CBT847

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Gwinnett Stripers (Atlanta Braves): Stripers lead, 2-1 Season Record: 42–54-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 51–43 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Cubs lead, 4-0 Season Record: 55–35 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers): Crawdads lead, 2-1 Season Record: 37–54 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 42–54-1 Series Opponent: Gwinnett Stripers (50-47) Series Standing: Trail, 2-1 July 24: The Iowa Cubs were washed out on Friday at Gwinnett. They will be back in action today with a doubleheader, with game one starting at 2:05 p.m. CT. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 51–43 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (47–46) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 July 24: The Knoxville Smokies evened their series at the Rocket City Trash Pandas with a 4-3 victory on Friday night at Toyota Field. Carter Trice (2-for-4) gave the Smokies the lead in the opening frame on an RBI-double, his 21st two-bagger of the season. Andy Garriola (1-for-3) doubled the lead with an RBI-single in the third and Alex Madera (1-for-3) made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. The Trash Pandas would cut the lead to one with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth and later tie the ballgame at 3-3 with a run in the seventh. Trice led off the eighth with a solo shot, his 12th home run of the season, which would be the decisive swing of the contest, as Jacob Wallace and Tyler Ras each tossed scoreless frames to end the game to secure the win, with Ras earning his fourth save. Knoxville starter Luis Martinez-Gomez turned in the best outing of his career, but took a no-decision. Martinez-Gomez tossed six innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits to go along with 12 strikeouts and no walks. He fired 53 of his 73 pitches for strikes, generating 18 swings and misses, and began the game by retiring the first nine batters he faced. The two hits allowed by Martinez-Gomez were the only two hits the Smokies pitching staff gave up in the game, as the arms combined for 14 strikeouts and no walks. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 55–35 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (48–41) Series Standing: Lead, 4-0 July 24: The South Bend Cubs earned a series victory and pushed their winning streak to six games with a 9-8 walk-off victory, in extra innings, over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Friday night at Four Winds Field. The Cubs are now 20 games over .500 on the season. South Bend took a 1-0 lead in the first by scoring on an error but the Timber Rattlers eventually knotted it up with a run in the fourth. The Cubs went back in front in the bottom of that inning when Michael Carico (1-for-4) launched his first-career Double-A home run to make it 2-1. Wisconsin made it 2-2 in the fifth before Josiah Hartshorn (3-for-5) singled home a pair of runs in the sixth to put South Bend up two. The back-and-forth affair continued as the Timber Rattlers plated two in the seventh to make it 4-4 but Hartshorn’s RBI-single in the eighth gave the Cubs a slim one-run lead. The Timber Rattlers would force extra innings when they drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the ninth. The teams would trade runs in the 10th, with Hartshorn’s third hit of the night earning his fourth RBI for South Bend. Wisconsin scored twice in the 11th to go up 8-6 but the Cubs were able to rally for three runs in their trip to the plate. Kade Snell (1-for-5) doubled in a run and Logan Poteet (0-for-4) followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Justin Stransky (2-for-5) completed the comeback with a two-out single to earn the walk-off win. Alfredo Romero got the start on the mound for South Bend and took no decision. Romero allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits over 4 2/3 innings of work to go along with one walk and five strikeouts. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 37–54 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (53–37) Series Standing: Trail, 2-1 July 24: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans split their doubleheader at the Hickory Crawdads on Friday, winning the opener, 2-1, before falling in the second game, 2-1. Game 1: The Pelicans snapped their five-game losing skid with a 2-1 win in extra innings over the Crawdads to open the twin bill. Neither team scored through seven innings, with Myrtle Beach starter Daniel Avitia firing four scoreless frames, allowing just three hits to go along with two walks and two strikeouts. David Bracho, who would eventually pick up the win in relief, improving to 2-2 on the season, tossed three shutout innings out of the bullpen, allowing no hits and walking three to send the game into extras. In the eighth, Edward Vargas (2-for-3) finally broke the deadlock with an RBI-single and Alexis Hernandez (1-for-4) made it 2-0 with an RBI-single of his own. Hickory would pull one back in the home half of the eighth but Yoendris Gonzalez was able to end the ballgame and earn his first save of the season. Game 2: Myrtle Beach dropped the second game of the doubleheader to Hickory, 2-1, splitting the two games on Friday. Ethan Conrad’s (1-for-3) RBI-double in the first gave the Pelicans an early 1-0 lead but that would be the only run the offense would score in the game, as Myrtle Beach would be held to just four hits the rest of the way. Hickory tied the game in the third and would eventually score the winning run in the sixth. Braylon Myers got the start on the mound for the Pelicans and took no decision. Myers allowed one run on three hits over four innings of work, issued one walk and struck out six. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Gwinnett Stripers (Atlanta Braves): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 42–52-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels): Smokies lead, 1-0 Season Record: 50–41 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 52–35 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers): Crawdads lead, 1-0 Season Record: 36–53 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 42–52-1 Series Opponent: Gwinnett Stripers (48-47) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 July 21: The Iowa Cubs opened their series at the Gwinnett Stripers with a 7-4 victory on Tuesday night at Gwinnett Field. Owen Miller (2-for-5) gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI-single but Stripers went ahead in the bottom of the inning by scoring twice. Gwinnett made it 3-1 with a run in the second but an Owen Ayers (0-for-3) walk with the bases loaded brought Iowa within a run. The I-Cubs went in front in the fourth thanks to an RBI-double from Ben Cowles (3-for-5) and an RBI-single from Moisés Ballesteros (1-for-3), which put the visitors in front 4-3. The Stripers tied it in the fifth on a solo home run but a three-run sixth from the Cubs put them in front for good. Miller’s 20th double of the season brought in a pair and Ayers drew his second bases-loaded walk of the night to bring home another. Josh Fleming picked up the win in relief to improve to 4-5 on the year. Fleming tossed five innings of one-run ball, giving up just two hits to go along with two strikeouts. Grant Kipp got the start on the mound for Iowa, taking no decision. Kipp allowed three runs, two earned, over 3 2/3 innings of work, walked one and struck out five. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 50–41 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (45–45) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 July 21: The Knoxville Smokies snapped their five-game losing skid with a 4-3 series-opening victory over the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Toyota Field on Tuesday night. Alex Ramírez (3-for-4) started the ballgame with a homer, his 11th of the season, to give the Smokies the 1-0 lead. The Trash Pandas took the lead in the fourth by scoring twice but Ramírez launched a three-run blast in the fifth to put Knoxville immediately back in front. This is the second time this campaign that Ramírez has posted a multi-HR effort, with the first coming on June 12 at Montgomery. Rocket City would score one more in the sixth to make it 4-3 but Cole Ras turned in two scoreless frames to end the game and earn his third save of the season. Connor Schultz got the start on the mound for the Smokies and picked up the win, improving to 3-3 on the season. Schultz allowed two runs on three hits over five innings of work, walked three and whiffed five batters. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 52–35 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (48–38) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 July 21: The South Bend Cubs won their third-straight game with a 5-2 series-opening victory vs. the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field. The Cubs scored twice in their first trip to the plate, with Jose Escobar (0-for-3) picking up an RBI on a fielder’s choice and Kane Kepley (2-for-3) stealing home. The Timber Rattlers made it 2-2 with two runs in the third but Escobar’s sacrifice fly in the home half of the frame put South Bend back in front. The Cubs gave themselves some breathing room with two more runs in the fifth, with Kepley doubling home a run, his 18th two-bagger of the season, and Escobar picking up his third RBI of the night on a groundout. After JP Wheat turned in a scoreless inning of relief in the sixth, Jackson Brockett turned in three shutout innings to end the game and earned his third save of the season. Brockett retired all nine of the batters that he faced, three of which came via the strikeout. Jostin Florentino took no decision in the start for South Bend, allowing two runs on three hits over four innings of work to go along with one walk and seven strikeouts. Florentino has picked up six punchouts or more in five-straight starts. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 36–53 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (52–36) Series Standing: Trail, 0-1 July 21: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were blanked in Tuesday night’s series opener at the Hickory Crawdads, 1-0, at L.P. Frans Stadium. The Pelicans were held to just one hit in the contest, Jose Silva’s (1-for-3) one-out single in the fifth, and no opportunities with runners in scoring position. Jordan Henriquez got the start on the mound for Myrtle Beach and took no decision. Henriquez tossed three scoreless frames, allowing just two hits to go along with two walks and three strikeouts. Hayden Frank suffered the loss in relief, falling to 3-6 on the season. Frank allowed one run, unearned, over three innings, giving up four hits with one walk and four punchouts. Hickory scored their lone run of the ballgame in the fifth and would allow just one Pelican batter to reach over the final four innings of the ballgame. Anhuar Garcia worked two scoreless frames in relief, allowing no hits while issuing two walks and striking out two. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals): Cubs win, 2-1 Season Record: 41–52-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays): Biscuits win, 3-0 Season Record: 49–41 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals): Cubs win, 2-1 Season Record: 51–35 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox): Lose, 3-0 Season Record: 36–52 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 41–52-1 Series Opponent: Memphis Redbirds (55-41) Series Standing: Win, 2-1 July 19: The Iowa Cubs claimed a series victory on the road with a dominant 13-4 victory over the Memphis Redbirds on Sunday at AutoZone Park. The Redbirds plated a run in their first trip to the plate but the Cubs would take the lead for good in the ballgame with four runs in the third. Jonathan Long (4-for-6) launched a solo shot, his 11th of the season, and Owen Ayers (1-for-4) drove in a pair with a two-run single. James Triantos (3-for-5) then capped the frame with an RBI-double. Owen Miller (2-for-4) broke the game open with a three-run shot in the fifth to make it 7-1 before the Redbirds grabbed one run back in the bottom of the inning. Iowa put the contest out of reach with three more in the fifth to make it 10-2, with Long doubling in a run and Moisés Ballesteros (2-for-5) bringing in two with a single. The hosts would score two more in the eighth but the I-Cubs put three more on the board in the ninth, making it 13-4, thanks to an RBI-triple from Ben Cowles (2-for-5) and a two-run homer from Brett Bateman (2-for-5). Will Sanders got the start on the mound for Iowa and picked up the win, improving to 6-1 on the season. Sanders allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits over five innings of work, walking one and striking out two. Offensively, Iowa tallied 16 hits on the day, with seven of the nine starters recording at least one hit and one RBI. Six of those batters also recorded multi-hit efforts. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 49–41 Series Opponent: Montgomery Biscuits (44–45) Series Standing: Lose, 3-0 July 19: The Knoxville Smokies were swept by the Montgomery Biscuits following a 10-2 defeat on Sunday at DABOS Park. The Smokies were outscored 17-4 during the three-game set. The Biscuits jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first and held that lead throughout the ballgame. Knoxville got on the board in the fifth when Ethan Hearn (1-for-4) singled in a run but Montgomery would score three times in the home half of the inning and two more in the sixth to make it 9-1. Hearn grounded out in the seventh, bringing in another run for the Smokies, but the Biscuits grabbed that run right back after the stretch to make it 10-2. Kevin Valdez got the start on the mound for Knoxville, making his Double-A debut, and took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season. Valdez allowed four runs on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings of work, striking out two batters without issuing a walk. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 51–35 Series Opponent: Peoria Chiefs (41–48) Series Standing: Win, 2-1 July 19: The South Bend Cubs blanked the Peoria Chiefs on Sunday, 7-0, to earn a series victory at Four Winds Field. Both teams were held scoreless through four innings until the Cubs broke the deadlock with five runs in the fifth. Kane Kepley (1-for-2) opened the scoring with a bunt single with the bases loaded and a Josiah Hartshorn (0-for-4) fielder’s choice resulted in three runs scoring, thanks to an error also occurring on the play. Jose Escobar (3-for-4) capped the scoring in the frame on an RBI-single. Angel Cepeda (1-for-3) launched a solo shot in the sixth, his second of the season, and Escobar brought home another run with a single in the seventh to make it 7-0. Kohl Franklin got the start on the mound for South Bend and took no decision. Franklin allowed just two hits over 4 1/3 innings of work, walked one batter and struck out four. After Eli Jerzembeck worked 2/3 scoreless frames, Pierce Coppola picked up his first-career High-A victory by firing three shutout innings, yielding two hits to go along with two walks and two strikeouts. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 36–52 Series Opponent: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (47–43) Series Standing: Lose, 3-0 July 19: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were swept by the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers after dropping Sunday’s series finale, 10-2, at Atrium Health Ballpark. The Cannon Ballers scored twice in both the first and second innings to take a 4-0 lead before Alexis Hernandez (1-for-4) got the Pelicans on the board with an RBI-groundout. Kannapolis got that run back in the bottom of the inning before Derniche Valdez (2-for-4) plated Myrtle Beach’s final run of the ballgame with a single in the sixth. The Cannon Ballers again prevented a shutdown frame with a run in the sixth and added three more in the seventh and one more in the eighth to ease to the 10-2 win. Noah Edders got the start on the mound for the Pelicans and was handed the loss, falling to 0-4 on the season. Edders allowed four runs on six hits over three innings of work to go along with two walks and three strikeouts. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals): Redbirds lead, 1-0 Season Record: 39–52-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays): Biscuits lead, 1-0 Season Record: 49–39 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals): Chiefs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 49–35 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 36–50 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 39–52-1 Series Opponent: Memphis Redbirds (55-39) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 July 17: The Iowa Cubs were walked off by the Memphis Redbirds, 10-9, on Friday Night at AutoZone Park. Jonathan Long’s (1-for-4) two-run single in the first opened the scoring in the ballgame but the Redbirds would eventually hit back with five runs in the third to go in front. A pair of two-run singles from Brett Bateman (2-for-6) and Owen Miller (2-for-5) in the fourth would put Iowa up 6-5. The I-Cubs made it 8-5 in the fifth when BJ Murray (1-for-4) drew a walk with the bases loaded and Hayden Cantrelle (0-for-2) scored on a wild pitch. Memphis cut the lead to one with two runs in the bottom of the sixth but Bateman made it 9-7 with an RBI-single in the seventh. The Redbirds would score one run each in both the seventh and eighth innings and would eventually score the winning run in the ninth to walk-off the I-Cubs, 10-9. Jaxon Wiggins got the start in the mound for the Cubs and took no decision. Wiggins allowed five runs on two hits over 21/3 innings of work, issuing five walks to go along with three strikeouts. Owen Ayer’s, the Cubs’ No. 8 prospect (North Side Baseball), went 3-for-4 in his Triple-A debut, while also drawing a walk. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 49–39 Series Opponent: Montgomery Biscuits (42–45) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 July 17: The Knoxville Smokies opened their series at the Montgomery Biscuits with a 5-1 defeat on Friday night at DABOS Park. Andy Garriola’s (1-for-2) in the fourth opened the scoring in the ballgame but the Biscuits would even the contest in the bottom of the inning and would later take the lead with a run in the fifth. Montgomery then put the game away with three runs in the eighth to go up 5-1. Knoxville was held to just three hits on the night, with just one going for extra bases. The Smokies offense would also go 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, leaving three runners on base. Luis Martinez-Gomez got the start on the mound for Knoxville and took no decision. Martinez-Gomez allowed one run on two hits over four innings of work, walking two and striking out two. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 49–35 Series Opponent: Peoria Chiefs (41–46) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 July 17: The South Bend Cubs fell in their series opener vs. the Peoria Chiefs, 9-3, on Friday night at Four Winds Field. The Chiefs took a 2-0 lead after scoring a run in each the first and second innings but the Cubs went in front after a three-spot in the third. Kane Kepley (0-for-2) got South Bend on the board with a sacrifice fly and Josh Hartshorn’s (2-for-3) RBI-single knotted the game. Jose Escobar (1-for-4) put the Cubs in front with a single but the lead was short lived as Peoria rallied for six in the fourth, taking an 8-3 lead. The Chiefs would eventually tack on a run in the eighth and cruise to the 9-3 win. Ethan Flanagan got the start on the mound for South Bend and did not factor into the decision. Flanagan allowed two runs on two hits over 3 1/3 innings of work, whiffing five batters. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 36–50 Series Opponent: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (45–43) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 July 17: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped Friday night’s series opener to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, 9-1, at Atrium Health Ballpark. The Cannon Ballers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second and later made it 6-0 with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth. Kannapolis added three more in the eighth before Eli Lovich (1-for-4) got the Pelicans finally on the board with an RBI-single in the ninth to make it 9-1. Emilio Ramos got the start on the mound for Myrtle Beach and took the loss, falling to 1-3 on the year. Ramos allowed three runs on four hits over two innings of work, walking three and striking out one. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 39–51-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 49–38 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 49–34 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Fredericksburg Nationals (Washington Nationals): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 36–49 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 39–51-1 Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (50-41) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 July 12: The Iowa Cubs dropped Sunday’s series finale, 5-4, to the St. Paul Saints at Principal Park. James Triantos’ (2-for-4) solo blast in the second, his seventh of the season, opened the scoring in the ballgame but the Saints responded with two runs in the third and one more in the fourth to go up 3-1.Moisés Ballesteros (2-for-3) cut the deficit to one with a solo shot in the fifth, his first of the campaign. St. Paul would make it a 5-2 game after scoring once in both the seventh and eighth, but Iowa was able to rally with two runs in the ninth, thanks to a two-run single from Owen Miller (2-for-5). However, Miller, representing the tying run, would be left at second to end the contest. Jordan Wicks got the start on the mound for the I-Cubs and was handed the loss, falling to 0-7 on the year. Wicks allowed two runs on four hits over three innings of work, striking out five batters without issuing a walk. The Iowa offense would go 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position on the day, stranding 10 runners. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 49–38 Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (46–37) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 July 12: The Knoxville Smokies split their series with the Biloxi Shuckers following a 3-1 defeat on Sunday at Covenant Health Park. The Shuckers took a 2-0 lead after scoring a pair of runs in the third and would make it a three-run game by adding one in the eighth. The Smokies would finally get on the board in the home half of that inning, with Alex Ramírez (1-for-4) singling home Knoxville’s only run of the ballgame. Brody McCullough got the start on the mound for the Smokies and was handed the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season. McCullough allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits over four innings of work to go along with two walks and four strikeouts. Knoxville would get scoreless relief appearances from Luke Little (1.0 IP), Koen Moreno (2.0 IP) and Ryan Jensen (1.0 IP), with the trio combining to allow no hits while whiffing two. The Smokies offense was held to just three hits on the day, with none going for extra bases. They were also limited to just three chances with runners in scoring position, going 1-for-3 in those situations, leaving four runners on base. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 49–34 Series Opponent: Cedar Rapids Kernels (35–49) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 July 12: The South Bend Cubs earned a series victory following a 5-2 triumph over the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Sunday at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Jose Escobar (1-for-3) gave the Cubs an early 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI-groundout and Miguel Useche (0-for-3) doubled that lead when racing home on a wild pitch in the second. The Kernels would make it a one-run game with a tally of their own in the home half of the second. South Bend plated two runs in the sixth to make it 4-1, getting an RBI-single from Angel Cepeda (1-for-3) and an RBI-groundout from Useche. Kane Kepley (1-for-3) tripled home a run in the seventh before Cedar Rapids made it 5-2 with a run later in the inning. Cole Reynolds, who entered in relief in the seventh, would keep the Kernels off the board in the final two innings to earn his first save of the season and seal the series victory for the Cubs. Reynolds allowed one run on one hit over three total innings of work, walking one and striking out one. Jostin Florentino got the start on the mound for South Bend and took no decision. Florentino allowed one run on two hits over four innings of work, issuing just one walk to go along with six punchouts. Eli Jerzembeck earned the win in relief to improve to 2-2 on the season after tossing two scoreless frames, giving up one hit and whiffing one batter. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 36–49 Series Opponent: Fredericksburg Nationals (57–30) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 July 12: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped Sunday’s series finale vs. the Fredericksburg Nationals, 8-6, to split the six-game set. The Nationals took a commanding 8-0 after scoring once in the first, three times in the second, twice in the fourth and twice more in the sixth. The Pelicans scored all six of their runs in the ninth inning as they attempted a furious rally. Eli Lovich (1-for-5) got Myrtle Beach on the board by scoring on a wild pitch and Edward Vargas (2-for-4) followed with a two-run double. Ivan Cespedes (2-for-2) then became the third Pelican of the ballgame to score on a wild pitch and Ethan Conrad (1-for-4) launched a two-run shot, the first home run of his professional career, to make it 8-6. Derniche Valdez (2-for-5) singled to bring Lovich up to the plate, representing the tying run, but the lefty lined out to end the game. Daniel Avitia got the start for Myrtle Beach and was handed the loss, falling to 2-2 on the season. Avitia allowed four runs on five hits over three innings of work, walking two batters and whiffing one. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Cubs lead, 3-1 Season Record: 38–50-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Smokies lead, 3-1 Season Record: 49–36 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins): Cubs lead, 3-1 Season Record: 48–33 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Fredericksburg Nationals (Washington Nationals): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 35–48 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 38–50-1 Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (49-40) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 July 10: The Iowa Cubs clinched at least a series split with a 7-4 victory on Friday night over the St. Paul Saints at Principal Park. The win pushes the Cubs’ winning streak to three games, their longest since winning four-straight contests from May 23-27. The Saints plated three runs in their first trip to the dish but Iowa was able to rally for four runs in the second to take the lead. Christian Bethancourt (3-for-4) got the Cubs on the board with an RBI-double and James Triantos (1-for-3) and Hayden Cantrelle (1-for-4) followed with RBI-singles. Brett Bateman’s (2-for-4) bunt-single brought home Iowa’s fourth run, which would give the home team the lead for good. Iowa would make it a three-run game with two in the fifth, scoring on a wild pitch with Bethancourt picking up his second RBI of the ballgame on a single. Cubs No. 3 prospect (North Side Baseball) Jaxon Wiggins made his first start for the I-Cubs since April 4 and took no decision. Wiggins allowed three runs on three hits over 2 2/3 innings of work to go along with three walks and four strikeouts. Zac Leigh earned the win in relief to improve to 3-2 on the season, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless frames, giving up just one hit and whiffing two batters. Owen Miller (2-for-5) made it a 7-3 game with a run-scoring single in the sixth before St. Paul pulled a run back in the seventh to make it 7-4. Eduarniel Nuñez tossed the final two innings to earn his second save of the season, retiring all six of the batters he faced, four via a punchout. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 49–36 Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (44–37) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 July 10: The Knoxville Smokies clinched at least a series split with a 7-3 triumph over the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday night at Covenant Health Park. The Shuckers opened the scoring with a run in the third but the Smokies responded with a pair of runs in the home half of the frame to take the lead. Owen Ayers’ (3-for-5) RBI-single tied the game and Carter Trice (2-for-3) put Knoxville in front with a sacrifice fly. Biloxi would score twice in the top of the fifth to go ahead 3-2 but again the Smokies were able to prevent a shutdown inning, with Trice’s RBI-single knotting the game at 3-3. Jefferson Rojas (0-for-3) got the home team back in front with a sacrifice fly of his own in the sixth to make it 4-3. Knoxville sealed the win with three big insurance runs in the eight, with Ayers plating two on a single and Trice, also collecting his third RBI of the night, driving in another run with his second sacrifice fly of the ballgame to make it 7-3. Evan Taylor tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief to end the game, earning his third save of the season. Taylor allowed just one hit and struck out three batters. Dawson Netz got the start on the mound for the Smokies and took no decision. Netz allowed three runs on four hits over five innings of work, whiffing five batters without issuing a walk. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 48–33 Series Opponent: Cedar Rapids Kernels (34–48) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 July 10: The South Bend Cubs clinched at least a series split with a dominant 18-8 victory at the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Cubs scored three times in their first trip to the plate, getting their runs on a passed ball, wild pitch and an RBI-single from Jose Escobar (2-for-5). The Kernels would grab one of those runs back in the bottom of the first and cut the lead to one after another run in the second but South Bend would score seven times in the third to make it 10-2. Matt Halbach (3-for-6) got the frame started with an RBI-single and Christian Olivo (1-for-5) was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Kane Kepley (1-for-5) drove in two with a single and Josiah Hartshorn (2-for-5) also brought home a pair with a triple to cap the frame. Cedar Rapids rallied for four runs of their own in the home half of the third and scored two more in the fifth to make it 10-8. A two-run double from Logan Poteet (2-for-5) and an RBI-double from Olivo in the seventh made it 13-8 and the Cubs would eventually put the game away with a five-spot in the ninth. Miguel Useche (2-for-4) tripled home a run and Poteet followed with an RBI-double. South Bend scored its third run of the ninth on an error and Angel Cepeda (2-for-5) capped the 18-run outburst with a two-run single. Pierce Coppola got the start for the Cubs and took no decision. Coppola allowed six runs on four hits over three innings of work to go along with four walks and two strikeouts. Ethan Flanagan would eventually pick up the win in relief to improve to 2-3 on the season. Flanagan tossed four scoreless frames, allowing just two hits while issuing just one walk and whiffing seven batters. Offensively, eight of the nine South Bend starters tallied a hit in the game, with six putting together multi-hit efforts. Eight of the nine starters also drove in at least one run. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 35–48 Series Opponent: Fredericksburg Nationals (56–29) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 July 10: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped Friday night’s contest to the Fredericksburg Nationals, 9-7, at Pelicans Ballpark. The Nationals took a 2-0 lead after one but the Pelicans rallied for three in the third to take their first lead of the contest. Alexis Hernandez (1-for-5) got Myrtle Beach on the board with an RBI-single and Ludwing Espinoza (1-for-5) slugged a two-run blast, his first-career Single-A home run, to put the home team in front. Fredericksburg plated two in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead but the Pelicans also scored twice in the home half of the frame to go back in front, thanks to RBI-singles from Edward Vargas (2-for-3) and Derik Alcantara (1-for-4). The Nationals would go in front for good with three runs in the fifth and would later add two more in the eighth to go up 9-5. Myrtle Beach would also score twice in the eighth, off an RBI-double from Jose Silva (1-for-3) and an Alcantara groundout, but would not rally further, ultimately dropping the ballgame. Braylon Myers got the start for the Pelicans on the mound and would take no decision. Myers allowed four runs on four hits over four innings of work, walking four batters and striking out three. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Saints lead, 1-0 Season Record: 35–50-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Smokies lead, 1-0 Season Record: 47–35 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 46–32 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Fredericksburg Nationals (Washington Nationals): Pelicans lead, 1-0 Season Record: 34–46 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 35–50-1 Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (49-37) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 July 7: The Iowa Cubs fell in Tuesday night’s series opener to the St. Paul Saints, 7-4, at Principal Park. The Saints raced out to a 7-0 after scoring three times in the second and four in the third. The Cubs stopped the run in the fourth by pushing one run across thanks to a St. Paul error. Jonathan Long (1-for-5) doubled home a run in the eighth and BJ Murray made it 7-4 in the ninth when he blasted a two-run shot, his 12th of the season but that would be as close as the I-Cubs would get in the contest. Jordan Wicks got the start for Iowa and was handed the loss, falling to 0-6 on the season. Wicks allowed seven runs, six earned, on six hits over three innings of work to go along with four walks and one strikeout. Paul Campbell and Jayden Murray each worked three scoreless frames in relief, combining to yield just three hits while whiffing seven batters. Brett Bateman put together his first four-hit performance of the year, going 4-for-4 with two runs scored, a pair of doubles and a walk. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 47–35 Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (43–35) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 July 7: The Knoxville Smokies opened their series vs. the Biloxi Shuckers with a 9-4 victory on Tuesday night at Covenant Health Park. The Shuckers took the lead in the second and added another run in the fifth to make it 2-0. In the home half of the frame, Jefferson Rojas (2-for-4) crushed a solo shot, his 14th of the year, to pull the Smokies within one. After Biloxi made it 3-1 in the sixth, Knoxville responded with six runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 7-3. Edgar Alvarez (1-for-3) collected an RBI-single and Karson Simas (1-for-4) followed with an RBI-triple. Drew Bowser’s (2-for-4) RBI-single put the Smokies in front and Alex Ramírez’ (2-for-5) three-run blast, his 10th of the campaign, put the distance between the two sides. The Shuckers plated one run in the seventh before Ramírez stole home and Andy Garriola (1-for-4) singled home a run in the eighth to make it 9-4. Connor Schultz got the start on the mound for Knoxville and earned the win, improving to 2-3 on the season. Schultz fired his second-straight quality start, allowing three runs on five hits over six innings of work to go along with six strikeouts and no walks. Tyler Ras tossed two scoreless frames to end the ballgame, earning his second save. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 46–32 Series Opponent: Cedar Rapids Kernels (33–46) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 July 7: The South Bend Cubs opened their series at the Cedar Rapids Kernels with a 7-5 victory, in 10 innings, on Tuesday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Kernels took a 1-0 lead after two but the Cubs jumped in front with three runs in the fifth, thanks to RBI-singles from Josiah Hartshorn (2-for-5) and Matt Halbach (2-for-4), and a sacrifice fly from Angel Cepeda (1-for-3). Cedar Rapid plated four runs in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 5-3. Miguel Useche (2-for-5) picked up an RBI-single in the seventh and Christian Olivo (1-for-4) tied the game later in the frame with a sacrifice fly of his own. The ballgame would head to extra innings tied at 5-5 where South Bend would score their first run of the 10th on an error and later push the lead to two when Hartshorn crushed a solo shot, his 10th with the Cubs this season. Grayson Moore tossed a scoreless 10th to end the game and earn his third save of the season. Mason McGwire got the start on the mound for South Bend and took no decision. McGwire allowed one run on three hits over four innings of work to go along with one walk and three strikeouts. Adam Stone worked two shutout innings in relief to earn the win and improve to 5-1 on the season. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 34–46 Series Opponent: Fredericksburg Nationals (54–28) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 July 7: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans opened their series vs. the Fredericksburg Nationals with an 11-9 walk-off victory in extra innings on Tuesday night at Pelicans Ballpark. The Pelicans took a 1-0 lead in the first through Eli Lovich’s (1-for-3) sacrifice fly. The Nationals evened the contest with a run in the third but Myrtle Beach responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Lovich increased his RBI tally to three with a two-run triple and Derniche Valdez (4-for-6) drove in a run on a single. Fredericksburg took a 5-4 lead in the fourth after putting up a four-spot in the frame. Jose Silva’s (1-for-3) first-career home run at the Single-A level in the sixth tied the game at 5-5. The two teams each scored twice in the seventh, the Pelicans grabbing their runs on a wild pitch and an RBI-groundout from Geuri Lubo (1-for-5), and the contest would head to extras tied at 7-7. The Nationals scored twice in their chance at the plate in the 10th but Valdez launched a grand slam on a full count with two outs to cap a dramatic comeback. Edwardo Melendez picked up the win in relief to improve to 3-2 on the season. Melendez allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits over three innings of work, walking one and striking out three. 