CBT847

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 33–46-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Columbus Clingstones (Atlanta Braves): Smokies lead, 1-0 Season Record: 44–32 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Beloit Sky Carp (Miami Marlins): Sky Carp lead, 1-0 Season Record: 44–28 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers): Crawdads lead, 1-0 Season Record: 31–43 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 33–46-1 Series Opponent: Toledo Mud Hens (39-42) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 June 30: The Iowa Cubs opened their series at the Toledo Mud Hens with a 3-1 victory on Tuesday night at Fifth Third Field. The Mud Hens took the lead with a run in the second but the Cubs plated two in the third to take the lead. Moisés Ballesteros (1-for-2) singled home a run and Jonathan Long (0-for-3) put Iowa in front with a sacrifice fly. Owen Miller’s (1-for-4) RBI-triple in the third made it 3-1 and that score would hold the rest of the way thanks to a stellar outing from I-Cubs starter Will Sanders. Sanders twirled his second quality start of the season to improve to 5-0. He allowed one run on two hits over six innings of work, striking out five and walking none. Jayden Murray (2.0 IP) and Luis Peralta (1.0 IP) combined for three scoreless innings out of the bullpen, whiffing three with no walks issued. Peralta would earn his first save of the season by holding Toledo scoreless in the ninth. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 44–32 Series Opponent: Columbus Clingstones (32–39) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 June 30: The Knoxville Smokies claimed a series-opening win in dominant fashion, defeating the Columbus Clingstones 12-3 on Tuesday night at Covenant Health Park. Both teams scored twice in the first, with Alex Ramírez (2-for-5) launching a two-run blast to tie the game. Ramírez would then give Knoxville the lead for good with a two-run single in the third. Hayden Cantrelle (1-for-3) made it 5-2 with a solo shot in the fourth, his first homer of the year and Edgar Alvarez (1-for-5) picked up an RBI-single in the fifth. The Smokies made it 9-2 in the sixth thanks to RBI-doubles from Ariel Armas (1-for-3) and Owen Ayers (1-for-3) and an RBI-single from Jefferson Rojas (3-for-5). Andy Garriola (2-for-4) increased his home run tally to 16, tied for third most in the Southern League, with a solo shot in the seventh, with the Smokies scoring twice more in the frame on an error. The Clingstones would add one in the eighth but the contest was well out of reach. Connor Schultz tossed his first quality start of the season to record his first win of the campaign, improving to 1-3. Schultz allowed two runs on two hits over six innings of work, walking two and striking out two. Offensively, eight of the nine Knoxville starters hit safely in the ballgame, with three batters recording multi-hit efforts. Ayers finishes his June with a slash line of .451/.554/.824 for a 1.378 OPS over 25 games. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 44–28 Series Opponent: Beloit Sky Carp (33–41) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 June 30: The South Bend Cubs were blanked in their series opener at the Beloit Sky Carp, 4-0, on Tuesday night at ABC Supply Stadium. Three runs from the Sky Carp in the third would be more than enough offense as the Cubs were held to just five hits in the ballgame. Beloit would later add another tally in the sixth to make it 4-0 while holding South Bend to just one at-bat with runners in scoring position over the final three frames. Jostin Florentino got the start for the Cubs, taking the loss and falling to 0-4 on the season. Florentino allowed three runs on two hits over five innings of work, walking two and striking out six. Brayden Spears turned in two scoreless frames in relief, issuing one walk and whiffing two. Kane Kepley went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles at the plate. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 31–43 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (43–31) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 June 30: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans opened their series vs. the Hickory Crawdads with a 6-3 defeat on Tuesday night at Pelicans Ballpark. The Crawdads plated three runs in their first trip to the plate and would keep the lead wire-to-wire. Hickory would eventually score once in the fifth and twice in the sixth to take a 6-0 lead. The Pelicans would cut that advantage in half with three runs in the eighth, thanks to a bases-loaded walk from Darlyn De Leon (1-for-3) and an RBI-single from Alexis Hernandez (1-for-4), while adding their final tally in the frame on an error. The Crawdads would leave the tying run at the plate in that frame and send Myrtle Beach down in order in the ninth to seal the win. Emilio Ramos got the start for the Pelicans and was handed the loss, falling to 1-1 on the season. Ramos allowed three runs on one hit over three innings of work, walking four and striking out two. Jhon Rosario turned in three scoreless frames out of the bullpen, giving up just one hit while issuing one walk and whiffing one. Offensively, Myrtle Beach was held to just two hits in the ballgame, but were able to draw five walks. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays): Bisons win, 4-2 Season Record: 32–46-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies win, 5-1 Season Record: 43–32 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 44–27 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Salem RidgeYaks (Boston Red Sox): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 31–42 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 32–46-1 Series Opponent: Buffalo Bisons (39-42) Series Standing: Lose, 4-2 June 28: The Iowa Cubs fell to the Buffalo Bisons, 8-5, on Sunday at Principal Park, dropping the series. The Bisons raced out to an 8-0 lead, scoring twice in both the first and second innings before adding four more in the third. Scott Kingery (1-for-4) halted the scoring run in the bottom of the third with a solo shot, his second of the season. James Triantos (1-for-4) picked up an RBI-single in the fourth and Jonathan Long picked in the fifth, which was followed by a bases-loaded walk from Triantos four batters later to make it 8-4. Moisés Ballesteros (1-for-3) collected an RBI-single in the fifth to make it 8-5 but that would be as close as the Cubs would get in the ballgame. Kenten Egbert got the start for Iowa and took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season. Egbert allowed eight runs, five earned, over 2 2/3 innings of work, walking five batters compared to striking out two. Corbin Martin turned in three scoreless frames in relief, whiffing one and walking one, and catcher Christian Bethancourt worked two shutout innings on the bump, allowing one hit to go along with two walks and one strikeout. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 43–32 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (27–48) Series Standing: Win, 5-1 June 28: The Knoxville Smokies had their five-game winning streak snapped in Sunday’s 10-5 defeat to the Birmingham Barons at Regions Field. Alex Ramírez (2-for-5) gave the Smokies the lead in the first with an RBI-double but the Barons responded with two runs in their first trip to the plate to take the lead. Birmingham made it 3-1 with a run in the second but Andy Garriola’s (2-for-4) RBI-double in the third cut the lead to one. Edgar Alvarez (2-for-5) launched a three-run shot in the fifth, his eighth of the season, to give Knoxville the lead at 5-3 but Birmingham grabbed two of those runs back in the bottom of the inning to tie it up at 5-5. The hosts delivered the decisive blow in the ballgame with four runs in the sixth and would later tack on another run in the eighth to make it 10-5, eventually handing the Smokies the loss. Koen Moreno got the start for Knoxville and took no decision. Moreno allowed three runs, two earned, over four innings of work, walking two and striking out four. Offensively, eight of the nine Smokie starters recorded a hit in the contest, with five posting multi-hit efforts, highlighted by four-hit performances from Carter Trice (4-for-5) and Owen Ayers (4-for-4). Despite the 17 hits on the day, Knoxville would go 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position, leaving 12 runners on base. