gave the Smokies a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI-single and Andy Garriola (3-for-6) doubled the lead with an RBI-single in the second. The Shuckers pulled one back in the second but Knoxville made it 4-1 with a pair of runs in the third, scoring one on an error and another on a sacrifice fly from Alex Madera (3-for-3). Biloxi would eventually make it a 4-4 game after scoring one run in the third, fourth and fifth innings. The Smokies re-took the lead with a three-spot in the sixth thanks to a run scoring on a passed ball, an RBI-single from Miguel Useche (3-for-6) and a sacrifice fly from Ariel Armas (1-for-5). Kane Kepley (1-for-3) put the game away with a two-run homer in the ninth, his third at Double-A, to make it 9-4. Kevin Valdez got the start on the mound for Knoxville and took no decision. Valdez allowed three runs on five hits over four innings of work, walked three and struck out one. Tyler Ras tossed two scoreless frames in relief, retiring all six batters he faced, including two via strikeout. The Smokies offense amassed 14 hits on the night, with three batters turning in three-hit performances. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 69–48 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (63–53) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 Aug. 25: The South Bend Cubs opened their series at the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers with a 4-3 defeat on Tuesday night at Neuroscience Group Field. The Timber Rattlers took a 2-0 lead in their first trip to the plate but the Cubs were able to answer back with two in the third thanks to a solo shot from Alexey Lumpuy (2-for-4) and a sacrifice fly from Angel Cepeda (0-for-3). Wisconsin would make it 4-2 after scoring one run in each of the fifth and seventh innings. Josiah Hartshorn (1-for-4) blasted a solo home run in the ninth to cut the lead to one but the late South Bend rally would be halted. Jostin Florentino got the start on the mound for the Cubs and was handed the loss, dropping his record to 1-4 on the season. Florentino allowed three runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings of work, walked one and struck out six. Edwardo Melendez turned in 1 2/3 shutout innings out of the bullpen and allowed one hit to go along with two walks and two strikeouts. Hartshorn’s solo shot was his 16th at High-A and his 21st across all levels. The Cubs’ No. 1 prospect (North Side Baseball) also reached the 100 RBI mark on the season, reaching that total in 111 games (39 with Myrtle Beach, 72 South Bend). Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 46–72 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (64–56) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 Aug. 25: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans snapped their six-game losing skid with a 5-4 series-opening victory at the Augusta GreenJackets on Tuesday night at SRP Park. The Green Jackets scored a run in the first before the Pelicans evened the contest with a run in the third thanks to a solo blast from Darlyn De Leon (3-for-4), his second of the season. Myrtle Beach then took a 3-1 lead in the fourth through RBI-singles from Corey Nunez (1-for-2) and De Leon. Augusta would eventually make it a 3-3 contest after pushing runs across in the fifth and sixth innings. Juan Luis Reyes (1-for-4) came up with the biggest swing in the ballgame when he singled home a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to give the Pelicans the lead. The Green Jackets would score once in their final trip to the plate but Jordan Henriquez was able to end the rally and earn the win to improve to 3-4 on the season. Henriquez tossed 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball to end the game, allowed four hits and struck out four. Jubrayker Salaya got the start on the mound for Myrtle Beach and took no decision. Salaya turned in four innings of one-run ball, gave up two hits, walked three and whiffed four. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Toledo MudHens (Detroit Tigers): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 52–71-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins): Blue Wahoos win, 4-1 Season Record: 64–55 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 69–47 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros): Woodpeckers win, 6-0 Season Record: 45–72 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 52–71-1 Series Opponent: Toledo Mud Hens (58-67) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 Aug. 23: The Iowa Cubs earned a series win by winning their fourth-straight contest over the Toledo Mud Hens, a 4-2 triumph on Sunday at Fifth Third Field. Both teams were held scoreless through the first four innings of the ballgame before Justin Dean (1-for-5) broke the deadlock with an RBI-single in the fifth. Matt Shaw (1-for-3) made it 2-0 on an RBI-double in the seventh, which was