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Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 35–49-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Columbus Clingstones (Atlanta Braves): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 46–35 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Beloit Sky Carp (Miami Marlins): Sky Carp win, 5-1 Season Record: 45–32 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers): Crawdads win, 4-2 Season Record: 33–46 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 35–49-1 Series Opponent: Toledo Mud Hens (42-44) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 July 5: The Iowa Cubs dropped Sunday’s series finale, 6-2, to the Toledo Mud Hens to split the six-game set. The Mud Hens jumped out to the lead thanks to a three-run first inning and later made it 4-0 with a run in the third. The Cubs wouldn’t get on the board until the sixth when Jonathan Long (1-for-4) doubled home a run. Toledo would plate two in the eighth to make it 6-1 before Iowa scratched one more across in the ninth on an Owen Miller (1-for-4) RBI-groundout. Will Sanders got the start on the mound for the I-Cubs and was handed the loss, falling to 5-1 on the season. Sanders allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits over four innings of work to go along with one walk and five strikeouts. Antoine Kelly worked two perfect frames in relief, whiffing two batters. Kelly extends his scoreless streak to 11 1/3 innings, spanning seven games. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 46–35 Series Opponent: Columbus Clingstones (35–41) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 July 5: The Knoxville Smokies earned a series split with the Columbus Clingstones following a 5-4 victory on Sunday at Covenant Health Park. The Clingstones plated two runs in their first trip to the plate but the Smokies were able to respond with a run in the home half of the frame, thanks to an Owen Ayers (2-for-4) solo blast, his 15th of the season. The teams traded runs in the fourth, with Andy Garriola (1-for-4) singling home Knoxville’s run to make it 3-2. Jefferson Rojas (1-for-3) gave the Smokies their first lead of the ballgame when he brought home a pair of runs to make it 4-3. The Clingstones would tie the contest in the seventh but Edgar Alvarez’ (1-for-3) RBI-double in the eighth brought home the go-ahead run. Luke Little tossed two scoreless innings to close the game, stranding the tying and go-ahead runs in the ninth to earn the win, improving to 2-0 on the season. Evan Taylor got the start for Knoxville and took no decision. Taylor allowed two runs, one earned, on no hits over two innings of work, walking three and striking out five. The Smokies pitching staff allowed just one hit on the day but walked eight batters and hit one. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 45–32 Series Opponent: Beloit Sky Carp (37–42) Series Standing: Lose, 5-1 July 5: The South Bend Cubs were swept in a doubleheader on Sunday by the Beloit Sky Carp, dropping game 1, 1-0, and game 2, 2-0. Game 1: The Cubs were blanked by the Sky Carp, 1-0, in Sunday’s doubleheader opener while being held to just three hits in the ballgame. The Sky Carp scored in their first trip to the plate and that lead would hold throughout as South Bend would record only four baserunners, going 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position. South Bend starter Jameson Taillon, made his first rehab appearance since hitting the IL on June 9 and allowed one run on four hits over 3 1/3 innings of work, picking up two strikeouts without issuing a walk. Kevin Valdez turned in 2 2/3 scoreless frames in relief, retiring all eight batters he faced, including four via strikeout. Game 2: South Bend was held scoreless by Beloit for a second-straight contest, falling 2-0 in Sunday’s doubleheader finale at ABC Supply Stadium. The Sky Carp pushed a run across in the first and would later double their lead with a run in the fifth. The Cubs offense would record five hits in the ballgame, with Jose Escobar going 3-for-5, but like the first game, none of the hits would go for extra bases and South Bend would go 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, stranding 11 baserunners. Alfredo Romero got the start on the mound for the Cubs and was handed the loss, falling to 2-3 on the season. Romero allowed one run on two hits over four innings of work to go along with one walk and four strikeouts. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 33–46 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (46–33) Series Standing: Lose, 4-2 July 5: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their series to the Hickory Crawdads following Sunday’s 3-2 defeat at Pelicans Ballpark. The Crawdads took a 3-0 lead after three thanks to two runs in the second before adding another in the third. Darlyn De Leon (0-for-3) brought home the Pelicans’ first run of the contest with a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Yoendris Gonzalez (2.0 IP), Jordan Henriquez (1.1 IP) and Anhuar Garcia (1.2 IP) kept Myrtle Beach in the game by combining for four scoreless innings in relief, yielding just one hit and striking out six. Geuri Lubo’s (1-for-3) RBI-double in the ninth would cut the lead to one but he would be left 90 feet away from tying the game as the Pelicans were unable to complete the comeback. Noah Edders got the start for Myrtle Beach and took the loss, falling to 0-3 on the season. Edders allowed three runs on two hits over four innings of work and issued two walks. View full article