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 44–27 Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (32–39) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 June 28: The South Bend Cubs dropped Sunday’s series finale to the Quad City River Bandits, 7-2, at Four Winds Field. Both teams were held scoreless through the first six innings of the contest, with Cubs starter Alfredo Romero working five of those innings. Romero, who took no decision, allowed just one hit and struck out five with just one walk issued. Kevin Valdez followed with two scoreless frames in relief, allowing one hit and whiffing one, and Eli Jerzembeck worked a scoreless eighth, retiring all three of the batters he faced. Kane Kepley’s (1-for-3) fourth homer of the season in the sixth gave South Bend the 1-0 lead, which was doubled when Dilan Granadillo (1-for-3) scored on a wild pitch. In the ninth, the River Bandits took the lead with a seven-run outburst and would hand the Cubs the loss. South Bend was held to just four hits in the ballgame, going 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, leaving four on base. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 31–42 Series Opponent: Salem RidgeYaks (29–45) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 June 28: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were walked off by the Salem RidgeYaks, 7-6, in Sunday’s finale to split the series. The RidgeYaks scored a run in their first trip to the plate before the Pelicans tied the game on Logan Poteet’s bases-loaded walk in the third. Salem pushed a run across in the fourth and Myrtle Beach would make it 2-2 in the sixth on Henniel Alcala’s (1-for-4) RBI-single. Poteet picked up his second RBI of the ballgame in the seventh to give the Pelicans the lead but the RidgeYaks plated three after the stretch to take a 5-3 lead. Both teams traded runs in the eighth, with Myrtle Beach getting its tally on a passed ball. With the Pelicans down to their final out, Yahil Melendez (1-for-4) crushed a two-run blast, his second of the season, to even the game at 6-6. In the bottom of the ninth, Myrtle Beach would walk the bases loaded to begin the inning and Salem would then single in the game-winning run. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays): Bisons lead, 1-0 Season Record: 30–43-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies lead, 1-0 Season Record: 39–31 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 41–25 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Salem RidgeYaks (Boston Red Sox): Pelicans lead, 1-0 Season Record: 29–39 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 30–43-1 Series Opponent: Buffalo Bisons (36-40) Series Standing: Trail, 0-1 June 23: The Iowa Cubs opened their series against the Buffalo Bisons with an 11-10 defeat, in 10 innings, on Tuesday night at Principal Park. Both teams scored in their first trip to the plate, with the Cubs’ BJ Murray (3-for-5) slugging solo blast, his ninth of the season, making it 1-1. The Bisons would eventually retake the lead with three runs in the fifth but Moisés Ballesteros (2-for-4) was able to pull one of those runs back in the bottom of the frame with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2. In the sixth, Owen Miller’s (2-for-5) grand slam put Iowa back in front and Ballesteros added on later in the inning with an RBI-double to make it 7-4. Buffalo cut the lead to one with a pair in the seventh but Chas McCormick (1-for-4) was able to push the lead to two with an RBI-single later in the inning. The Bisons would make it 8-8 in the ninth to send the contest to extras, where they would then score three in the 10th to make it 11-8. The I-Cubs were able to score twice in their chance in extras, through RBI-singles from Murray and Ballesteros, but Kevin Alcántara (0-for-4) bounced into a double play with runners at first and second and nobody out and Jonathan Long (0-for-4) would strike out with the tying run on third to end the game. Paul Campbell got the start on the mound for Iowa and took no decision. He allowed four runs on four hits over five innings of work, walking two and striking out five. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 39–31 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (26–44) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 June 23: The Knoxville Smokies opened their series at the Birmingham Barons with a 5-3 victory. The Smokies opened the scoring in the second on an Andy Garriola (3-for-4) solo shot and later made it 3-0 after scoring twice in the third through an Alex Ramírez (0-for-5) and a Garriola RBI-double. Jefferson Rojas’ (0-for-4) sacrifice fly in the fourth made it 4-0 but the Barons would cut the lead to one after plating three in the home half of the frame. That would be all the Knoxville pitching staff would allow, as Erian Rodriguez (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 3 SO) and Tyler Schlaffer (3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 3 SO) combined for 5 2/3 scoreless frames to shut down Birmingham. Rodriguez would pick up the win to improve to 2-0 on the season and Schlaffer earned his first save of the campaign. Owen Ayers (1-for-4) added some insurance in the seventh, a solo shot for his 13th homer of the season, to make it 5-3. Smokies pitching held the Barons to just 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners on the night. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 41–25 Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (30–36) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 June 23: The South Bend Cubs opened their series against the Quad Cities River Bandits with a 6-2 victory on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field. Matt Halbach’s (2-for-4) RBI-single gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the first and Jose Escobar’s (4-for-4) two-run shot in the fourth made it 3-0. The River Bandits got on the board in the fifth with a pair of runs but South Bend would eventually put the game away with three runs in the seventh. Angel Cepeda (2-for-4) singled in a run and Josiah Hartshorn (0-for-4) would later race home on a passed ball. Escobar then picked up his fourth hit and third RBI of the ballgame on a double to make it 6-2 and cap the scoring in the frame. Ben Johnson (1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 SO), Adam Stone (2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 3 BB, 1 SO) and Grayson Moore (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 SO) combined for 4 2/3 shutout innings out of the bullpen, yielding just three hits. Johnson would pick up the win to improve to 3-1 on the season while Stone earned his second hold. Offensively, the Cubs had four players record multi-hit efforts and totaled four hits with runners in scoring position. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 29–39 Series Opponent: Salem RidgeYaks (26–43) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 June 23: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans opened their series at the Salem RidgeYaks with a 7-4 victory on Tuesday at Carilion Clinic Field. Derniche Valdez (1-for-4) opened the scoring in the contest with a sacrifice fly and Alexey Lumpuy (3-for-5) made it 3-0 in the fourth with a two-run single. Yoendris Gonzalez got the start for Myrtle Beach and turned in three scoreless and hitless frames to go along with two walks and four strikeouts. Riley Hunsaker would eventually pick up the win to improve to 2-2 on the season, fired four innings of one-run ball, unearned, and whiffed three batters without issuing a walk. The Pelicans added the run in the sixth on an error before the RidgeYaks made it 4-1 with their first run of the game later in the inning. Logan Poteet (3-for-5) put the ballgame out of reach in the seventh by homering for the fourth-straight contest, this time a two-run shot, to make it 6-1. Salem tacked on a run in the eighth but Myrtle Beach got the run right back in the ninth on Michael Carico’s (1-for-3) RBI-single that made it 7-2. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 30–42-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 38–31 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): TinCaps win, 4-2 Season Record: 40–25 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles): Pelicans win, 4-2 Season Record: 28–39 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 30–42-1 Series Opponent: Indianapolis Indians (31-44) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 The Iowa Cubs split their series with the Indianapolis Indians following a 3-1 defeat on Sunday at Principal Park. The Indians scratched a run across in the second and eventually doubled their lead in the fifth with another run. Cubs starter Jordan Wicks turned in a solid outing but was handed the loss, falling to 0-5 on the season. Wicks allowed two runs on five hits over five innings of work, walking two and striking out two. Indianapolis plated another run in the seventh to make it 3-0 before Iowa was finally able to get on the board in the ninth. Chas McCormick (1-for-3) and Christian Bethancourt (2-for-4) hit back-to-back to doubles to get a run in with two outs in the frame but the tying run would go down at the plate to end the game. The I-Cubs offense went just 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position in the contest, leaving eight runners on base. Vince Reilly turned in 1 1/3 scoreless frames out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit while whiffing three batters. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 38–31 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (37–32) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 The Knoxville Smokies split their series with the Chattanooga Lookouts following an 11-4 defeat on Sunday at Covenant Health Park. The Smokies clinched the Southern League North Division on Saturday and ended up finishing the first half of the season with the best record in the league. The Lookouts took the lead in their first trip to the plate with four runs and never relinquished the lead. Knoxville got on the board in the second thanks to an RBI-double from Carter Trice (2-for-3) but Chattanooga restored their four-run advantage with a run in the fourth. The Smokies made it a 5-4 ballgame with three in the fifth, with all the runs coming off the bat of Devin Ortiz (1-for-4), who slugged his third homer of the season. That would be as close as Knoxville would get in the contest as the Lookouts would score two in the seventh, three in the eighth and one in the ninth to cruise to the 11-4 victory. Brooks Caple got the start for the Smokies and took the loss, falling to 2-1 on the season. Caple allowed five runs on six hits over four innings of work, walking three batters while striking out five. Kenyi Perez turned in two shutout frames out of the bullpen, allowing no hits to go along with two walks and four strikeouts. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 40–25 Series Opponent: Fort Fayne TinCaps (29–40) Series Standing: Lose, 4-2 The South Bend Cubs suffered a rare series loss after falling to the Fort Wayne TinCaps, 6-2, on Sunday at Parkview Field. Both teams traded runs in the second, with the Cubs eventually breaking the deadlock in the fifth through Kane Kepley’s (2-for-2) RBI-double. Cubs No. 2 prospect (North Side Baseball) Jaxon Wiggins, on a rehab assignment with the club, got the start and did not factor into the decision. Wiggins allowed one run on one hit over 2 2/3 innings of work, walking two and striking out three. South Bend bats would go quiet and Fort Wayne would go on to score three in the seventh to make it 4-2 and plate two in the eighth, making it 6-2, to put the game out of reach. The Cubs offense was held to just five hits on the day and would go 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, leaving five on base. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 28–39 Series Opponent: Delmarva Shorebirds (25–44) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 June 21: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans earned a series win over the Delmarva Shorebirds following a 7-2 victory on Sunday at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. Both teams would go scoreless through the first three innings of the ballgame before trading two runs each in the fourth. The Pelicans got on the board thanks to a solo blast from Logan Poteet (2-for-4), his 13th of the season, and an RBI-single from Darlyn De Leon (2-for-4). Poteet has now homered in three-straight games. Two more runs from Myrtle Beach in the fifth put the visitors back in front, with Edward Vargas (2-for-4) picking up the RBI-single and another run scoring on an error on the play. Braylon Myers got the start for the Pelicans and earned the win to improve to 3-1 on the season. Myers allowed two runs on five hits over five innings of work, striking out five batters without issuing a walk. Myrtle Beach would get three stellar innings of work from Daniel Avitia (3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 3 BB, 4 SO) in relief, which allowed the team to expand its lead. Michael Carico (1-for-4) hit a two-run homer in the seventh to make it 6-2 and the Pelicans would add its final tally in the eighth on a missed catch error to make it 7-2. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - June 20 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates): Cubs lead, 3-1 Season Record: 30–40-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 37–30 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 40–23 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles): Pelicans lead, 3-1 Season Record: 27–38 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 30–40-1 Series Opponent: Indianapolis Indians (29-44) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 June 19: The Iowa Cubs clinched at least a series split with an 11-7 victory over the Indianapolis Indians on Friday night at Principal Park. The Indians took a 3-0 lead, scoring once in the first and adding two more in the second. RBI-singles from Chas McCormick (2-for-3) and Brett Bateman (2-for-6) in the second made it 3-2 and the Cubs took a 4-3 lead in the third thanks to RBI hits from James Triantos (1-for-4) and Christian Bethancourt (3-for-4). Indianapolis went back in front with two runs in the fourth but the I-Cubs responded in the home half of the frame, with Jonathan Long (1-for-4) crushing a grand slam. Iowa made it 11-5 in the fifth, with Owen Miller (2-for-6) doubling home a run and BJ Murray (3-for-5) launching a two-run shot, his eighth of the campaign. The Indians scratched a run across in each the seventh and ninth innings but Iowa was able to hold on for the 11-7 win. Andrew Wantz picked up the win out of the bullpen to improve to 3-0 on the season. Wantz allowed three runs on four hits over four innings of work, striking out three and walking one. Offensively, all nine Cubs starters recorded at least one hit in the ballgame, with six batters tallying multi-hit efforts. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 37–30 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (36–31) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 June 19: The Knoxville Smokies evened their series against the Chattanooga Lookouts with a 2-0 shutout win on Friday night at Covenant Health Park. The Smokies now take a one-game lead in the Southern League North Division with two games left to play in the first half of the season. Their magic number to clinch a postseason spot is two. Both teams traded zeroes through the first six innings of the ballgame, with Knoxville starter Jace Beck turning in five of those innings. Beck allowed just two hits and whiffed a career-high 10 batters with just one walk issued. Yenrri Rojas followed out of the bullpen and picked up the win in relief to improve to 2-5 on the season. Rojas tossed two scoreless frames and retired all six of the batters that he faced. The Smokies finally broke the deadlock in the seventh on a pair of RBI-singles from Carter Trice (1-for-3) and Ariel Armas (1-for-3). Tyler Ras earned his first save of the season by turning in two shutout innings to end the game, allowing just one hit and striking out two. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 40–23 Series Opponent: Fort Fayne TinCaps (27–40) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 June 19: The South Bend Cubs evened their series at the Fort Wayne TinCaps with a 7-6 victory in 11 innings on Friday night at Parkview Field. The TinCaps raced out to 5-0 after their first trip to the plate before the Cubs got on the board with two runs in the third. Josiah Hartshorn (1-for-4) drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and Matt Halbach (1-for-6) picked up an RBI on a fielder’s choice. South Bend plated two more in the fifth to make it 5-4, thanks to an RBI-double from Hartshorn and an RBI from Miguel Useche (0-for-5). Fort Wayne got one of those runs back in the home half of the fifth to make it 6-4 but the Cubs were able to tie the ballgame in the eighth with their third two-spot of the contest. Ty Southisene (2-for-5) provided the clutch knock, driving in a pair on a single. The game would head to extras with neither team able to score in the 10th, with South Bend reliever Ethan Bell stranding the winning at third. Southisene delivered again in high leverage, singling home the go-ahead run in the 11th to give the Cubs the 7-6 lead. Bell would then leave the tying run on third in the bottom of the frame to give South Bend the win. Bell improved to 3-0 on the season after 2 1/3 shutout innings, allowing no hits and striking out four batters to go along with three walks. Koen Moreno got the start for the Cubs and took no decision. Moreno allowed five runs, one earned, on five hits over four innings, striking out two and walking two. Hartshorn’s two RBI brought his High-A total to 30 in just 22 games. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 27–38 Series Opponent: Delmarva Shorebirds (24–43) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 June 19: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their contest at the Delmarva Shorebirds, 8-4, on Friday night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. The Pelicans took a 3-0 lead in the second, plating one on a wild pitch and two thanks to a single off the bat of Alexey Lumpuy (3-for-4). The Shorebirds got on the board with a run in the third to make it 3-1 and that score would hold until the seventh. Delmarva would go in front with three runs after the stretch but Logan Poteet (2-for-3) would make it 4-4 with a solo shot in the eighth, his 11th long ball of the season. The hosts, however, would score four in their trip to the dish in the eighth to go ahead 8-4. Myrtle Beach would go down in order in the ninth to end the game. Kaleb Wing got the start for the Pelicans and did not factor in the decision. Wing allowed one run on three hits over 2 2/3 innings of work, striking out three but issuing four walks. Sam Mettert was handed the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season. Mettert allowed four runs, all unearned, on three hits over two innings, whiffing two batters. The Myrtle Beach offense went 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position on the night, leaving 13 runners on base. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - June 17 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 28–39-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Lookouts lead, 1-0 Season Record: 35–29 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 39–21 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles): Pelicans lead, 1-0 Season Record: 25–37 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 28–39-1 Series Opponent: Indianapolis Indians (28-42) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 June 16: The Iowa Cubs opened their 12-game homestand with a 13-7 victory over the Indianapolis Indians on Tuesday night at Principal Park. Kevin Alcántara (3-for-3) gave the Cubs the lead in the first with an RBI-single but the Indians put up three in the second to take their first lead of the game. In the home half of the second, Christian Bethancourt (3-for-4) doubled home a run and Justin Dean (0-for-3) tied the game at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly. Another three-spot from Indianapolis in the third put the visitors ahead 6-3 but Iowa was able to pull one back in the bottom of the inning on Alcántara’s solo shot, his 16th of the season. Bethancourt launched a two-run shot in the fourth to knot the contest at 6-6, his sixth homer of the season. The I-Cubs plated three in the fifth to take the lead for good in the ballgame, with Owen Miller (1-for-4) giving the club the lead with a sacrifice fly followed by an RBI-double from Jonathan Long (2-for-5) and an RBI-single from Chas McCormick (2-for-4) to make it 9-6. Miller brought his RBI total to three with a two-run single in the seventh and Bethancourt picked up his fourth RBI of the night later in the frame on a single. BJ Murray’s (1-for-4) RBI-double capped the scoring for the Cubs before the Indians pushed one more across in the ninth to make it 13-7. Jordan Wicks got the start for Iowa and took no decision. Wicks allowed six runs on nine hits over three innings of work, picking up four strikeouts. Tyler Beede picked up the win in relief after tossing two scoreless frames, yielding no hits to go along with three strikeouts and a walk. Offensively, eight of the nine Cubs starters hit safely in the ballgame, with six batters tallying multi-hit efforts. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 35–29 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (35–29) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 June 16: With a first-half division title on the line, the Knoxville Smokies opened this vital series vs. the Chattanooga Lookouts with a 5-3 defeat. The two teams are now tied for first in the Southern League North Division with five games remaining. The Smokies’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot remains at four. The Lookouts plated two runs in their first trip to the plate and eventually would make it a 5-0 game after adding one run in the fifth and two in the sixth. Knoxville scored all three of their runs in the home half of the sixth, with Alex Ramírez (1-for-3) launched a solo shot, his eighth of the season, and Ariel Armas (1-for-4) bringing home two with a single. The Smokies were unable to mount a rally over the final three frames, ultimately dropping the opener 5-3. Connor Schultz got the start on the mound for Knoxville and took the loss, falling to 0-3 on the season. Schultz allowed three runs, one earned, on six hits over 4 2/3 innings of work, striking out six and walking one. Tyler Ras turned in 2 1/3 scoreless frames out of the bullpen, allowing two hits to go along with one walk and two strikeouts. Jefferson Rojas went 2-for-4 with a run and double at the dish, extending his hitting streak to five games. Rojas has tallied a multi-hit effort in each of those contests and is now slashing .424/.453/.712 through 14 games in June. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 39–21 Series Opponent: Fort Fayne TinCaps (25–39) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 June 16: The South Bend Cubs opened their series at the Fort Wayne TinCaps with a narrow 4-3 victory on Tuesday night at Parkview Field. The Cubs enter the final series of the first half having already clinched the Midwest League West Division crown. South Bend took a 1-0 lead in the second on Alex Madera’s (2-for-4) but Fort Wayne hit back with three runs in the bottom of the inning to go in front. Miguel Useche (2-for-4) picked up an RBI in the fourth to make it 3-2 and Matt Halbach (3-for-4) made it 3-3 with a solo shot in the sixth, his fifth long ball of the season. Ben Johnson turned in three scoreless innings in relief to help the Cubs come back in the ballgame and he would eventually pick up the win to improve to 2-1 on the season. Johnson did not allow a hit and whiffed one batter, retiring all nine that he faced. He was rewarded for his stellar outing in the eighth when Useche singled in the go-ahead run to make it 4-3. Grayson Moore earned his second save of the campaign by firing 1 1/3 shutout frames to end the game, retiring all four batters he faced, with three coming via a strikeout. Four South Bend hitters would tally multi-hit efforts. Josiah Hartshorn went 0-for-3 with a run, which snapped his 12-game hitting streak. Hartshorn was hit by a pitch, which extended his on-base streak to 19. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 25–37 Series Opponent: Delmarva Shorebirds (23–41) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 June 16: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans opened their series at the Delmarva Shorebirds with an emphatic 12-4 victory on Tuesday night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. The Pelicans took a 1-0 lead in the second thanks to Yahil Melendez’ (1-for-2) RBI-double and later made it 3-0 in the fourth, plating runs on a passed ball and a wild pitch. The Shorebirds made it 3-3 with three in the fifth but Myrtle Beach responded with four in the sixth to re-take the lead for good. After opening the scoring in the frame with two runs on an error, Alexey Lumpuy (2-for-5) doubled in two, his seventh of the campaign, to make it 7-3. The Pelicans then added five in the seventh to put the contest well out of reach. Delmarva would score later in the inning to make it 12-4 but the visitors would cruise to the series-opening win. Braylon Myers got the start for Myrtle Beach and took no decision. Myers spun four shutout innings, allowing just three hits to go along with one walk and two strikeouts. Daniel Avitia picked up the win to improve to 1-1 on the season. Avitia allowed four runs, three earned, over three innings of work, walking three and whiffing two. Henry Cone worked two scoreless frames in relief and did not allow a hit, walking one and shifting one. Four Pelican hitters would tally two-hit performances on the night, with five of the team’s 10 hits going for extra bases. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - June 15 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): Bats win, 3-2-1 Season Record: 27–39-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays): Smokies win, 4-2 Season Record: 35–28 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 38–21 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 24–37 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 27–39-1 Series Opponent: Louisville Bats (36–31-1) Series Standing: Lose, 3-2-1 June 14: The Iowa Cubs ended their series at the Louisville Bats with a 4-4 tie at Louisville Slugger Field. The game headed to extras at 4-4 and the Cubs scored five in the top-half of the frame but inclement weather prevented the Bats from coming to the plate in the inning, which per league rules, meant the contest reverted back to the score at the end of the ninth. Louisville took a 2-0 lead in the fourth and later made it a 4-0 game in the seventh but Iowa knotted the ballgame up with four runs in the eighth. Chas McCormick (1-for-5) plated a run on an RBI-single and Jonathan Long (0-for-3) raced home on a wild pitch. James Triantos (2-for-4) brought home a pair of runs on a single to make it 4-4. Doug Nikhazy got the start for the I-Cubs and took no decision. Nikhazy allowed two runs on three hits over four innings of work, striking out six and walking none. Antoine Kelly turned in two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, retiring all six of the batters he faced, whiffing four of them. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 35–28 Series Opponent: Montgomery Biscuits (32–30) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 June 14: The Knoxville Smokies picked up their third-straight series win with a 4-3 triumph over the Montgomery Biscuits on Sunday. The Biscuits jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third but the Smokies were able to scratch a run across the plate in the fourth thanks to a sacrifice fly from Carter Trice (0-for-3). Brooks Caple got the start on the mound for Knoxville and took no decision. Caple allowed three runs, all unearned, on two hits over five innings of work, walking three and striking out one. Yenri Rojas (2.0 IP), Luke Little (1.0 IP) and Erian Rodriguez (1.0 IP) combined for four scoreless innings in relief while allowing just three hits to go along with four strikeouts and one walk. Their shutdown effort allowed the Smokies to come back and take the lead in the final frame, thanks to scoring one run in each of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. Andy Garriola (1-for-4) brought Knoxville within one on an RBI-groundout and Cameron Sisneros (2-for-2) tied the ballgame with a solo shot, his first of the season. Garriola picked up his second RBI of the contest in the final frame on a sacrifice fly, which would be the game winner. Jefferson Rojas had another outstanding game at the plate, going 3-for-5, his fourth-straight three-hit performance. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 38–21 Series Opponent: Peoria Chiefs (32–31) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 June 14: The South Bend Cubs claimed their sixth-straight series win with a 10-3 victory over the Peoria Chiefs on Sunday at Four Winds Field. The Cubs scored twice in their first trip to the plate thanks to Jose Escobar’s (1-for-3) two-run triple and later made it 3-0 in the second on Kane Kepley’s (1-for-3) sacrifice fly. The Chiefs tied the contest with three runs in the third but South Bend re-took the lead with three runs of its own in the fifth, all scoring on Miguel Useche’s (1-for-4) seventh homer of the season. Josiah Hartshorn (3-for-4) tallied an RBI-single in the seventh with Christian Olivo also coming around to score later in the inning to make it 8-3. Hartshorn then crushed his eighth High-A long ball, a solo shot, in the eighth, his fifth home run in his last seven games. Matt Halbach (2-for-5) scored the I-Cubs’ final run of the game later inning on a wild pitch to make it 10-3. Alfredo Romero got the start for South Bend but did not factor in the decision. Romero allowed three runs on three hits over three innings of work, striking out four and walking two. Nazier Mulé picked up the win in relief to improve to 2-2 on the season. Mulé worked three scoreless frames, yielding just one hit to go along with four strikeouts and two walks. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 24–37 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (33–30) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 June 14: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans salvaged a split in their series with the Augusta GreenJackets following a 6-5 win on Sunday at Pelicans Ballpark. Alexey Lumpuy (1-for-3) homered on the very first pitch of the ballgame and the Pelicans would never relinquish the lead. Logan Poteet (3-for-4) doubled home a run in the second before the GreenJackets scored their first run of the contest in the fourth. Myrtle Beach got that run right back on Geuri Lubo’s solo blast, his fourth of the season. Poteet then picked up his second and third RBI of the game when he launched a two-run blast in the fifth to make it 5-1. Darlyn De Leon (1-for-4) brought home the Pelican’s final run of the ballgame in the sixth on a double, giving Myrtle Beach a five-run lead. Augusta scored three times in the seventh and once more in the ninth but Jordan Henriquez was able to squash the rally and earn his third save of the season to seal the victory. Pierce Coppola got the start on the mound for the Pelicans and took no decision. Coppola allowed one run on three hits over four innings of work, striking out four and walking two. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - June 13 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 27–38 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays): Smokies lead, 3-2 Season Record: 33–28 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 36–21 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 23–36 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 27–38 Series Opponent: Louisville Bats (35–31) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 June 12: The Iowa Cubs evened their series at the Louisville Bats with a 6-4 win on Friday night at Louisville Slugger Field. BJ Murray’s (2-for-3) RBI-triple in the first put the Cubs in front and the visitors doubled their lead on Scott Kingery’s (1-for-4) RBI-groundout in the second. The Bats pulled one back in the third but Iowa got that run back in the fourth when Murray drew a bases-loaded walk. Will Sanders delivered a much-needed good start for the I-Cubs, allowing just one run on three hits over five innings of work, striking out eight batters to improve to 3-0 on the season. The Cubs made it 6-1 in the sixth when Jonathan Long (1-for-3) doubled home a pair and Murray followed with an RBI-double of his own. Louisville pulled three runs back in the eighth to make it 6-4 but Gavin Hollowell worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his second save of the campaign. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 33–28 Series Opponent: Montgomery Biscuits (32–28) Series Standing: Lead, 3-2 June 12: The Knoxville Smokies won their third-straight game and took a 3-2 series lead with their 9-3 victory over the Montgomery Biscuits on Friday night at DABOS Park. Andy Garriola (1-for-4) broke the deadlock in the fourth with a solo shot, his 12th of the year. Owen Ayers’ (2-for-5) RBI-double in the sixth made it a 2-0 game but the Biscuits evened the contest with a pair of runs in the home half of the frame. Alex Ramírez (2-for-5) put Knoxville back in front with a two-run blast in the seventh and the visitors broke the game open with four in the eighth. Carter Trice (2-for-4) brought in a run with a single and Ramírez left the yard for a second time with a three-run homer to make it 8-2. Montgomery plated one in the eighth but Jefferson Rojas (3-for-5) got that run back with a single in the ninth to make it 9-3, which would be the final score of the ballgame. Jace Beck got the start on the mound for the Smokies and took no decision. Beck tossed four scoreless frames, allowing just two hits, to go along with seven strikeouts and two walks. Rojas turned in a three-hit performance for the second-straight game and for the third time this month. It was also his sixth multi-hit effort in June in 11 games. Rojas is now slashing .378/.420/.667 during that span with two doubles, a triple, three home runs and 12 RBI. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 36–21 Series Opponent: Peoria Chiefs (32–29) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 June 12: The South Bend Cubs had their bats go quiet in a 3-1 defeat to the Peoria Chiefs on Friday night at Four Winds Field. The Chiefs scored twice in their first trip to the plate before the Cubs were able to get on the board in the fifth when Josiah Hartshorn (1-for-3) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Peoria restored their two-run advantage with a run in the seventh and would shut down South Bend’s offense the rest of the way to draw the series even at 2-2. Jostin Florentino got the start on the mound for the Cubs and took the loss, falling to 0-3 on the season. Florentino allowed two runs on two hits over three innings of work, striking out four and walking three. Adam Stone worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, allowing just two hits to go along with two strikeouts and a walk. The South Bend offense was held to just five hits on the night, with none going for extra bases, going 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position, leaving 10 on base. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 23–36 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (32–29) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 June 12: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were routed by the August GreenJackets, 13-3, on Friday night at Pelicans Ballpark. Both teams put crooked numbers up on the board in the first, with the GreenJackets scoring three times and the Pelicans twice through a two-run shot from Logan Poteet (1-for-3). The Myrtle Beach offense was unable to keep up with their Augusta counterparts, who made it a 9-1 game after scoring four in the second and two more in the sixth. In the home half of the sixth, the Pelicans would get their final tally of the ballgame on a sacrifice fly from Geuri Lubo (0-for-3). The visitors would add one more in the seventh and three more in the ninth to cruise to the 13-3 win. Dominick Reid started on the mound for Myrtle Beach and suffered the loss, falling to 2-4 on the season. Reid allowed five runs on three hits over 1 1/3 innings of work, walking four and striking out one. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - June 10 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 26–36 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays): Biscuits lead, 1-0 Season Record: 30–27 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 35–19 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): GreenJackets lead, 1-0 Season Record: 21–35 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 26–36 Series Opponent: Louisville Bats (33–30) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 June 9: The Iowa Cubs opened their series at the Louisville Bats with a 10-2 win on Tuesday at Louisville Slugger Field. The Cubs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first thanks to an RBI-double from Owen Miller (2-for-5) and a two-run shot from BJ Murray (2-for-5). Iowa pushed its lead to 7-0 with a four-spot in the fourth. Christian Bethancourt (1-for-5) launched a three-run homer and Miller picked up his second RBI of the ballgame with a single. James Triantos slugged the I-Cubs’ third home run of the game, a two-run blast in the fifth, to make it 9-0. The Bats finally stopped the scoring run with two runs in the sixth but Iowa got one of those runs back in the seventh thanks to a solo shot from Jonathan Long (1-for-4). Iowa would hold Louisville scoreless over the final three frames to cruise to the 10-2 victory. Doug Nikhazy got the start for the Cubs but did not factor into the decision. Nikhazy worked four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits to go along with two walks and two strikeouts. Christian Roa picked up his first win of the season thanks to 1 1/3 shutout innings, allowing one hit and whiffing two. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 30–27 Series Opponent: Montgomery Biscuits (31–25) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 June 9: The Knoxville Smokies dropped their series opener to the Montgomery Biscuits, 6-5, on Tuesday at DABOS Park. The Biscuits took a 4-0 lead in the third but the Smokies were able to halve the deficit with runs in the fourth and fifth. Owen Ayers (2-for-4) launched a solo shot, his 10th of the season, and Hayden Cantrelle (0-for-1) would bring home a run on a sacrifice fly. Carter Trice’s (2-for-4) two-run blast in the sixth tied the game at 4-4 and Ariel Armas’ (2-for-4) RBI-single in the seventh gave Knoxville the lead. The advantage would be short lived as Montgomery instantly scored twice after the stretch to take a 6-5 lead. The Smokies would leave the tying run on second in the eighth and go down in order in the ninth to end the ballgame. Grant Kipp got the start for Knoxville and took no decision. Kipp allowed four runs on five hits over four innings of work, whiffing four batters and walking one. Tony Santana turned in two scoreless frames out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit while striking out two. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 35–19 Series Opponent: Peoria Chiefs (30–28) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 June 9: The South Bend Cubs continued their winning ways with a 6-3 victory in their series opener vs. the Peoria Chiefs at Four Winds Field. The Cubs took a 4-0 lead in the second thanks to a pair of home runs, first a solo blast from Cole Mathis (1-for-4) and then a three-run shot from Kane Kepley (2-for-2). The Chiefs made it 4-2 with a pair of runs in the fourth but South Bend was able to restore their four-run advantage in the seventh with two runs, thanks to RBI-singles from Matt Halbach (1-for-5) and Leonel Espinoza (1-for-4). Peoria would score once more in the ninth but Alfredo Romero would still go on to earn his fourth save of the season, thanks to three innings of one-run ball, to give the Cubs their 19th win in their last 24 contests. Nazier Mulé got the start for South Bend but took no decision. Mulé allowed two runs on four hits over 4 1/3 innings of work, striking out six with just one walk issued. Jackson Brockett picked up the win in relief to improve to 4-1 on the season. Brockett tossed 1 2/3 scoreless frames, allowing just one hit while punching out three. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 21–35 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (31–27) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 June 9: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their eighth-straight contest as they fell in their series opener to the Augusta GreenJackets, 5-2. Augusta opened the scoring with a run in the fourth and it would take until the seventh for the Pelicans to get on the board. Geuri Lubo (1-for-4) launched a solo-shot to tie the game, his third of the year, and Eli Lovich (1-for-3) gave Myrtle Beach the lead with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Augusta, however, would score four times in the top of the ninth to hand the home team the loss. David Bracho started on the mound for the Pelicans but did not factor into the decision. Bracho tossed four innings on one-run ball, allowing just two hits to go along with six strikeouts and a walk. Daniel Avitia turned in four scoreless frames in relief, allowing five hits while whiffing seven batters and walking two. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - June 8 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): Mud Hens win, 4-1 Season Record: 25–36 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies win, 4-2 Season Record: 30–26 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 34–19 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays): RiverDogs win, 6-0 Season Record: 21–34 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 25–36 Series Opponent: Toledo Mud Hens (30–32) Series Standing: Lose, 4-1 June 7: The Iowa Cubs had their series finale with the Toledo Mud Hens on Sunday canceled due to inclement weather. The Cubs will be back in action on Tuesday at Louisville. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 30–26 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (21–35) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 June 7: The Knoxville Smokies earned a series win with a 7-4 victory over the Birmingham Barons on Sunday, extending their winning streak to four games. Hayden Cantrelle’s (1-for-3) two-run double in the second got the Smokies on the board first but the Barons responded with three in the third to take the lead. Jefferson Rojas (2-for-4) put Knoxville back in front with a two-run shot, his third homer in his last two games. The Smokies added two more in the sixth through an RBI-single from Carter Trice (1-for-3) and an RBI-groundout from Karson Simas (0-for-4) to make it 6-3. The two sides traded their final runs of the contest in the seventh, with the Smokies earning their tally on an Owen Ayers (2-for-4) RBI-single. Brooks Caple earned the win in the start to improve to 2-0 on the season. Caple tossed five innings of three-run ball, allowing five hits to go along with seven strikeouts with no walks issued. Vince Reilly converted his fifth save of the campaign with two shutout frames to close the ballgame, allowing just one hit to go along with one strikeout and one walk. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 34–19 Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (24–30) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 June 7: The South Bend Cubs had their series finale at the Quad Cities River Bandits canceled due to rain. The Cubs will be back in action on Tuesday when they host the Peoria Chiefs. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 21–34 Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (32–25) Series Standing: Lose, 6-0 June 7: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their seventh-straight contest as they were swept by the Charleston RiverDogs following a 5-4 defeat on Sunday. Both teams went scoreless through the first five innings, with Pelicans starter Pierce Coppola working all five of those frames. Coppola, who took no decision on the mound, allowed just one hit and whiffed five batters while allowing just one walk. The RiverDogs would break the deadlock in the sixth with a pair of runs but Myrtle Beach stormed back to take the lead with three runs in the seventh. The Pelicans tallied their first run of the frame on an error before Eli Lovich (1-for-4) drove in a pair with a double. Charleston would go back in front after the stretch with two runs to make it 4-3. Jairo Diaz (2-for-4) knotted the contest at 4-4 but Myrtle Beach again could not turn in a shutdown inning as the RiverDogs went back in front with a run in the home half of the frame. The Pelicans would put runners on first and second in their final chance of the game but could not push the tying run across. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - June 6 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): Mud Hens lead, 3-0 Season Record: 24–35 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 28–26 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): Cubs lead, 3-2 Season Record: 33–19 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays): RiverDogs lead, 4-0 Season Record: 21–32 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 24–35 Series Opponent: Toledo Mud Hens (29–31) Series Standing: Trail, 3-0 June 5: The Iowa Cubs dropped their fifth-straight contest, falling to the Toledo Mud Hens, 8-4, on Friday night at Principal Park. The Mud Hens took a 3-0 lead in the second, but the Cubs were able to scratch a run across in the bottom of the inning on Chas McCormick’s (1-for-4) solo blast. James Triantos (2-for-4) made it a 3-3 game in the third with a two-run double, but Toledo took the lead right back with three more in the fourth to make it 6-3. The visitors put two more on the board in the sixth before Jonathan Long’s (1-for-4) solo shot in the seventh made it 8-4, which would become the final score of the ballgame. Jordan Wicks got the start for Iowa and took the loss, falling to 0-3 on the season. Wicks allowed six runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings of work, striking out five and walking two. Connor Noland turned in two shutout innings in relief, allowing no hits and whiffing one. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 28–26 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (21–33) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 June 5: The Knoxville Smokies evened their series against the Birmingham Barons with an 8-7 walk-off win in extra innings on Friday at Covenant Health Park. Owen Ayers (3-for-4) gave the Smokies a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI-double before the Barons tied it at 1-1 in the third. In the home half of that inning, Ayers gave Knoxville the lead right back with a three-run homer, his eighth of the season. Three runs from Birmingham in the fifth tied the game at 4-4, and the visitors would take their first lead of the ballgame with a run in the seventh. Hayden Cantrelle’s (1-for-4) RBI-triple after the stretch made it 5-5, which would be the score of the game as it headed to extra innings. Both teams scored one run in the 10th, with the Smokies getting their run on Ayer’s RBI-single, his fifth run driven in of the night. Birmingham would score once in the 11th to go up 7-6. Karson Simas (3-for-5) tied the game with an RBI single, and Jefferson Rojas (2-for-6) secured the victory with a game-winning, two-out, RBI double. Dawson Netz got the start for Knoxville and took no decision. Netz allowed one run on three hits over three innings of work, striking out two and walking four. Tyler Santana picked up the win in relief, allowing one run on two hits over 1 1/3 innings, whiffing one. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 33–19 Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (24–29) Series Standing: Lead, 3-2 June 5: The South Bend Cubs split their doubleheader at the Quad Cities River Bandits, falling in the opener, 13-8, before coming away with a 4-3 victory in the nightcap. Game 1: The Cubs dropped their doubleheader opener to the River Bandits, 13-8, in seven innings. Quad Cities jumped out to a 9-0 lead with four runs in the first and five in the second, but South Bend responded with eight runs in the third to cut the deficit to one. Kane Kepley (1-for-3) doubled home a run, and Christian Olivo followed by scoring on a wild pitch. Kepley would score on Josiah Hartshorn’s (1-for-3) sacrifice fly, and Matt Halbach (1-for-4) came through with an RBI-double. Halbach would then score on an error, and Alex Madera (1-for-4) would drive in two with a triple a batter later. Justin Stransky (1-for-1) capped the furious rally with an RBI single to make it 9-8. Despite the onslaught in the inning, the Cubs would manage just one hit the rest of the way as the River Bandits dealt the decisive blow with four runs in the fifth to make it 13-8. Jostin Florentino took the loss on the mound for South Bend, falling to 0-2 on the season. Florentino allowed four runs on six hits over just one inning of work. Game 2: South Bend got back in the win column with a 4-3 triumph over Quad Cities in the doubleheader nightcap, in a game that was being made up from April 3. The River Bandits, playing as the “road” team, opened the scoring with two runs in the second, but the Cubs hit back with three in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Miguel Useche (1-for-3) tied the game with a two-run shot, his fifth of the year, and Drew Bowser (1-for-3) gave the “home” team the lead with an RBI-double. Quad Cities leveled the ballgame with a run in the third, but Ty Southisene’s (1-for-3) RBI-single in the fifth would prove to be the decisive swing as South Bend would hold on for the 4-3 win. Mason McGwire picked up the first win of his High-A career by allowing three runs on three hits over five innings of work, striking out four and walking one. Kenyi Perez earned his third save of the campaign by working two shutout innings to close the game, allowing no hits, whiffing five batters, and walking one. In his two outings of this series, Perez has amassed 11 strikeouts in four innings, while issuing just two walks, picking up a save in both games. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 21–32 Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (30–25) Series Standing: Trail, 4-0 June 5: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their fifth-straight contest as they were walked off by the Charleston RiverDogs, 9-8. Derniche Valdez (1-for-5) gave the Pelicans the lead in the first with a two-run double, and Logan Poteet (2-for-4) made it a 3-0 game with a solo shot in the third, his eighth of the season. The RiverDogs stormed back with five runs in the sixth to take their first lead of the contest, but Eli Lovich (2-for-4) tied the game at 5-5 with a two-run blast in the seventh, his eighth of the year. Myrtle Beach went back in front with three runs in the eighth, thanks to a two-run double from Darlyn De Leon (1-for-4), who would also later score on a wild pitch. Charleston would stun the visitors, however, with four runs in the ninth to walk off the Pelicans. All four runs were scored with two outs. Noah Edders got the start for Myrtle Beach and took no decision. Edders tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits to go along with three strikeouts and a walk. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - June 3 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): Mud Hens lead, 1-0 Season Record: 24–33 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Barons lead, 1-0 Season Record: 26–25 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 31–17 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays): RiverDogs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 21–29 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 24–33 Series Opponent: Toledo Mud Hens (27–31) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 June 2: The Iowa Cubs were thumped in their series opener vs. the Toledo Mud Hens, dropping June’s curtain raiser 16-1. Two runs by the Mud Hens in the first put the visitors ahead for good and they would make it a 13-0 game with three in the third and eight in the fifth. The Cubs scored their only run of the ballgame in the seventh when BJ Murray (0-for-3) drew a walk with the bases loaded. Toledo would then plate one in the eighth and two more in the ninth to cruise to the victory. Ty Blach got the start for the I-Cubs and fell to 2-4 on the season. Blach allowed 10 runs, nine earned, on 10 hits over four innings of work, giving up three home runs. Ryan Jensen turned in 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit and whiffing two. The Iowa offense was limited to six hits in the contest, with James Triantos going 3-for-4 with a double and Scott Kingery going 2-for-2. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 26–25 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (20–31) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 June 2: The Knoxville Smokies’ late rally fell just short as they dropped their series opener to the Birmingham Barons, 7-6. The Barons jumped out to a 6-0 with two runs in the second and four in the third before the Smokies got on the board in the home half of the inning on Jefferson Rojas’ (1-for-4) RBI-single. Birmingham added a run in the fourth to make it 7-1 but three runs from Knoxville in the bottom of the fifth got them back into the game. Andy Garriola (1-for-5) drove in a pair with a single and Carter Trice (1-for-5) added another run with a single of his own. Alex Ramírez’ (2-for-4) collected a sacrifice fly in the sixth to make it 7-5. The Smokies were able to get back into the ballgame thanks to a pair of scoreless relief outings from Tyler Santana (3 IP) and Marino Santy (2 IP). The duo combined to allow six hits while striking out seven, with one walk issued. Rojas would score on a wild pitch in the ninth and Knoxville would get the tying run to second with two outs but were unable to come up with a big hit, ultimately falling 7-6. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 31–17 Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (22–27) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 June 2: The South Bend Cubs won for the 11th time in their last 13 games with an 8-4 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits on Tuesday. The teams traded runs in the first, with Josiah Hartshorn’s (3-for-5) third homer of the season giving the Cubs a brief lead. The River Bandits went ahead with three runs in the third but South Bend responded with four in the fourth to take the lead for good. Miguel Useche (1-for-4) tallied an RBI-double and Justin Stranksy (0-for-3) picked up an RBI on a groundout. Drew Bowser’s (2-for-4) two-run double would turn out to be the decisive hit in the ballgame, putting the Cubs ahead 5-4. Jackson Brockett, who would go on to pick up the win in relief and improve to 3-1 on the season, fired four scoreless frames, allowing just two hits and striking out two, allowing South Bend to keep and maintain their lead. The Cubs added some insurance in the ninth, with Christian Olivo (2-for-4) bringing in a run with a single and Hartshorn driving in two more with his third hit of the night. Kenyi Perez earned his second save of the season with a two-inning scoreless effort, allowing no hits and striking out six while issuing just one walk. Hartshorn recorded his second three-hit game of his brief High-A career and has now hit safely in six of his first seven games with South Bend. The Cubs’ No. 8 prospect (MLB.com) is slashing .400/.469/.800 in those seven games with three home runs and 13 RBI. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 21–29 Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (27–25) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 June 2: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were walked off in extra innings by the Charleston RiverDogs, 4-3, in the series opener between the two teams on Tuesday night at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Ballpark. The RiverDogs opened the scoring in the ballgame with a run in their first trip to the plate and doubled their advantage with a run in the third, but two runs from the Pelicans in the fourth, thanks to RBI-singles from Yahil Melendez (1-for-3) and Jairo Diaz (1-for-4), tied the game at 2-2. Strong pitching efforts from Edwardo Melendez (3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R/ER, 3 BB, 2 SO) and Daniel Avitia (3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 4 BB, 2 SO) would help send the contest to extras. The Pelicans went ahead in the 10th on Edward Vargas’ (1-for-4) RBI-single but Charleston would score twice in the home-half of the inning to earn the 4-3 walk-off win. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 31 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 24–32 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Smokies win, 4-2 Season Record: 26–24 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): Cubs win, 5-1 Season Record: 30–17 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Wilson Warbirds (Milwaukee Brewers): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 21–28 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 24–32 Series Opponent: Indianapolis Indians (23–33) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 May 31: The Iowa Cubs split their series with the Indianapolis Indians following an 8-1 defeat on Sunday at Victory Field. The Indians went ahead in the second with a run and later made it 3-0 with two more in the fifth. Runs in the sixth and seventh made it 5-0 Indianapolis before the Cubs got their lone run of the ballgame in the eighth on Brett Bateman’s (1-for-3) RBI-double. The hosts plated three more in the bottom of the frame to coast to the 8-1 win. Matthew Boyd, making the first appearance of his rehab assignment, allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits over four innings of work, striking out two and walking one. The Iowa offense was limited to just four hits in the contest, with Bateman’s double the lone extra-base tally. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 26–24 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (27–24) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 May 31: The Knoxville Smokies claimed a series win with a 4-2 triumph over the Chattanooga Lookouts on Sunday. The victory extends the Smokies winning streak to three games and also moves the club just a half game behind the Lookouts for first place in the Southern League North Division. Chattanooga took the lead with a run in its first trip to the plate but Knoxville starter Brooks Caple would put up four-straight zeroes on the board to keep his team in the ballgame. Caple would not factor into the decision, allowing just one run on four hits over five innings of work, striking out seven and walking one. His work would be rewarded in the sixth when Jefferson Rojas (2-for-4) tied the game with an RBI-single. Rojas would then put the Smokies in front with another RBI-single in the eighth. Later in the frame, Carter Trice (1-for-4) and Edgar Alvarez (1-for-4) would also tally run-scoring singles to make it a 4-1 game. The Lookouts would add a run in the bottom of the inning but Vince Reilly was able to shut the door in the ninth to record his fourth save of the season, a two-inning effort. Jace Beck picked up the win in relief to improve to 4-2 on the year. Beck posted two shutout innings, allowing no hits and whiffing three to go along with one walk. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 30–17 Series Opponent: Fort Wayne TinCaps (23–28) Series Standing: Win, 5-1 May 31: The South Bend Cubs won for the 10th time in their last 12 games with their 7-5 victory over the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Sunday. The Cubs now have a four-and-a-half game lead in the Midwest League West Division. Fort Wayne took a 3-0 lead in the first and kept South Bend off the board until the fourth, when Miguel Useche (3-for-4) launched a solo shot, his fourth home run of the season. The Cubs kept the TinCaps off the board until the ninth inning, thanks in large part to a three-inning scoreless outing in relief from Nazier Mulé. Mulé allowed just one hit and struck out five, with two walks issued. South Bend went ahead in the game with a four-spot in seventh, with Matt Halbach (1-for-5) driving in one with a single, with a second run scoring on an error on the play. Back-to-back bases-loaded walks from Justin Stransky (2-for-3) and Drew Bowser (0-for-3) gave the Cubs a 5-3 lead. Useche came up big in the eighth for the hosts, driving in two more on a single to make it 7-3. Fort Wayne would score twice in the ninth and load the bases with two outs but Kenten Egbert was able to retire the only batter he faced to earn his first save of the season. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 21–28 Series Opponent: Wilson Warbirds (26–25) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 May 31: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans split their series with the Wilson Warbirds following Sunday’s 10-1 defeat at Pelicans Ballpark. The Pelicans were held to just four hits in the ballgame and would go 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, leaving nine runners on base. The Warbirds took the lead in the third with a run and later added three in the fourth to make it 4-0. Another run in the fifth and three more in the sixth from Wilson made it 8-0 before Myrtle Beach got on the board in the bottom-half of the inning on Derniche Valdez’ (0-for-4) RBI-groundout. The Warbirds would then add on runs in the seventh and the ninth to hand the Pelicans the 10-1 defeat. Pierce Coppola took the loss in the start for Myrtle Beach, falling to 0-4 on the season. Coppola allowed just one run on one hit over three innings of work, striking out four but walking five. View full article