CBT847

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - August 15 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Cubs lead, 3-0 Season Record: 48–66-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels): Smokies lead, 3-1 Season Record: 61–51 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers): Loons lead, 3-1 Season Record: 64–44 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Hill City Howlers (Cleveland Guardians): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 44–66 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 48–66-1 Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (66-50) Series Standing: Lead, 3-0 Aug. 14: The Iowa Cubs had their contest postponed due to rain. They go for a series win today with a doubleheader vs. the St. Paul Saints, with first pitch in the opening ballgame set for 4:08 p.m. CT. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 61–51 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (57–54) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 Aug. 14: The Knoxville Smokies won their third-straight game and earned at least a series split with a 5-4 victory over the Rocket City Trash Pandas on Friday night at Covenant Health Park. The Trash Pandas opened the scoring with a run in their first trip to the plate before Edgar Alvarez (0-for-1) made it 1-1 with a sacrifice fly in the second. Kane Kepley’s (1-for-4) two-run double in the fifth gave Knoxville the lead, and Carter Trice’s (3-for-3) solo blast in the sixth made it 4-1. Trice gave the Smokies an important insurance run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly as Rocket City would score three in the ninth to make it a one-run game, but Grayson Moore was able to get the final two outs of the frame to earn his first save of the season and deliver the 5-4 win for the Smokies. Luis Martinez-Gomez got the start on the mound for Knoxville and earned his first-career Double-A win, improving to 1-3 on the season. Martinez-Gomez allowed one run on three hits over five innings of work, walked three and struck out four. Jackson Brockett turned in three scoreless frames out of the bullpen, allowing three hits while whiffing two without issuing a walk. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 64–44 Series Opponent: Great Lakes Loons (62–46) Series Standing: Trail, 3-1 Aug. 14: The South Bend Cubs snapped their three-game losing skid with a 6-2 victory over the Great Lakes Loons on Friday night at Dow Diamond. Angel Cepeda (1-for-4) gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead just two batters into the game with a solo home run, his fourth of the season. South Bend broke the game open with four runs in the third, thanks to a bases-loaded walk from Matt Halbach (0-for-3), a run scoring on a catcher’s interference, and two runs scoring on an error. Michael Hallquist (1-for-4) made it 6-0 in the sixth with a solo blast of his own, his sixth of the season. The Loons would score both of their runs in the ninth, but the Cubs were still able to hold on for the win. Alfredo Romero got the start on the mound for South Bend and earned the win, improving to 3-3 on the season. Romero tossed five scoreless innings, allowed just three hits, and struck out three with no walks. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 44–66 Series Opponent: Hill City Howlers (48–64) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 Aug. 14: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped Friday night’s contest to the Hill City Howlers, 11-7, at Pelicans Ballpark. The Howlers took a 1-0 lead in the first, but the Pelicans went ahead with two runs in the second, thanks to Derniche Valdez’s (2-for-3) two-run triple. Jhoander Irigoyen (1-for-3) made it 3-1 in the fourth with a sacrifice fly. Hill City rallied for five runs in the seventh to make it 6-3, but Myrtle Beach was able to get one of those runs back in the home half of the frame on a Juan Cabada (0-for-4) sacrifice fly. The Howlers extended their lead to 10-4 with four more in the eighth, but the Pelicans again responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 10-7. Irigoyen singled home a run, and Derik Alcantara (1-for-1) hit the first professional home run of his career, a two-run shot. Hill City added one more in the ninth, and Myrtle Beach was unable to rally any further. Daniel Avitia got the start on the mound for the Pelicans and took no decision. Avitia tossed five hitless innings, allowed one run, walked two, and struck out five. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 46–66-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels): Trash Pandas lead, 1-0 Season Record: 58–51 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers): Loons lead, 1-0 Season Record: 63–42 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Hill City Howlers (Cleveland Guardians): Howlers lead, 1-0 Season Record: 42–65 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 46–66-1 Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (66-48) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 Aug. 11: The Iowa Cubs slugged their way to a 6-3 victory over the St. Paul Saints on Tuesday night at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. The Saints took a 1-0 lead in the first before Greg Jones (1-for-3) evened the contest with a solo shot in the third. St. Paul back in front in the fifth but the Cubs took the lead for good with a five-spot in the home half of the inning. Ben Cowles (1-for-3) and Jordan Nwogu (1-for-3) crushed back-to-back solo shots and BJ Murray (1-for-4) launched a three-run blast to make it 6-2. For Nwogu, it was his first-career home run at the Triple-A level. The I-Cubs got five strong innings from starter Jordan Wicks, who allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits to go along with one walk and two strikeouts. Wicks would pick up the win to improve to 2-9 on the season. The Saints added one more run in the seventh but Ethan Roberts and Gabe Klobosits worked scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to give Iowa the series-opening victory, with Klobosits earning his third save of the season. Jaxon Wiggins worked a scoreless sixth out of the bullpen, walking one and striking out two. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 58–51 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (57–51) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 Aug. 11: The Knoxville Smokies fell in their series opener to the Rocket City Trash Pandas, 6-1, on Monday night at Covenant Health Park. Ariel Armas (1-for-4) gave the Smokies the lead with an RBI-double in the second but that would be the only offense in the game for the hosts. The Trash Pandas would take the lead with four runs in the sixth before adding two more in the seventh to go up 6-1, which would go on to be the final score of the ballgame. Knoxville would be held to just five hits on the night, with just one going for extras bases. The Smokies would also go 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, leaving six runners on base. Edward Cabrera, making his first rehab appearance at Knoxville, tossed five no-hit innings, walked just one batter and struck out seven. Daniel Palencia, also making his first rehab appearance with the Smokies, was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs over six batters faced without recording an out. Palencia walked three batters and struck out one. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 63–42 Series Opponent: Great Lakes Loons (60–45) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 Aug. 11: The South Bend Cubs dropped their series opener at the Great Lakes Loons, 6-3, on Tuesday night at Dow Diamond. Logan Poteet (1-for-4) gave the Cubs the lead in the second with a two-run double and Matt Halbach (2-for-4) made it 3-0 with a solo shot in the third, his ninth of the season. The Loons made it a one-run game with two in the fourth and later made it 3-3 with a run in the sixth. Great Lakes took the lead for good with three runs in the seventh and would keep South Bend off the board the rest of the way. Jostin Florentino got the start on the mound for the Cubs and took no decision. Florentino allowed two runs on four hits over four innings of work, walked three and struck out five. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 42–65 Series Opponent: Hill City Howlers (47–62) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 Aug. 11: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans opened their series vs. the Hill City Howlers with a 9-4 defeat on Tuesday night at Pelicans Ballpark. Both teams traded runs in the second, with the Pelicans getting their tally via an RBI-single from Corey Nunez (2-for-4). The Howlers broke the contest open with two in the fourth and four more in the fifth to go up 7-1. Hill City added another run in the sixth before Myrtle Beach put three on the board in the eighth. Ethan Conrad (2-for-4) tripled home a pair of runs and Jhoander Irigoyen (2-for-4) singled in another. The visitors would go on to add one more in the ninth to make it 9-4. Edwardo Melendez got the start on the mound for the Pelicans and took no decision. Melendez allowed one run on two hits over three innings of work, walked two and struck out three. Conrad’s two-hit performance extended his career-high hitting streak to five games and now has four-straight multi-hit performances. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates): Indians win, 4-2 Season Record: 45–66-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Smokies win, 4-2 Season Record: 58–50 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 63–41 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Fireflies win, 4-2 Season Record: 42–64 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 45–66-1 Series Opponent: Indianapolis Indians (56-58-1) Series Standing: Lose, 4-2 Aug. 9: The Iowa Cubs were blanked in their series finale at the Indianapolis Indians, 2-0, on Sunday at Victory Field. Runs in the second and fourth were enough for the Indians as the Cubs were limited to just one hit in the ballgame, a single off the bat of Ben Cowles (1-for-2). Kevin Alcántara (0-for-3) saw his franchise-record 42-game on-base streak come to end in the contest. Josh Fleming got the start on the mound for Iowa and suffered the loss, falling to 4-6 on the season. Fleming allowed one run on four hits over three innings of work and struck out two batters without a walk issued. Shelby Miller made his first appearance of the season, on a rehab assignment, and allowed one run on two hits in one inning in relief and picked up two strikeouts. Hoby Milner made his fourth rehab outing with the I-Cubs and spun two shutout innings in relief, allowing just one hit and whiffing one batter. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 58–50 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (51–57) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 Aug. 9: The Knoxville Smokies were walked off by the Chattanooga Lookouts, 6-5, on Sunday at Erlanger Park. Miguel Useche (0-for-3) gave the Smokies a 1-0 lead in the first with a sacrifice fly and Carter Trice’s (1-for-3) solo homer in the fourth doubled their lead. The Lookouts scored a run in the fifth before Knoxville put up a three-spot in the seventh to make it 5-1, thanks to RBI-singles from Karson Simas (2-for-4), Kane Kepley (1-for-3) and Andy Garriola (1-for-4) in three-consecutive at-bats. The Smokies were unable to turn in a shutdown inning following the stretch as Chattanooga answered with a three-spot of their own to make it 5-4. In the ninth, the Lookouts would score twice with one out in the frame to hand Knoxville the loss. Kevin Valdez got the start on the mound for the Smokies and took no decision. Valdez tossed his first-career quality start at the Double-A level, allowing one run, unearned, on three hits over six innings of work, striking out six batters while walking just one. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 63–41 Series Opponent: Cedar Rapids Kernels (41–65) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 Aug. 9: The South Bend Cubs earned a series split with the Cedar Rapids Kernels thanks to a dominant 13-1 victory on Sunday at Four Winds Field. The game was called with one out in the bottom of the eighth due to inclement weather. The Kernels plated a run in their first trip to the plate but the Cubs answered with two of their own to take the lead for good, with both runs scoring on an error on a stolen base attempt. RBI-hits from Michael Hallquist (1-for-3), Geuri Lubo (1-for-2) and Brennan Hudson (1-for-3) in the third made it 6-1 and South Bend continued to pour it on with four more runs in the fourth to make it 10-1. Josiah Hartshorn (2-for-4) crushed a two-run shot, his 13th of the season, Logan Poteet (2-for-5) singled in a pair of runs and Lubo picked up his third RBI of the ballgame with a sacrifice fly. Matt Halbach (1-for-4) singled in a run in the fifth and Poteet capped the scoring in the contest with an RBI-single in the eighth, with a second run scoring on the play due to an error. Ethan Flanagan got the start on the mound for the Cubs and took no decision. Flanagan allowed one run on three hits over four innings of work to go along with three walks and five strikeouts. Adam Stone picked up the win in relief thanks to a perfect fifth inning to improve to 6-2 on the season. Cole Reynolds followed out of the bullpen with three shutout innings to earn his second save of the year. Offensively, all nine South Bend starters recorded a hit on the day, with three batters tallying multi-hit efforts. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 42–64 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (55–51) Series Standing: Lose, 4-2 Aug. 9: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans salvaged a win in their series finale at the Columbia Fireflies, coming away with a 10-1 victory on Sunday at Segra Park. The Fireflies took a 1-0 lead in their first trip to the plate but Pelicans responded with two runs in the second to take the lead for good in the ballgame. Derik Alcantara (3-for-5) tripled in a run and Fernando Cruz (4-for-5) brought him home with a double. Myrtle Beach broke the game open with four runs in the fourth, starting with a bases-loaded walk drawn by Jose Silva (0-for-3), which was followed by a bases-clearing double from Ethan Conrad (3-for-6). Pelicans starter Anhuar Garcia shut down the Columbia offense with four strong innings, allowing one run, unearned, on two hits to go along with seven strikeouts and one walk. David Bracho followed in relief and would eventually pick up the win to improve to 3-4 on the season. Bracho spun three shutout frames, giving up just two hits while whiffing two batters. Myrtle Beach tacked on three more runs in the eighth thanks to a three-run blast from Conrad, his fourth homer of the year. Jan Luis Reyes (0-for-5) made it 10-1 in the ninth on an RBI-groundout. Conrad, the Cubs’ No. 5 prospect (North Side Baseball) went 10-for-25 in the series, slashing .400/.444/.720 to go along with five runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, 10 RBI and two walks. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 45–64-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Smokies lead, 3-1 Season Record: 57–49 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 62–40 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Fireflies lead, 3-1 Season Record: 41–63 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 45–64-1 Series Opponent: Indianapolis Indians (54-58-1) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 Aug. 7: The Iowa Cubs evened their series at the Indianapolis Indians with a 9-3 win on Friday night at Victory Field. Jordan Nwogu (1-for-4) opened the scoring in the game with a two-run single in the second but the Indians would rally with three in the third to take a 3-2 lead. Chas McCormick (2-for-4) tied it in the fourth with a solo home run, his 10th of the season. The Cubs erupted with five runs in the seventh to take a commanding 8-3 lead late. BJ Murray (1-for-3) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Owen Ayers (2-for-4) followed with an RBI-single. Owen Miller (2-for-5) also singled home a run and Murray would eventually come around to score on a wild pitch. Ben Cowles (2-for-4) capped the inning with an RBI-single of his own. Cowles then tallied his second RBI of the night in the ninth with a sacrifice fly to make it 9-3. Kohl Franklin got the start on the mound for Iowa, allowing three runs, one earned, on two hits over three innings of work, walking two and striking out three. Paul Campbell picked up the win in relief, improving to 2-5 on the season, tossing three scoreless innings while giving up just one hit, walking two and whiffing four. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 57–49 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (50–56) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 Aug. 7: The Knoxville Smokies were routed by the Chattanooga Lookouts, 13-4, on Friday night at Erlanger Park. The Lookouts scored twice in their first trip to the plate and would make it 6-0 after five with a run in third and three more in the fifth. The Smokies cut the lead in half with three in the sixth, with Carter Trice (1-for-3) drawing a walk with the bases loaded, Edgar Alvarez (0-for-3) picking up an RBI on a ground out and Ariel Armas (0-for-3) scoring on an error. Chattanooga hit back with six runs in the home half of the frame to go up 12-3. The hosts added a run in the eighth and Drew Bowser (1-for-3) homered for Knoxville in the ninth, his third of the season, to make it 13-4. Luis Martinez-Gomez got the start on the mound for the Smokies and took the loss, falling to 0-3 on the season. Martinez-Gomez allowed six runs, four earned, on five hits over 4 2/3 innings of work, walking three and striking out five. The Knoxville offense was held to just three hits in the ballgame but two of those went for extra bases. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 62–40 Series Opponent: Cedar Rapids Kernels (40–64) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 Aug. 7: The South Bend Cubs fell to the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 15-2, on Friday night at Four Winds Field. The Kernels broke the deadlock with two runs in the fifth but the Cubs answered right back with two runs of their own to make it 2-2. Michael Halquist (0-for-2) scored on an error and Jose Escobar (1-for-4) picked up an RBI-single. Cedar Rapids would respond with four runs in the sixth and then blow the game wide open with nine runs in the ninth to make it 15-2. Alfredo Romero got the start on the mound for South Bend and took no decision. Romero allowed two runs on four hits over five innings of work, walked two and struck out four. The Cubs offense was held to just four hits on the night, with none going for extra bases. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 41–63 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (54–50) Series Standing: Trail, 3-1 Aug. 7: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans split their doubleheader at the Columbia Fireflies, dropping the opener, 6-5, before winning the nightcap, 14-3. Game 1: The Pelicans were walked off by the Fireflies in the opener of the doubleheader, 6-5, in seven innings. Columbia scored once in the first and later made it 4-0 after scoring three in the second. Myrtle Beach rallied for three in the third, with Jose Silva (1-for-2) driving in a run with a triple, followed by an RBI-single from Jan Luis Reyes (2-for-3) and an RBI-double from Jhoander Irigoyen (1-for-4). Ethan Conrad (1-for-4) gave the Pelicans the lead with a two-run single in the fourth but the Fireflies tied the game in the fifth with a run. Myrtle Beach would go down in order in the seventh and Columbia would load the bases, all on walks, to put the winning run 90 feet away with no outs. The hosts would get a sacrifice fly to earn the walk-off win. Daniel Avitia got the start for the Pelicans and took no decision. Avitia allowed four runs on five hits over three innings of work, walked two and struck out five. Game 2: Myrtle Beach erupted for 14 runs on 13 hits to split its doubleheader at Columbia with a 14-3 victory. Caden Sorrell (2-for-4), the Cubs’ second-round draft pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, led off the game with a home run for his first-career long ball. Derniche Valdez (3-for-5) followed with a two-run blast four batters later to make it 3-0. Columbia grabbed one of those runs back in the home half of the opening frame before the Pelicans extended their lead with two runs in the fourth, thanks to Ivan Cespedes’ (1-for-3) two-run shot. Myrtle Beach made it 8-1 in the fifth thanks to a run-scoring double from Valdez, Eli Lovich (3-for-5) scoring on a wild pitch and Fernando Cruz (1-for-3) bringing in a run on a sacrifice fly. The Fireflies pushed two across in the sixth but the Pelicans hit back with six more in the seventh to make it 14-3. Reyes, Sorrell and Alexis Hernandez (0-for-3) each drew walks with the bases loaded and Reyes would eventually come around to score on a wild pitch. Ethan Conrad (2-for-4) picked up an RBI with a single and Lovich capped the big inning with an RBI-groundout. Noah Edders got the start on the mound for Myrtle Beach and took no decision. Edders allowed one run on three hits over three innings of work, walked five and struck out three. Cubs 10th-round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft Luke Alwood made his professional debut in relief and earned the win after tossing two scoreless frames, yielding one hit and striking out five. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates): Indians lead, 1-0 Season Record: 43–63-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Game postponed Season Record: 54–48 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 61–38 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Game suspended Season Record: 40–60 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 43–63-1 Series Opponent: Indianapolis Indians (53-56-1) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 Aug. 4: The Iowa Cubs dropped their seventh-straight contest, falling 14-1 to the Indianapolis Indians in the series opener between the two teams on Tuesday night at Victory Field. Owen Miller’s (1-for-4) RBI-single in the first gave the Cubs a brief 1-0 lead but the Indians would go on to score five in the third and seven in the fourth to take a 12-1 lead. Indianapolis would later add runs in the sixth and seventh to go up 14-1. Jaxon Wiggins got the start on the mound for the I-Cubs and was handed the loss, falling to 0-3 on the season. Wiggins allowed five runs on two hits over 2 2/3 innings of work, walked six batters and struck out four. Iowa was held to just four hits on the night, with just one going for extra bases, a double off the bat of Owen Ayers (1-for-3). Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 54–48 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (49–53) Series Standing: Game postponed Aug. 4: The Knoxville Smokies were washed out at the Chattanooga Lookouts on Tuesday. The Smokies will play a doubleheader today, with the opener of the twin bill set for a 4 p.m. CT first pitch. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 61–38 Series Opponent: Cedar Rapids Kernels (38–63) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 Aug. 4: The South Bend Cubs shutout the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 6-0, in the series opener between the two teams on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field. Jose Escobar (1-for-4) broke the deadlock in the fourth inning with a solo home run, his fifth of the season. The Cubs then doubled their lead when Angel Cepeda (0-for-3) scored on a throwing error after stealing third. South Bend made it 6-0 in the seventh after launching a pair of two-run shots in the frame, first off the bat of Michael Halquist (1-for-4), also his fifth of the campaign, followed by Josiah Hartshorn’s (1-for-2) 12th long ball of the year. Jostin Florentino got the start on the mound for the Cubs and earned the win, improving to 1-4. Florentino tossed five scoreless frames, allowing five hits and striking out four without issuing a walk. Yoendris Gonzalez followed in relief, working 2 2/3 shutout frames and Ethan Bell finished the ballgame with 1 1/3 perfect innings out of the bullpen, retiring all four batters he faced, including three via strikeout. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 40–60 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (51–49) Series Standing: Game suspended Aug. 4: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans had their series opener at the Columbia Fireflies suspended in the bottom of third due to rain. The game was tied, 0-0, with two outs and a runner at first base. The game will resume today at 4:35 p.m. CT with a second game to follow. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail Riders (New York Yankees): RailRiders win, 6-0 Season Record: 43–62-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins): Blue Wahoos win, 4-2 Season Record: 54–48 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Lake County Captains (Cleveland Guardians): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 60–38 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays): RiverDogs win, 4-2 Season Record: 40–60 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 43–62-1 Series Opponent: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (59-46) Series Standing: Lose, 6-0 Aug. 2: The Iowa Cubs were swept in their series with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders following a 13-3 drubbing on Sunday at Principal Park. Both teams scored one run in their first trip to the plate, with Kevin Alcántara (1-for-4) providing the Cubs’ tally with an RBI-groundout. The RailRiders broke the game open by scoring four in the second and three in the fourth to take an 8-1 lead. Jonathan Long (1-for-4) hit a solo home run in the fifth, his 12th of the season, but Scranton/Wilkes-Barre made it 13-2 by scoring five times in the sixth. Ethan Hearn (2-for-4) hit his first-career Triple-A home run in the ninth that made it 13-3. Jace Beck got the start on the mound for the I-Cubs and suffered the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season. Beck allowed five runs on seven hits over two innings of work, walked two and struck out five. Luis Peralta tossed three shutout innings out of the bullpen to end the game, allowed just three hits and whiffed three. Alcántara’s single in the eighth extended his franchise-record on-base streak to 41 games. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 54–48 Series Opponent: Pensacola Blue Wahoos (55–46) Series Standing: Lose, 4-2 Aug. 2: The Knoxville Smokies earned a 5-3 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in Sunday’s series finale at Covenant Health Park. The Blue Wahoos opened the scoring in the ballgame with three runs in the third and kept the Smokies off the board through the first five innings. In the sixth, Knoxville rallied past Pensacola with five runs in the frame to take the lead for good in the contest. Karson Simas (2-for-3) started the scoring with an RBI-single and Drew Bowser (1-for-1) had the biggest swing of the game when he crushed a pinch-hit go-ahead grand slam, his first home run of the campaign, to put the Smokies ahead 5-3. Luke Little (1.0 IP) and Marino Santy (2.0 IP) closed out the game, combining for three shutout innings in relief, allowing three hits and striking out four. Santy tossed the final two innings of the contest to earn his seventh save of the season, which ranks tied for third most in the Southern League. Kevin Valdez got the start on the mound for Knoxville and took no decision. Valdez allowed three runs on five hits over five innings of work, walked two and struck out five. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 60–38 Series Opponent: Lake County Captains (54–44) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 Aug. 2: The South Bend Cubs were blanked, 1-0, by the Lake County Captains in a seven-inning rain-shortened contest on Sunday at Classic Auto Group Park. The Captains scored the only run of the ballgame in the fourth, which would be enough to earn them a win. Pierce Coppola got the start on the mound for the Cubs and took no decision. Coppola allowed one run, unearned, on two hits over five innings of work, struck out four batters with no walks issued. Jose Romero worked two scoreless frames out of the bullpen, gave up one hit and struck out two. South Bend was held to just two hits offensively and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 40–60 Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (58–44) Series Standing: Lose, 4-2 Aug. 2: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were shutout, 2-0, in a six-inning rain-shortened contest on Sunday at Pelicans Ballpark. The RiverDogs scored once in both the fifth and sixth innings to take their 2-0 lead. The contest was called due to rain in the bottom of the sixth with nobody out and nobody on base. The Pelicans were held to just two hits in the game, with none going for extra bases. Riely Hunsaker got the start on the mound for the Pelicans and took the loss, falling to 3-3 on the season. Hunsaker allowed one run on three hits over five innings of work, walked one and struck out five. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - August 1 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail Riders (New York Yankees): RailRiders lead, 4-0 Season Record: 43–60-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins): Blue Wahoos lead, 3-1 Season Record: 53–47 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Lake County Captains (Cleveland Guardians): Cubs lead, 3-1 Season Record: 59–37 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays): RiverDogs lead, 3-1 Season Record: 39–59 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 43–60-1 Series Opponent: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (57-46) Series Standing: Trail, 4-0 July 31: The Iowa Cubs suffered a fourth-straight defeat as they fell in Friday night’s contest, 9-5, at Principal Park. The RailRiders took a 4-0 lead in the second and would turn it into a 6-0 lead with two more in the sixth. Owen Ayers (1-for-2) got the Cubs on the board with an RBI-single in the sixth, but Scranton/Wilkes-Barre would score runs in the seventh and eighth to make it 8-1. Kevin Alcántara (1-for-4) and Chas McCormick (1-for-4) each drove in runs with RBI-singles in the eighth, and Greg Jones (0-for-3) also brought in a run in the frame with a sacrifice fly to make it 8-4. Both teams traded runs in the ninth, with Iowa getting its tally on an Owen Miller (1-for-5) RBI-groundout that made it 9-5. Edward Cabrera, making his first rehab start with the I-Cubs, took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits over 1 2/3 innings of work, walking two batters and striking out three. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 53–47 Series Opponent: Pensacola Blue Wahoos (54–45) Series Standing: Trail, 3-1 July 31: The Knoxville Smokies dropped Friday night’s contest to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 5-4, at Covenant Health Park. The Blue Wahoos opened the scoring in the ballgame with a run in the second, but Carter Trice’s (1-for-4) RBI-single in the third evened the contest. Both teams traded two-run frames in the fifth, the Smokies getting their runs thanks to a two-run blast from Alex Ramírez (3-for-5), his 13th of the season. Pensacola scored twice in the seventh, but Knoxville was able to pull one of those runs back in the home half of the stretch, an Ariel Armas (1-for-3) RBI-double, to make it 5-4. The Smokies would load the bases in the ninth with two outs, but Edgar Alvarez (0-for-4) would ground out to end the game. Luis Martinez-Gomez got the start on the mound for Knoxville and took no decision. Martinez-Gomez fired his second-straight quality start, his third such outing in his last four starts between Single-A and Double-A. He allowed three runs on five hits over six innings of work, walked two batters and struck out five. Tyler Ras tossed two perfect innings in relief, retiring all six batters that he faced, whiffing two of them. The Knoxville offense went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position on the night, stranding 12 baserunners. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 59–37 Series Opponent: Lake County Captains (53–43) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 July 31: The South Bend Cubs claimed at least a series split with a dominant 15-7 victory over the Lake County Captains on Friday night at Classic Auto Group Park. A nine-run outburst in the second inning from the Cubs gave them an insurmountable advantage on the night. Logan Poteet (2-for-5) got the scoring started with an RBI-single and Kane Kepley (1-for-4) followed with a three-run blast, his seventh homer of the year. Jose Escobar (3-for-6) doubled home a pair of runs three batters later and was along for the ride on Kade Snell’s (1-for-6) two-run homer that made it 8-0. Angel Cepeda (2-for-4) went back-to-back with Snell, launching a solo shot, to cap the scoring in the inning. The Captains got one run back in the home half of the second and scored again in the third to make it 9-2. Matt Halbach (1-for-4) hit South Bend’s fourth homer of the contest in the sixth, a two-run variety, and Ty Southisene (3-for-4) gave the Cubs a 12-2 lead with a two-run double later in the frame. Lake County would score once in the sixth and four times in the seventh, but South Bend would put up another crooked number on the scoreboard in the eighth, scoring three times. Josiah Hartshorn (1-for-6) doubled in a pair of runs, and Escobar’s second double of the ballgame brought home another to make it 15-7. Nate Williams picked up the win in relief for the Cubs, improving to 4-0 on the season. Williams tossed 2 1/3 innings of one-run ball, allowed two hits, walked three, and struck out three. The South Bend offense amassed 14 total hits in the game with eight going for extra bases. Eight of the nine starters recorded at least one hit, with four recording multi-hit efforts. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 39–59 Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (57–43) Series Standing: Trail, 3-1 July 31: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were routed by the Charleston RiverDogs, 13-1, on Friday night at Pelicans Ballpark. The RiverDogs took a 5-0 lead in the third before Eli Lovich (1-for-4) drove in the Pelicans' lone run of the game in the third on a single. Charleston then pulled away with three runs in the third before adding one in the eighth and four more in the ninth to make it 13-1. Daniel Avitia got the start on the mound for the Pelicans and took the loss, falling to 2-3 on the season. Avitia allowed five runs on seven hits in three innings of work, walked one, and struck out one. Corey Nunez was the lone Myrtle Beach batter to record a multi-hit effort in the contest, going 2-for-4 with a double, which was the Pelicans' only extra-base hit of the game. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail Riders (New York Yankees): RailRiders lead, 1-0 Season Record: 43–57-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins): Blue Wahoos lead, 1-0 Season Record: 52–45 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Lake County Captains (Cleveland Guardians): Captains lead, 1-0 Season Record: 56–37 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays): RiverDogs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 38–57 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 43–57-1 Series Opponent: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (54-46) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 July 28: The Iowa Cubs were handed a 6-3 defeat by the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in the series opener between the two teams on Tuesday night at Principal Park. Owen Miller’s (1-for-4) RBI-double and Kevin Alcántara’s (1-for-2) sacrifice fly gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead in the first and Owen Ayers (1-for-4) made it 3-0 in the fourth with a solo shot, his first-career home run at the Triple-A level. Iowa starter Jace Beck tossed five shutout innings to get the home team in front and allowed just four hits to go along with two strikeouts and no walks. The RailRiders pulled a run back in the sixth and would eventually rally to take the lead with three runs in the eighth. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre then added two more insurance runs in the ninth to make it 6-3. Through his first nine games with the I-Cubs, Ayers is slashing .375/.459/.531 with three extra-base hits and six RBI, good for a 157 wRC+. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 52–45 Series Opponent: Pensacola Blue Wahoos (52–44) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 July 28: The Knoxville Smokies dropped their series opener to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 3-2, on Monday night at Covenant Health Park. The Blue Wahoos took a 3-0 lead in the ballgame after scoring twice in the second before adding another in the third. Karson Simas (1-for-3) got the Smokies on the board in the fifth with an RBI-single and Miguel Useche (1-for-1) made it a one-run game with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Knoxville would put the tying run at third with one out in the ninth but would strand the runner to end the game. Connor Schultz got the start on the mound for the Smokies and took the loss, falling to 3-4 on the season. Schultz allowed three runs on six hits over 3 2/3 innings of work, issued five walks and struck out four. Tyler Santana (1.1 IP), Evan Taylor (2.0 IP) and Tyler Ras (2.0 IP) combined for 5 1/3 shutout frames in relief, giving up just one hit while striking out six and walking one. The Knoxville offense was held to just four hits in the contest, with just one going for extra bases, and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 56–37 Series Opponent: Lake County Captains (53–40) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 July 28: The South Bend Cubs opened their series at the Lake County Captains with a 7-5 defeat on Monday night at Classic Auto Group Park. The Captains plated three runs in their first trip to the plate and later made it 4-0 with a run in the third. The Cubs scored twice in the fourth to cut the lead in half, thanks to a two-run homer from Kade Snell (2-for-4), but Lake County got those runs right back in the home half of the frame to make it 6-2. An RBI-double from Michael Hallquist (1-for-4) and a sacrifice fly from Josiah Hartshorn (0-for-3) in the fifth got South Bend back within two before the Captains made it 7-4 with a run in the seventh. Logan Poteet (1-for-4) launched his second home run of the season in the eighth to make it 7-5 but the Cubs would not be able to rally in the ninth. Mason McGwire got the start on the mound for South Bend and took the loss, falling to 1-2 on the season. McGwire allowed six runs on five hits over 3 1/3 innings of work, walked four and struck out one. Three of the five hits allowed were home runs. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 38–57 Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (55–42) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 July 28: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans opened their series vs. the Charleston RiverDogs with a 6-2 defeat on Monday night at Pelicans Ballpark. The RiverDogs scored a run in their first trip to the plate and later made it 2-0 with a run in the sixth. Eli Lovich (1-for-3) got the Pelicans on the board with an RBI-single in the sixth and would score later in the inning on a wild pitch to make it 2-2. Charleston would deliver the decisive blow in the ballgame with four runs in the seventh to take a 6-2 lead and would maintain that advantage through the rest of the contest. Hayden Frank got the start on the mound for Myrtle Beach and took no decision. Frank allowed one run on seven hits over four innings of work to go along with two strikeouts and no walks issued. Sam Mettert tossed 2 1/3 shutout innings in relief, giving up just one hit while walking three and whiffing two. The Pelicans offense was limited to just four hits on the night with none going for extra bases. The offense would also go 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, stranding six baserunners. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Gwinnett Stripers (Atlanta Braves): Stripers win, 4-2 Season Record: 43–56-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 52–44 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Cubs win, 5-1 Season Record: 56–36 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers): Crawdads win, 4-2 Season Record: 38–56 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 43–56-1 Series Opponent: Gwinnett Stripers (52-48) Series Standing: Lose, 4-2 July 26: The Iowa Cubs closed out their series at the Gwinnett Stripers with a 7-3 win on Sunday at Gwinnett Field. Moisés Ballesteros (1-for-5) launched a two-run shot in the first, his second of the season, and Kevin Alcántara (0-for-3) made it 3-0 in the opening frame with a sacrifice fly three batters later. The Stripers pulled one of those runs back in their first trip to the plate but an RBI-single from Brett Bateman (3-for-4) and an RBI-double from Jonathan Long (2-for-5) in the fourth made it 5-1. Another RBI-double from Long in the sixth made it 6-1 and Owen Ayers (3-for-4) extended the lead further with an RBI-single in the seventh. Gwinnett would score twice after the stretch to make it 7-3 but Zac Leigh and Collin Snider each tossed a scoreless inning in relief to end the game. Grant Kipp got the start on the mound for Iowa and earned the win to improve to 1-0 on the season. Kipp allowed one run on four hits to go along with three walks and two strikeouts. Ayers’ three-hit game was his second such performance in his first eight Triple-A contests and he now has four total multi-hit games during that span. Alcántara drew a walk in the ninth, which extended his on-base streak to an I-Cubs record 36 games. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 52–44 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (48–47) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 July 26: The Knoxville Smokies earned a series split with a 6-5 victory, in extra innings, over the Rocket City Trash Pandas on Sunday at Toyota Field. Ariel Armas’ (1-for-3) solo blast in the second opened the scoring in the ballgame before the Trash Pandas rallied for a pair of runs in the fourth to grab the lead. Carter Trice (1-for-4) made it 2-2 in the sixth with an RBI-single and Edgar Alvarez (2-for-4) would give Knoxville the lead later in the frame with a two-run double. Rocket City scored twice in the eighth and neither team was able to break the deadlock in the ninth, sending the ballgame to extras. In the 10th, Jefferson Rojas (2-for-5) crushed a two-run shot with two outs, his 15th of the season, to give the Smokies a 6-4 lead. The Trash Pandas would score in their trip to the plate in the 10th but Jacob Wallace was able to strand a pair of runners to earn his first save of the year. Kevin Valdez got the start on the mound for Knoxville and took no decision. Valdez allowed two runs on three hits over five innings of work, walked one and struck out four. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 56–36 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (49–42) Series Standing: Win, 5-1 July 26: The South Bend Cubs earned an 8-3 victory in their series finale vs. the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Sunday at Four Winds Field. Angel Cepeda’s (2-for-4) RBI-single in the first would put the Cubs in front and the home team would later make it 3-0 in the third thanks to an RBI-double from Josiah Hartshorn (2-for-4) and another run-scoring single from Cepeda. The Timber Rattlers would rally for three runs in the sixth to tie the contest but South Bend answered with a three-spot of its own in the home half of the frame. Michael Hallquist (1-for-3) doubled home a pair of runs and Justin Stransky (2-for-4) made it 6-3 with a run-scoring single. Stransky would then put the game out of reach in the eighth with a two-run homer, his fifth of the season, helping the Cubs to their seventh win in their last nine games. Pierce Coppola got the start on the mound for South Bend and took no decision. Coppola spun five scoreless frames, allowing just two hits while walking one and striking out four. After allowing six runs in his High-A debut, Coppola has now thrown eight-straight scoreless innings in his last two outings. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 38–56 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (55–38) Series Standing: Lose, 4-2 July 26: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans split their doubleheader at the Hickory Crawdads on Sunday, winning the opener, 4-1, before falling in the second game, 9-2. Game 1: The Pelicans claimed a 4-1 victory to open the twin bill, thanks to five innings of scoreless baseball from starter Riely Hunsaker, who picked up the win to improve to 3-2 on the season. Hunsaker allowed just two hits, struck out seven batters and issued just one walk. Derik Alcantara (1-for-3) gave Myrtle Beach a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI-single. That score would hold until the seventh, where the Pelicans scored some much needed insurance runs to go up 4-0. Fernando Cruz (1-for-3) launched the first home run of his professional career, a solo shot, and Edward Vargas (1-for-3) also went yard, his homer a two-run blast. Hickory would score once in the ninth but Anhuar Garcia was able to shut down the rally and earn his first save of the season. Game 2: Myrtle Beach dropped the second game of the doubleheader to Hickory, 9-2, splitting the two games on Sunday. The Pelicans split both doubleheaders against the Crawdads during this series. Derniche Valdez (0-for-2) put Myrtle Beach in front in the first with a sacrifice fly but Hickory would eventually plate six in the third, two in the fourth and one more in the fifth to take a commanding 9-1 lead. Geuri Lubo (1-for-3) hit a solo home run in the seventh, his sixth of the season, as a consolation run in the final inning of the game. Pelicans starter Jordan Henriquez took the loss in the start, falling to 2-4 on the year. Henriquez allowed five runs, three earned, over 2 1/3 innings of work to go along with one walk and one strikeout. View full article

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

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

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

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