followed by a two-run shot from Chas McCormick (2-for-4) to make it 4-0. The Mud Hens cut the lead in half by scoring twice in the eighth but Eduarniel Núñez was able to convert the four-out save, his third save of the season, to seal the win. Braxton Garrett got the start on the mound for Iowa and earned the win to improve to 5-5 on the year. Garrett twirled five scoreless frames, allowed just two hits to go along with one walk and seven strikeouts. Jaxon Wiggins turned in a scoreless inning in relief, walking one and whiffing two. Wiggins has now turned in four-straight scoreless frames over his last four relief appearances and has yet to allow a hit during that span. The Cubs’ No. 3 prospect (North Side Baseball) has whiffed two batters in three of those outings. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 64–55 Series Opponent: Pensacola Blue Wahoos (69–50) Series Standing: Lose, 4-1 Aug. 23: The Knoxville Smokies dropped their series finale to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 4-3, on Sunday at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The Blue Wahoos opened the scoring with two runs in the second and would make it 3-0 after scoring another in the third. Miguel Useche (1-for-4) got the Smokies on the board in the fourth with a solo shot, his fifth of the season, and Andy Garriola (1-for-4) brought Knoxville within one on an RBI-groundout in the sixth. Pensacola made it 4-2 with a run in the sixth but Alex Ramírez (0-for-4) made it a one-run game again by drawing a walk with the bases loaded. The Smokies would get the tying run to third base in the ninth but were unable to come up with the decisive hit. Dawson Netz got the start on the mound for Knoxville and was handed the loss, falling to 6-4 on the season. Netz allowed three runs on three hits over three innings of work, walked two and struck out two. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 69–47 Series Opponent: West Michigan Whitecaps (55–63) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 Aug. 23: The South Bend Cubs earned a series win over the West Michigan Whitecaps with a 3-2 walk-off victory on Sunday at Four Winds Field. The Cubs broke the deadlock in the third when Michael Hallquist (0-for-2) brought home a run with a sacrifice fly. The Whitecaps got that run back in the fourth but South Bend grabbed the lead right back in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly from Geuri Lubo (0-for-3). West Michigan tied it again with a run in the seventh to make it 2-2. Cubs starter Anhuar Garcia would take no decision in the ballgame after allowing one run on three hits over five innings of work, striking out four without issuing a walk. Noah Edders spun three innings of one-run ball in relief, keeping the contest tied heading into the ninth. Luis Rujano worked a perfect ninth inning to set up South Bend’s walk off. Jose Escobar earned a pinch-hit walk to start the frame and headed to third on Josiah Hartshorn’s (1-for-3) single. Angel Cepeda (2-for-5) followed by driving a 2-0 pitch into left field, bringing home Escobar to earn the win. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 45–72 Series Opponent: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (64–53) Series Standing: Lose, 6-0 Aug. 23: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were swept in their six-game series vs. the Fayetteville Woodpeckers after dropping both contests in Sunday’s doubleheader at Pelicans Ballpark. The Pelicans fell in the opener, 6-2, before suffering a 6-1 defeat in the nightcap. Game 1: Myrtle Beach dropped the opening contest of its twinbill, 6-2, to Fayetteville on Sunday at Pelicans Ballpark. The Pelicans got on the board in the second on a wild pitch but the Woodpeckers would take a 4-1 lead after scoring twice in both the fourth and fifth innings. Juan Cabada (1-for-4) pulled a run back in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI-single but Fayetteville would put the game away with two runs in the seventh to make it 6-2. Riely Hunsaker got the start on the mound for Myrtle Beach and took the loss, falling to 4-4 on the season. Hunsaker allowed four runs on three hits over four innings of work, walked two and struck out five. Game 2: The Pelicans dropped the doubleheader nightcap, 6-1, seeing their losing streak extend to six games. The Woodpeckers took a 1-0 lead in the first and made it 2-0 with a run in the fourth. Myrtle Beach picked up their lone tally of the contest in the fourth, on a solo blast from Caden Sorrell (1-for-3), but Fayetteville would score four times in the sixth to make it 6-1 and put the ballgame out of reach. Fredd Rodriguez got the start on the mound for the Pelicans and took the loss, falling to 0-3 on the season. Rodriguez allowed two runs on four hits over five innings of work and whiffed four batters without a walk being issued. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Toledo MudHens (Detroit Tigers): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 50–70-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins): Blue Wahoos lead, 2-1 Season Record: 64–53 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 67–47 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros): Woodpeckers lead, 4-0 Season Record: 45–70 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 50–70-1 Series Opponent: Toledo Mud Hens (58-65) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 Aug. 21: The Iowa Cubs evened their series at the Toledo Mud Hens with an 8-3 victory on Friday night at Fifth Third Field. The Mud Hens opened the scoring with two runs in the second but the Cubs would rally to take the lead with five runs in the fourth. James Triantos (1-for-3) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, which was then followed by Ben Cowles (1-for-4) drawing a walk. Justin Dean (1-for-4) drew a bases-loaded walk of his own two batters later to give Iowa the lead and Matt Shaw (2-for-4) singled home a pair to make it 5-2. Jordan Nwogu (1-for-5) then made it 6-2 in the sixth with an RBI-single. The I-Cubs then added a run in the seventh, on a wild pitch, and another in the ninth, a Cowles RBI-single, to go up 8-2. Toledo managed to pull one run back in the ninth to make it 8-3. Grant Kipp picked up the win in relief for the Cubs to improve to 2-0 on the season. Kipp tossed three scoreless frames, allowed three hits, walked one and struck out seven. Hoby Milner, making his eighth rehab start with Iowa, turned in a scoreless inning of work, allowed one hit and whiffed one batter. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 64–53 Series Opponent: Pensacola Blue Wahoos (67–50) Series Standing: Trail, 2-1 Aug. 21: The Knoxville Smokies dropped their contest to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 6-3, on Friday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Ariel Armas (1-for-4) gave the Smokies the lead in the first with an RBI-single and run-scoring knocks from Edgar Alvarez (2-for-4) and Carter Trice (2-for-3) in the fourth made it 3-0. The Blue Wahoos pulled one of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth and rallied for four runs in the fifth to take a 5-3 lead. Pensacola would push one more run across in the seventh to make it a 6-3 ballgame and would prevent Knoxville from mounting a comeback. Jackson Brockett got the start on the mound for the Smokies and took no decision. Brockett worked four innings of one-run ball, allowed four hits, walked one and struck out five. Yenrri Rojas allowed one unearned run over two innings of work, yielded one hit and punched out two. Cubs No. 5 prospect Kane Kepley (North Side Baseball) went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to eight games. During that span, Kepley has posted a slash of .345/.472/.586 with nine runs scored, two doubles, a triple, one home run, seven RBI and five walks. The Cubs second round selection in the 2025 MLB Draft has hit safely in 10 of his first 12 Double-A contests. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 67–47 Series Opponent: West Michigan Whitecaps (55–61) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 Aug. 21: The South Bend Cubs evened their series vs. the West Michigan Whitecaps with a 7-5 victory on Friday night at Four Winds Field. Angel Cepeda (1-for-4) opened the scoring in the ballgame with an RBI-triple in the third, which was followed by an RBI-double from Jose Escobar (1-for-4) and the Cubs plating a third run in the frame on a double play groundout. Alexey Lumpuy (2-for-3) made it 4-0 in the fourth with a solo blast, his first-career home run at the High-A level. The Whitecaps made it a one-run game with a three-spot in the seventh but South Bend got all those runs back after the stretch to restore their four-run advantage, thanks to a three-run shot from Brennan Hudson (1-for-3). West Michigan scored twice more in the eighth to make it 7-5 but Ethan Bell shut the visitors down in the ninth to pick up his eighth save of the season to seal the win for the Cubs. Cole Reynolds got the start on the mound for South Bend and took no decision. Reynolds spun four scoreless frames, allowing four hits to go along with six strikeouts and no walks. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 45–70 Series Opponent: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (62–53) Series Standing: Trail, 4-0 Aug. 21: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were routed by the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, 12-3, on Friday night at Pelicans Ballpark. The Woodpeckers took a 1-0 lead in the second but the Pelicans were able to respond in the third to take the lead, thanks to Juan Cabada’s (2-for-4) two-run shot. Fayetteville would score the next 10 runs in the ballgame to go ahead 11-2, scoring twice in the fourth and fifth, and three times in the sixth and eighth. Alexis Hernandez (1-for-4) picked up an RBI-single in the eighth before the Woodpeckers added one more in the ninth to make it 12-3. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Toledo MudHens (Detroit Tigers): Mud Hens lead, 1-0 Season Record: 48–70-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins): Game suspended Season Record: 63–51 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 66–45 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros): Woodpeckers lead, 1-0 Season Record: 45–67 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 48–70-1 Series Opponent: Toledo Mud Hens (57-63) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 Aug. 18: The Iowa Cubs dropped Tuesday night’s series opener at the Toledo Mud Hens, 9-2, at Fifth Third Field. Chas McCormick (2-for-2) gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI-single but the Mud Hens quickly made it 5-1 by scoring three in the second and two in the third. Toledo plated another run in the seventh to make it 6-1 before McCormick launched a solo shot in the eighth, his 11th of the season, to make it 6-2. The hosts added three more in the home half of the eighth to make it 9-2. Braxton Garrett, making his second start since being acquired by the Cubs, wears handed the loss, falling to 4-5 on the season. Garrett allowed five runs on six hits over four innings of work, walked one and struck out five. Tyler Santana tossed two shutout frames in relief, giving up one hit and punching out one. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 63–51 Series Opponent: Pensacola Blue Wahoos (65–49) Series Standing: Game suspended Aug. 18: The Knoxville Smokies had their series opener on Tuesday night at the Pensacola Blue Wahoos suspended due to rain in top of the second inning, with the Smokies leading 9-0. Knoxville scored all their runs in the first, with Alex Ramírez (1-for-1) opening the scoring with a two-run single. Edgar Alvarez (1-for-1) followed with a two-run single of his own two batters later to make it 4-0. Alex Madera (0-for-1) picked up an RBI on a groundout, which was then followed by a Drew Bowser (1-for-1) RBI-single to make it 6-0. Andy Garriola (2-for-2) put the exclamation point on the opening frame with a three-run shot to make it 9-0, his 21st home run of the season. This contest will resume today at 4:05 p.m. CT, with today’s regularly scheduled contest to follow. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 66–45 Series Opponent: West Michigan Whitecaps (53–60) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 Aug. 18: The South Bend Cubs opened their series vs. the West Michigan Whitecaps with a 5-1 victory on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field. The Whitecaps took a 1-0 lead in the first but the Cubs were able to answer back in the second on a Kade Snell (2-for-4) solo shot, his eighth of the season. South Bend starter Jostin Florentino, who would not factor into the pitching decision, shut down West Michigan’s offense, spinning five innings of one-run ball, allowing just one hit while striking out seven and issuing just one walk. The Cubs broke the 1-1 deadlock in the sixth when Josiah Hartshorn (2-for-4) crushed a two-run shot to make it 3-1. South Bend added some insurance in the eighth when Hartshorn singled home a run and Matt Halbach (1-for-3) picked up a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1. Brayden Spears would pick up the win in relief for the Cubs, improving to 8-3 on the season, after tossing two scoreless innings, whiffing four batters. The South Bend bullpen combined for four shutout innings and did not allow a hit, whiffed nine batters and walked two. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 45–67 Series Opponent: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (59–53) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 Aug. 18: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their series opener to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, 10-7, on Tuesday night at Pelicans Ballpark. The Woodpeckers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second but the Pelicans rallied for four in the fourth to take the lead. Eli Lovich (1-for-4) picked up an RBI-single and Jan Luis Reyes (0-for-3) drew a walk with the bases loaded. Juan Cabada (2-for-5) then gave Myrtle Beach the lead with a two-run single to make it 4-3. Fayetteville hit back with four runs in the sixth to go back in front 7-4 but the Pelicans grabbed two runs back in the bottom of the inning to make it a one-run game. Ivan Cespedes (1-for-2) drove in a run with a single and Cabada picked up his third RBI of the night on a groundout. The Woodpeckers added one in the eighth and two more in the ninth to make it 10-6. Myrtle Beach was able to claw one back in their last trip to the plate to make it 10-7, thanks to a wild pitch, but were unable to rally further. View full article