CBT847

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

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 29 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates): Cubs lead, 3-1 Season Record: 24–30 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Lookouts lead, 2-1 Season Record: 23–24 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): Cubs lead, 3-1 Season Record: 28–17 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Wilson Warbirds (Milwaukee Brewers): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 20–27 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 24–30 Series Opponent: Indianapolis Indians (22–33) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 May 29: The Iowa Cubs clinched at least a series split with an 8-3 victory over the Indianapolis Indians on Friday night at Victory Field. The Cubs took a 3-0 lead in the second thanks to RBI-singles from Chas McCormick (2-for-5) and Casey Opitz (2-for-5). Owen Miller (4-for-4) brought home a run in the third and Christian Bethancourt (2-for-5) made it 6-0 in the fifth with a two-run double. BJ Murray’s (3-for-5) two-run double in the sixth made it 8-0 before the Indians finally got on the board in the bottom of the inning with a run. Paul Campbell got the start for Iowa but did not factor into the decision. Campbell spun four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four. Indianapolis would plate two more in the ninth but it was not enough as the I-Cubs claimed the win. Five Iowa batters recorded multi-hit efforts, amassing 15 hits in total. Miller’s four-hit game was his second of the series. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 23–24 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (27–21) Series Standing: Trail, 2-1 May 29: The Knoxville Smokies were rained out on Friday. They will make up that contest today as part of a doubleheader. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 28–17 Series Opponent: Fort Wayne TinCaps (23–26) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 May 29: The South Bend Cubs had their eight-game winning streak snapped with a 9-8 defeat to the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Friday night at Four Winds Field. The Cubs plated seven in the first to take a commanding lead in the contest. Josiah Hartshorn (1-for-5) continued his hot start to his High-A career by launching a two run homer and Jose Escobar (1-for-5) followed with an RBI-single three batters later. Drew Bowser’s (1-for-4) grand slam put an emphatic stamp on the opening frame. The TinCaps began to claw back with a run in the second before adding two more in the fourth to make it 7-3. South Bend got that run back in the home half of the inning on Miguel Useche’s (3-for-4) RBI-single. Fort Wayne scored twice in the sixth to make it 8-5. After the Cubs were able to keep the TinCaps off the board in the seventh and the eighth, the visitors stunned the hosts with four in the ninth to snap South Bend’s winning run. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 20–27 Series Opponent: Wilson Warbirds (25–24) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 May 29: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans tallied 15 hits on offense to hold off the Wilson Warbirds for an 11-10 victory on Friday night at Pelicans Ballpark. Edward Vargas (3-for-5) gave the Pelicans the lead with an RBI-single in the second before the Warbirds evened the contest in the third. Myrtle Beach went back ahead in their half of the third on Eli Lovich’s (3-for-5) run-scoring single. Wilson scored three times in the fourth to go up 4-2 and they would take that lead into the sixth. The Pelicans put up a five-spot in the frame to take their third lead of the ballgame. Alexis Hernandez (1-for-5) drove in a run with a single and Darlyn De Leon (2-for-4) raced home on a wild pitch to tie the game. Lovich capped the frame with a three-run blast, his seventh of the season, to put Myrtle Beach ahead for good. The Warbirds cut the lead back to one with two in the seventh but the Pelicans responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. The hosts scored two of their runs via a bases-loaded hit by pitch and a wild pitch before Alexey Lumpuy (1-for-5) brought in a run with a double. De Leon drove in an important insurance run in the eighth to make it 11-6, as Wilson tallied four in the ninth, but Myrtle Beach was able to hold on for the win. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 27 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 22–29 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Lookouts lead, 1-0 Season Record: 22–23 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 26–16 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Wilson Warbirds (Milwaukee Brewers): Warbirds lead, 1-0 Season Record: 18–26 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 22–29 Series Opponent: Indianapolis Indians (21–31) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 May 25: The Iowa Cubs opened their series at the Indianapolis Indians with a 9-7 comeback victory on Monday at Victory Field. The Indians took a 1-0 lead after one but the Cubs scored twice in the second to take their first lead of the ballgame. Scott Kingery’s (1-for-3) sacrifice fly started the scoring and Brett Bateman (3-for-5) put Iowa in front with an RBI-single. Indianapolis would score five times in the bottom of the second to take a 6-2 advantage. The I-Cubs got two of those runs back in the fourth on another RBI-single from Bateman and a run-scoring bunt single from Justin Dean (1-for-4). Ben Cowles (1-for-5) brought home a run in the fifth to cut the lead to one but the Indians answered back with a run of their own in the home half of the frame to make it 7-5. Iowa went in front for good with three runs in the sixth, with Owen Miller (4-for-5) tallying an RBI-single and Cowles delivering the go-ahead swing with a two-run single. Miller’s solo blast in the eighth, his third of the year, gave the Cubs some insurance as they were able to hold on for the series-opening win. Tyler Beede picked up the win out of the bullpen and improved to 1-2 on the season. Beede allowed one run on two hits over three innings of work, striking out two and walking one. Luke Little earned his first save of the season by tossing two perfect frames, whiffing two. Eight of the nine Iowa starters tallied at least one hit in the ballgame with four recording at least three-hit efforts. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 22–23 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (26–20) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 May 26: The Knoxville Smokies dropped their series opener to the Chattanooga Lookouts, 12-3, on Tuesday at Erlanger Park. The Lookouts took a 3-0 lead in the first and later made it a 9-0 game with a six-spot in the fourth. The Smokies finally got on the board with two in the seventh through a solo shot from Jefferson Rojas (2-for-2), his fifth of the season, and an RBI-single from Alex Madera (1-for-2). Chattanooga plated three more in the bottom of the inning to make it 12-2. Andy Garriola (2-for-4) notched a consolation tally in the ninth with a solo blast, his ninth of the season. Frankie Scalzo Jr. turned in three scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing just two hits, striking out three while issuing just one walk. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 26–16 Series Opponent: Fort Wayne TinCaps (22–24) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 May 26: The South Bend Cubs pushed their winning streak to six games with a 5-2 series-opening win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field. Josiah Hartshorn (1-for-2), making his High-A debut, gave the Cubs the lead with a sacrifice fly in the first. Kade Snell (1-for-2) doubled the lead two batters later with an RBI-double, his sixth two-bagger of the year. The TinCaps halved the lead in the second but South Bend got that right run back in the home half of the inning to go up 3-1. Hartshorn picked up his first High-A hit in the fifth, doubling home Ty Southisene (1-for-3). The Cubs added another run in the eighth before Fort Wayne pushed one across in the ninth but they were able to hold on for the 5-2 win. Alfredo Romero improved to 2-1 on the season by firing 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and whiffing four, to go along with two walks. Jackson Brockett earned his first save of the season by working the final 3 1/3 frames, allowing one run on three hits to go along with five strikeouts. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 18–26 Series Opponent: Wilson Warbirds (24–22) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 May 26: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their ninth-straight contest, falling to the Wilson Warbirds, 4-1, on Tuesday night at Pelicans Ballpark. The Warbirds took a 1-0 lead in the second and added runs in the fourth and the fifth to make it 3-0. The two teams traded runs in the eighth, with Eli Lovich (4-for-4) providing the Pelicans’ lone run of the ballgame on a solo shot, his fifth of the season. Pierce Coppola got the start for Myrtle Beach and took the loss, falling to 0-3 on the season. Coppola allowed two runs on three hits over four innings of work, striking out eight and walking two. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 25 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 21–29 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays): Biscuits win, 4-1 Season Record: 22–22 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers): Cubs win, 5-1 Season Record: 25–16 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox): Cannon Ballers win, 6-0 Season Record: 18–25 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 21–29 Series Opponent: Memphis Redbirds (30–21) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 May 25: The Iowa Cubs won their second-straight contest to earn a series split vs. the Memphis Redbirds, winning Sunday’s contest 18-4. The 18 runs marked a season high for the Cubs. The Redbirds took a 3-0 lead after their first trip to the plate but the Iowa offense exploded for nine runs in the second. Brett Bateman’s (2-for-3) sacrifice fly started the scoring and Jonathan Long (1-for-6) tied the game two batters later with a two-run single. BJ Murray (1-for-4) gave the Cubs the lead with an RBI-single of his own and Owen Miller (3-for-5) followed with an RBI-double. Ben Cowles (3-for-4) capped the frame in style, slugging a grand slam, his third homer of the year, to make it 9-3. Chas McCormick (2-for-4) got the I-Cubs into double digits with a solo blast in the fifth. The Iowa offense put up another crooked number in the eighth, this time scoring eight runs. Justin Dean (2-for-5) and Miller tallied RBI-singles, while McCormick and Cowles notched RBI-doubles. Bateman would draw a bases-loaded walk to collect another RBI and Dean’s second hit and RBI of the inning would make it 18-3. Memphis would tack on one more in the ninth with the game well out of reach. Ryan Jensen picked up the win in relief to improve to 2-2 on the season. Jensen tossed two scoreless frames, allowing no hits and striking out one. He was one of three Cubs relievers to post scoreless outings of more than one inning. On the offensive side, all nine starters recorded at least one hit while six batters tallied multi-hit efforts. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 22–22 Series Opponent: Montgomery Biscuits (24–20) Series Standing: Lose, 4-1 May 25: The Knoxville Smokies dropped their series finale to the Montgomery Biscuits on Sunday, 7-3. The Biscuits would take the lead in the contest with three runs in the second and make it a 5-0 game with two more in the fourth. The Smokies would get on the board in the fifth through Arial Armas’ (1-for-3) RBI-double and would make it a 5-3 ballgame in the seventh through an RBI-single from Karson Simas (1-for-3) and an RBI-groundout from Armas. Montgomery would put the game away, however, with two runs in the eighth and would hold off Knoxville to earn the 7-3 win. Dawson Netz got the start for the Smokies and took the loss, falling to 2-1 on the season. Netz allowed three runs on three hits over 1 1/3 innings of work, striking out three to go along with one walk. Jace Beck tossed two shutout innings in relief, allowing one hit and whiffing four. Beck has not allowed an earned run in his last 13 innings of work, spanning five outings. He has amassed 20 strikeouts compared to just five walks. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 25–16 Series Opponent: West Michigan Whitecaps (14–31) Series Standing: Win, 5-1 May 25: The South Bend Cubs extended their winning streak to five games with a 5-4 victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps on Sunday. Cole Mathis (1-for-5) gave the Cubs the lead in their first trip to the plate with a two-run single. Cameron Sisneros (1-for-4) made it a 3-0 ballgame with an RBI-double in the fifth. Koen Moreno got the start for South Bend and posted four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four to go along with one walk. The Whitecaps would score all four of their runs in the game in the seventh to take a late lead but the Cubs were able to rally with two runs in the eighth to go back in front. Christian Olivo (2-for-4) plated both of those runs with a single and Eli Jerzembeck was able to toss two shutout innings to close the game to give South Bend the win and earn his first save of the season. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 18–25 Series Opponent: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (24–21) Series Standing: Lose, 6-0 May 25: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were blanked, and swept, by the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, falling 5-0 on Sunday at Atrium Health Ballpark. The Pelicans have now lost eight-straight games. The Cannon Ballers plated a run in both the first and second innings and would then tack on another in the fourth to make it 3-0. Kannapolis would then add two more in the sixth and coast to a 5-0 win. The Pelican offense was held to just five hits on the day, with Jairo Diaz (2-for-2) posting the only multi-hit effort. Mason McGwire started and took the loss for Myrtle Beach, falling to 2-2 on the season. McGwire allowed three runs on five hits over four innings of work, striking out seven and walking one. Edwardo Melendez tossed two shutout innings in relief, allowing one hit, whiffing four and walking two. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 22 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals): Redbirds lead, 3-1 Season Record: 19–29 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays): Biscuits lead, 2-0 Season Record: 21–20 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers): Cubs lead, 3-1 Season Record: 23–16 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox): Cannon Ballers lead, 4-0 Season Record: 18–23 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 19–29 Series Opponent: Memphis Redbirds (30–19) Series Standing: Trail, 3-1 May 22: The Iowa Cubs dropped Friday night’s contest to the Memphis Redbirds, 8-4, and have now lost 10 of their last 11 ballgames. The Redbirds plated five runs in their first trip to the plate but the Cubs were able to get two runs back in the bottom of the inning thanks to BJ Murray’s (2-for-4) two-run double. Murray then made it a 5-4 game in the second with a two-run single but Memphis would pull away with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to ease to the 8-4 win. Javier Assad got the start for Iowa and took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season. Assad allowed five runs on six hits over 3 2/3 innings of work, walking two and striking out one. Luke Little worked two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, issuing one free pass. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 21–20 Series Opponent: Montgomery Biscuits (22–19) Series Standing: Trail, 2-0 May 22: The Knoxville Smokies had their game vs. the Montgomery Biscuits suspended in the bottom of the second, with the Smokies leading 1-0. The two teams will play a doubleheader tonight, with Friday’s game being played as a nine-inning contest with a seven-inning ballgame to follow. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 23–16 Series Opponent: West Michigan Whitecaps (14–19) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 May 22: The South Bend Cubs claimed at least a series split with a 5-4 victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps on Friday night at LMCU Ballpark. The Whitecaps took the lead in the contest with a run in the first but the Cubs got that run right back in the second through Justin Stransky’s (1-for-4) RBI-double. Cameron Sisneros (1-for-4) gave South Bend its first lead of the game with an RBI-single in the fifth but West Michigan hit back with three runs in the home half of the frame to take a 4-2 lead. Kane Kepley (1-for-5) sparked the Cubs’ rally in the seventh by stealing home, his 24th stolen base of the campaign, and South Bend would tie the game on an error. Leonel Espinoza (2-for-5) would give the Cubs the lead for good with an RBI-single, capping a three-run frame. Adam Stone picked up the win in relief for South Bend to improve to 3-0 on the season. He tossed 1 2/3 scoreless frames and did not allow a hit but issued four walks. JP Wheat worked two shutout innings and struck out three to earn his third hold of the year and Ethan Bell pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out two, to earn his third save. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 18–23 Series Opponent: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (22–21) Series Standing: Trail, 4-0 May 22: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans saw their losing skid hit six games as they dropped Friday night’s ballgame to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, 3-2. The two teams traded zeroes through the first three innings before Yahil Melendez (2-for-4) broke the deadlock with a two-run single in the fourth. After four scoreless innings from Pelicans starter Kaleb Wing, who struck out six batters, the Cannon Ballers would score all three of their runs in the fifth and would hold their lead until the end of the game. Jose Escobar (2-for-4) also tallied a multi-hit effort for Myrtle Beach and Jordan Henriquez worked two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, whiffing three. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 19 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals): Redbirds lead, 1-0 Season Record: 18–27 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays): Biscuits lead, 1-0 Season Record: 21–19 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers): Whitecaps lead, 1-0 Season Record: 20–16 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox): Cannon Ballers lead, 1-0 Season Record: 18–20 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 18–27 Series Opponent: Memphis Redbirds (28–18) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 May 19: The Iowa Cubs saw their losing streak reach eight games after suffering a 6-3 defeat to the Memphis Redbirds on Tuesday at Principal Park. The Redbirds took the lead in the first but Kevin Alcántara (1-for-5) was able to bring the Cubs level with an RBI-single in the third. The teams traded runs in the fifth, with James Triantos (2-for-4) tying the game for Iowa at 2-2 with an RBI-triple. Memphis went ahead for a third time on the night with a run in the seventh and doubled its lead with another in the eighth to make it 4-2. Justin Dean’s (1-for-3) solo shot in the eighth cut the deficit to one but the Redbirds pulled away with two runs in the ninth to earn the series-opening win. Ryan Jensen got the bulk of work in relief after I-Cubs starter Connor Noland departed in the second following being struck by a comebacker in the right leg. Jensen worked 2 1/3 scoreless frames, allowing just two hits while striking out four. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 21–19 Series Opponent: Montgomery Biscuits (21–19) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 May 19: The Knoxville Smokies opened their series against the Montgomery Biscuits with a 3-1 defeat on Tuesday night at Covenant Health Park. The Biscuits jumped out to a 3-0 lead after scoring twice in the second and adding their third in the third. The Smokies finally got on the board in the seventh when Edgar Alvarez (1-for-2) doubled home Ed Howard (1-for-1). Knoxville would be held to just five hits in the ballgame with no batter able to record a multi-hit effort. Yenrri Rojas started on the mound for the Smokies, taking the loss and falling to 1-3 on the year. Rojas allowed three runs on six hits over five innings of work, striking out four while issuing no walks. Jace Beck worked three scoreless frames in relief, yielding one hit while punching out seven. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 20–16 Series Opponent: West Michigan Whitecaps (14–16) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 May 19: The South Bend Cubs dropped their series opener to the West Michigan Whitecaps, 6-4, on Tuesday night at LMCU Ballpark. The Whitecaps plated a run in both the second and third innings before the Cubs got on the board in the sixth through an RBI-single from Kade Snell (1-for-4). West Michigan responded with four runs in the home half of the sixth to make it a 6-1 game. South Bend was able to make it 6-4 in the seventh thanks to a three-run blast from Kane Kepley (1-for-4), his second of the season. The Cubs weren’t able to rally further, ultimately dropping the contest. Nazier Mulé suffered the loss in the start, allowing one run on one hit over 1 1/3 innings of work, but issued four walks to go along with three strikeouts. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 18–20 Series Opponent: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (19–21) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 May 19: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans saw their losing skid his three games as they dropped their series opener to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, 3-1. Pelicans starter Pierce Coppola set career-best marks in innings pitched (5 1/3) and strikeouts (9) but allowed three runs on one hit and three walks and was handed the loss, falling to 0-2 on the campaign. The Cannon Ballers took the lead with a run in the fourth and would later make it 3-0 with two runs in the sixth. Myrtle Beach got their lone run of the contest in the seventh on Jose Escobar’s (2-for-3) RBI-single. Mason McGwire worked 1 2/3 scoreless frames out of the bullpen, striking out one. McGwire has posted a 1.93 ERA (3 ER/14.0 IP) in four appearances this month, striking out 20 while issuing just four walks. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 17 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers): Sounds win, 6-0 Season Record: 18–26 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Columbus Clingstones (Atlanta Braves): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 21–18 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Cubs win, 4-1 Season Record: 20–15 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): GreenJackets win, 4-2 Season Record: 18–19 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 18–26 Series Opponent: Nashville Sounds (26–19) Series Standing: Lose, 6-0 May 17: The Iowa Cubs saw their losing streak reach seven games as they fell, 4-3, to the Nashville Sounds on Sunday at First Horizon Park. This marks the first time this season that the Cubs have been swept in a series. Scott Kingery (1-for-3) put Iowa on the board first with a sacrifice fly in the second. Paul Campbell, who did not factor in the decision, turned in his best start of the season, firing five innings of scoreless ball, allowing two hits and striking out four. The Sounds evened the contest in the sixth but Kingery gave the Cubs the lead right back with an RBI-double in the seventh. James Triantos (3-for-4) delivered what looked to be an important insurance run in the ninth when he singled home Justin Dean, but Nashville would score three times in the home half of the inning to hand Iowa the 4-3 defeat in walk-off fashion. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 21–18 Series Opponent: Columbus Clingstones (19–19) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 May 17: The Knoxville Smokies earned a series split with a 4-3 triumph over the Columbus Clingstones on Sunday at Synovus Park. Alex Ramírez (2-for-4) gave the Smokies the lead in the third with an RBI-single but the Clingstones would go ahead in the fourth by scoring twice. Columbus would then make it a 3-1 game through an inside-the-park home run in the eighth. In the ninth, Knoxville had its first two batters retired quickly but Jordan Nwogu (0-for-3) and Ariel Armas (0-for-3) were able to draw back-to-back walks. Edgar Alvarez (1-for-3) would then club his fourth home run of the season to give the Smokies a 4-3 lead. Marino Santy earned his first save of the season by turning in a scoreless ninth, whiffing two, to seal the comeback victory for Knoxville. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 20–15 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (20–16) Series Standing: Win, 4-1 May 17: The South Bend Cubs had their series finale at the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers canceled due to rain. The contest will not be rescheduled. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 18–19 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (21–18) Series Standing: Lose, 4-2 May 17: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their series to the Augusta GreenJackets following Sunday’s 7-4 defeat at Pelicans Ballpark. The GreenJackets scored twice in their first trip to the plate but the Pelicans were able to level the contest with two runs in the third thanks to Alexis Hernandez’ (1-for-3) first home run of the season. Both teams would score twice in the fifth, with Myrtle Beach getting its runs through an RBI-single from Edward Vargas (2-for-3) and a sacrifice fly from Darlyn De Leon (0-for-3). Augusta would make it 7-4 with three runs in the seventh and kept the Pelican bats quiet for the rest of the ballgame to hand Myrtle Beach the loss. David Bracho started for the Pelicans but did not factor into the decision. He allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits over four innings of work to go along with a pair of strikeouts. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 15 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers): Sounds lead, 4-0 Season Record: 18–24 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Columbus Clingstones (Atlanta Braves): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 20–17 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Cubs lead, 3-1 Season Record: 19–15 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 18–17 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 18–24 Series Opponent: Nashville Sounds (24–19) Series Standing: Trail, 4-0 May 15: The Iowa Cubs suffered a fourth-straight defeat, and a second-straight one-run loss, with a 5-4 setback on Friday night at First Horizon Park. Pedro Ramírez (0-for-3) got the Cubs on the board in the first with a sacrifice fly and Eric Yang (1-for-5) doubled the lead with an RBI-single in the second. The Sounds halved the deficit in the sixth but Iowa starter Jordan Wicks would induce a double play to end the inning to cap his best outing of the season. While taking no decision, Wicks turned in his first quality start of the year, allowing one run on four hits over six innings of work, whiffing a season-high six batters. Nashville would eventually tie the game in the eighth and the contest would head to extra innings. The two teams traded runs in the 10th, with Chas McCormick (1-for-5) driving in the Cubs’ run with a single. The hosts would hold Iowa scoreless in the 11th and win the ballgame in the bottom of the inning, handing the Cubs the 4-3 loss. Kevin Alcántara and Justin Dean each recorded multi-hit efforts on the night while Luke Little worked a scoreless seventh inning in relief. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 20–17 Series Opponent: Columbus Clingstones (18–18) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 May 15: The Knoxville Smokies suffered a 6-5 walk-off defeat to the Columbus Clingstones on Friday night at Synovus Park. Jefferson Rojas’ (1-for-5) sacrifice fly in the first gave the Smokies a brief lead as the Clingstones quickly evened the score in their first trip to the plate. Columbus took its first lead of the ballgame with a three-spot in the third but Knoxville would eventually answer back with three runs in the fifth to tie the contest at 4-4. Carter Trice (1-for-2) drove in all three of those runs with his sixth homer of the season, marking the third game in a row that he has gone yard. Alex Ramírez raced home on a wild pitch in the seventh to give the Smokies a 5-4 lead but the Clingstones would go on to score two in the ninth and hand Knoxville the 5-4 defeat. Brook Caple got the start for the Smokies and did not factor in the decision. He allowed four runs on six hits over six innings of work, striking out six. Tyler Ras turned in 1 2/3 scoreless frames in relief, whiffing one. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 19–15 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (20–15) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 May 15: The South Bend Cubs’ bats continued to stay hot with a dominant 9-0 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers to clinch at least a series split. The Cubs have now outscored the Timber Rattlers 50-18 through the first four games of the series. South Bend jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first thanks to a sacrifice fly from Kade Snell (1-for-2) and a three-run blast from Leonel Espinoza. Those four runs were more than enough for Cubs starter Cole Reynolds, who fired five shutout innings, allowing only one hit and striking out five, to earn his first win of the season. Cameron Sisneros (1-for-3) put the game well out of reach in the seventh by crushing a three-run shot, his fifth of the season, and Justin Stransky (1-for-4) would later bring home a run later in the frame with an RBI-triple to make it 8-0. Kane Kepley (3-for-6) put the finishing touches on the night with an RBI-single in the ninth. Adam Stone earned his first save of the season by working the final three innings of the ballgame, yielding just one hit to go along with four strikeouts. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 18–17 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (19–18) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 May 15: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans evened up their series with the Augusta GreenJackets with a 7-6 comeback victory on Friday night at Pelicans Ballpark. Both teams were kept scoreless through the first four innings of play, with Pelicans starter Braylon Meyers turning in four shutout innings on the mound, allowing just two hits and striking out five, to go along with no walks issued. The GreenJackets would score first in the fifth, pushing two runs across and would later make it 3-0 with a run in the seventh. After the stretch, the Myrtle Beach offense erupted for seven runs to take a 7-3 lead. Eli Lovich (2-for-4) doubled in a run and Geuri Lubo (1-for-4) tied the contest with a two-run double two batters later. Jairo Diaz (0-for-3) gave the Pelicans the lead with a sacrifice fly and Alexis Hernandez (1-for-3) and Josiah Hartshorn (2-for-4) added to it with RBI-singles. Three runs from Augusta made it 7-6 heading into the ninth but Jordan Henriquez turned in a 1-2-3 inning to end the game. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 12 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers): Sounds lead, 1-0 Season Record: 18–21 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Columbus Clingstones (Atlanta Braves): Smokies lead, 1-0 Season Record: 19–15 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 17–14 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): GreenJackets lead, 1-0 Season Record: 16–16 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 18–21 Series Opponent: Nashville Sounds (21–19) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 May 12: The Iowa Cubs opened their series at the Nashville Sounds with a 9-3 defeat on Tuesday night at First Horizon Park. Pedro Ramírez (0-for-3) got the Cubs on the board in the first when he scored on a passed ball but the Sounds would even the score at 1-1 with a run in the second. Nashville went ahead with two runs in the third but James Triantos (1-for-3) would get Iowa back within one with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. The hosts plated a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to go up 5-2 and then would break the game open with four in the fifth to take a 9-2 lead. Justin Dean (1-for-5) tallied an RBI-single in the seventh but that was all for the I-Cubs offense in the contest, falling 9-3. Paul Campbell took the loss in the start, allowing five runs on seven hits over 3 2/3 innings of work, striking out four and issuing four walks. BJ Murray went 3-for-3 on the night to raise his batting average to .314 (11-for-35) in the month of May. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 19–15 Series Opponent: Columbus Clingstones (16–17) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 May 12: The Knoxville Smokies opened their series at the Columbus Clingstones with an 8-2 victory on Tuesday night at Synovus Park. Karson Simas (1-for-4) led off the game with a solo blast, his fourth of the season, but the Clingstones evened the score with a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame. Alex Ramírez (2-for-4) went yard for the second time of the campaign, a solo shot, to give the Smokies a 2-1 lead. Knoxville scored again in third through a sacrifice fly from Ramírez but Columbus would get that run back later in the inning to make it 3-2. Andy Garriola’s (2-for-5) eighth home run of the year in the eighth made it 4-2 and the Smokies would put the game out of reach with four in the ninth. Ramírez would pick up RBI No.'s 3 and 4 with a single and Jordon Nwogu (1-for-4) would later swipe home. Edgar Alvarez’ (2-for-5) RBI-double would cap the scoring in the inning as Knoxville cruised to the 8-2 win. Yenrri Rojas started for Knoxville but did not factor into the decision. He allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits over 3 1/3 innings of work, striking out four. Tyler Ras picked up the win in relief to improve to 3-0 on the season. He retired all five of his batters faced, striking out two. Vince Reilly earned his third save of the season by tossing two scoreless frames to end the ballgame, whiffing four batters. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 17–14 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (19–13) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 May 12: The South Bend Cubs opened their series at the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers with a dominant 10-1 victory on Tuesday night at Neuroscience Group Field. The two teams traded runs in their first trips to the plate, with Cole Mathis’ (3-for-5) RBI-double getting the Cubs on the board. Kane Kepley (2-for-5) gave South Bend the lead for good with a three-run blast in the second, his first of the season, to make it 4-1. Koen Moreno turned in another solid start but did not factor into the decision. He turned in four hitless innings, allowing one run, to go along with six strikeouts. Grayson Moore earned the win in relief to improve to 2-0 of the season. Moore worked two scoreless frames, allowing just one hit and striking out two. The Cubs used a six-spot in the seventh to put the game out of reach, thanks to a sacrifice fly from Cameron Sisneros (2-for-5), a bases-loaded walk drawn by Kade Snell (1-for-4), productive RBI-outs from Matt Halbach (0-for-5) and Leonel Espinoza (1-for-5), and Christian Olivo (1-for-3) getting plunked with the bases loaded. The South Bend pitching staff held Wisconsin to just three hits on the night while the Cubs’ offense had four batters record multi-hit efforts. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 16–16 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (18–16) Series Standing: Trail, 0-1 May 12: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans, back in action for the first time since Friday, dropped their series opener to the Augusta GreenJackets, 4-3. The Pelicans took a 2-0 lead in their first trip to the plate thanks to RBI-singles from Michael Carico (2-for-4) and Jose Escobar (1-for-4). The two teams traded runs in the second, with Myrtle Beach restoring their two-run advantage through Alexey Lumpuy’s (1-for-5) RBI-single in the home half of the inning. Augusta would plate a run in the fifth and later tie the game at 3-3 with another run in the seventh. The GreenJackets would score the go-ahead run in the ninth and keep the Pelicans off the board to earn the 4-3 win. David Bracho got the start for Myrtle Beach but did not factor into the decision. Bracho allowed one run, unearned, on two hits over four innings of work to go along with five strikeouts. Bracho recorded an immaculate inning in the third, marking the first time a Pelican has recorded such a feat, according to the team’s record book. View full article