CBT847

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

Jaxon WigginsJefferson RojasKevin AlcantaraEthan ConradKane KepleyPedro RamirezJonathon LongJosiah HartshornCole MathisJames TriantosAngel CepedaJuan CabadaOwen AyersBrooks CapleTy SouthiseneDominick ReidJostin FlorentinoKaleb WingBrandon BirdsellWill Sanders

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 10 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): Tie, 3–3 Season Record: 18–20 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies win, 5-1 Season Record: 18–15 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 16–14 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers): Pelicans win, 3-1 Season Record: 16–15 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 18–20 Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (20–19) Series Standing: Tie, 3-3 May 10: The Iowa Cubs split their series with the Columbus Clippers following a 9-4 defeat on Sunday at Principal Park. The Clippers took a 3-0 lead by putting up a three-spot in the third and pushed their advantage to 5-0 with two more runs in the fifth. Casey Opitz’s (1-for-4) got the Cubs on the board with an RBI-single in the home half of the inning to break the scoring run. Columbus got that run back in the sixth and scored once in the eighth to go ahead 7-1. Pedro Ramírez (2-for-4) launched a two-run shot in the bottom of the frame, his ninth, but the Clippers answered again with two runs in the ninth to make it 9-3. Jonathan Long (1-for-4) brought home a run with a double but Iowa could not rally further, falling 9-4. Ty Blach was saddled with the loss in the start, allowing three runs, all unearned, on four hits over three innings of work, striking out two. Tyler Ferguson, making his organizational debut, worked a perfect seventh inning, firing two strikeouts. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 18–15 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (14–19) Series Standing: Win, 5-1 May 10: The Knoxville Smokies capped off their dominant series win over the Birmingham Barons with a 7-2 victory on Sunday at Covenant Health Park. The two teams traded zeroes through the first five innings of the contest, with Smokies starter Jace Beck working three of those innings. Beck allowed just three hits to go along with two strikeouts and no walks issued. The Barons found the breakthrough in the sixth with a run and kept Knoxville off the board in the home half of the frame for the shutdown inning. The Smokie offense erupted for seven runs after the stretch, with Carter Trice (1-for-4) crushing a grand slam to start the scoring. Alex Ramírez (1-for-4) and Jefferson Rojas (1-for-4) each turned in RBI-singles and Andy Garriola (1-for-3) capped the outburst with an RBI-double. Evan Taylor worked the final two innings of the ballgame, allowing no runs to go along with four strikeouts, keeping Birmingham off the board and helping Knoxville to the 7-2 win. Nick Dean picked up the win in relief to improve to 4-1 on the season, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits over four innings of work, totalling six strikeouts. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 16–14 Series Opponent: Lansing Lugnuts (13–20) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 May 10: The South Bend Cubs fell to the Lansing Lugnuts, 8-3, on Sunday at Four Winds Field. Despite the setback, the Cubs still took the series, 4-2, for their first series win since April 14-19. The Lugnuts struck first in the contest, scoring four times in the fourth. The visitors added a run in the seventh before Ty Southisene’s (0-for-4) RBI-groundout in the eighth halted the scoring run. Lansing hit back with three runs in the ninth to make it 8-1. Drew Bowser (1-for-3) and Christian Olivo (1-for-3) drew walks with the bases loaded in the bottom half of the frame but South Bend would leave them loaded to end the game, falling 8-3. Jostin Florentino suffered the loss in the start, allowing four runs on three hits over 3 2/3 innings of work, walking two and striking out four. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 16–15 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (17–14) Series Standing: Win, 3-1 May 10: Due to a fire in the visiting clubhouse at L.P. Frans Stadium, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans had both of their games on Saturday and Sunday canceled. View full article

Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): Tied, 2–2 Season Record: 17–19 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies lead, 3-0 Season Record: 16–15 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics): Cubs lead, 4-0 Season Record: 16–12 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers): Pelicans lead, 3-1 Season Record: 16–15 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 17–19 Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (19–18) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 May 8: The Iowa Cubs evened their series against the Columbus Clippers with a 13-12 victory on Friday night at Principal Park. The Clippers took a 6-0 lead with two runs in the first and four in the second before the Cubs were able to plate two in the second. Iowa’s offense erupted with six runs in the fourth to take an 8-6 lead. Jonathon Long (3-for-4) drew a walk with the bases loaded, and James Triantos (2-for-5) then followed with a two-run single. Owen Miller’s (3-for-5) first home run of the season, a three-run blast, gave the I-Cubs the lead. Iowa added to their advantage with three more in the fifth, with Justin Dean (2-for-5) launching a two-run shot and Kevin Alcántara (1-for-5) and Long picking up RBI-singles. Eric Yang (1-for-5) made it 12-6 in the sixth with a solo home run, his third of the season. The two teams traded runs in the eighth, with Miller hitting his second home run of the campaign. Columbus scored five times in the ninth and would put the go-ahead run on first, but Iowa was able to hold on for the 13-12 win. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 16–15 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (14–17) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 May 8: The Knoxville Smokies earned at least a series split by sweeping their doubleheader over the Birmingham Barons, winning the opener, 8-1, before escaping with a 3-2 victory in the nightcap. Game 1: Despite being held to just one hit in the ballgame, the Smokies were able to come away with an 8-1 victory to open the twinbill, benefitting from 10 walks at the plate. Knoxville took a 1-0 lead in the third when Jefferson Rojas (0-for-3) drew a walk with the bases loaded. The Smokies took a commanding 8-0 lead with a seven-run fourth, scoring once on a wild pitch, drawing four walks with the bases loaded, and Owen Ayers (1-for-2) clearing the bases with a three-run double. The Barons finally got on the board in the sixth, but the hosts would prevent them from rallying further and cruise to a 1-0 lead. Brooks Caple took no decision in his start, firing 3 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just two hits and striking out six. Marino Santy picked up the win in relief, tossing 2 1/3 frames of one-run ball, yielding two hits and whiffing four. Game 2: Knoxville rode their dominant pitching in game 1 into game 2, with the pitching staff allowing just two runs on three hits to help the squad to a 3-2 win and a doubleheader sweep. After the two teams traded zeroes through two, the Smokies took the lead in the third on Jordan Nwogu’s (2-for-3) RBI-single, with another run scoring on an error during the play. Nwogu would eventually collect his second RBI of the contest in the fifth, giving Knoxville a 3-0 lead. The Barons would score twice in the seventh and bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but Tyler Santana was eventually able to shut the door and convert his first save of the season in multi-inning fashion. Dawson Netz improved to 2-0 on the campaign by firing five scoreless innings in his start, allowing no hits and striking out eight. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 16–12 Series Opponent: Lansing Lugnuts (11–20) Series Standing: Lead, 4-0 May 8: The South Bend Cubs extended their winning streak to four games and clinched a series win over the Lansing Lugnuts with a 14-6 comeback victory on Friday night at Four Winds Field. The Lugnuts took a 2-0 lead after the first and added another run in the third. The Cubs got on the board in the bottom half of the frame when Christian Olivo (4-for-4) raced home on a passed ball. Olivo would pull South Bend within a run by drawing a walk with the bases in the fourth, and Kane Kepley (0-for-5) followed by getting hit by a pitch to tie the game at 3-3. The Cubs took control of the game by scoring five times in the fifth to take an 8-3 lead. Matt Halbach (1-for-2) and Leonel Espinoza (2-for-5) plated runs with RBI singles, and Olivo slugged a three-run blast, his third of the season. Six more runs from South Bend put the game well out of reach, with Alex Madera (3-for-5) and Justin Stransky (1-for-4) each having hits that drove in two runs and Olivo going yard again, this time a two-run shot. Lansing scored three in the ninth and was eventually handed the 14-6 defeat. Kenyi Perez picked up the win in relief to improve to 1-0 on the season. He allowed no runs and no hits over 1 2/3 innings of work, striking out five. Ethan Flanagan converted a four-inning save, his second of the year, allowing three runs on seven hits and whiffing five batters. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 16–15 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (17–14) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 May 8: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans clinched at least a series split with a 6-2 victory, in 10 innings, over the Hickory Crawdads at L.P. Frans Stadium. Darlyn De Leon’s (1-for-3) first home run of the year in the second gave the Pelicans the lead, and Josiah Hartshorn (2-for-4) followed with a solo shot of his own in the third to put Myrtle Beach up 2-0. Dominick Reid, who did not factor in the decision, posted five scoreless innings in his start, allowing just one hit and striking out six without issuing a walk. The Crawdads evened up the contest in the eighth, and the ballgame would eventually head to extras. In the top of the 10th, Alexey Lumpuy (2-for-5) put the Pelicans in front with an RBI-single, and Michael Carico (0-for-4) added to the lead with an RBI-groundout. Jose Escobar (2-for-5) delivered the decisive blow with a two-run double to make it 6-2. Jordan Henriquez retired the side in order in the bottom half of the frame to improve to 2-1 on the season. Henriquez retired all six of the batters he faced, striking out four. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 5 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): Clippers lead, 1–0 Season Record: 15–18 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies lead, 1-0 Season Record: 14–14 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 13–12 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers): Pelicans lead, 1-0 Season Record: 14–14 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 15–18 Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (18–16) Series Standing: Trail, 0-1 May 5: The Iowa Cubs dropped their third-straight contest, falling 9-6 to the Columbus Clippers on Tuesday at Principal Park. Pedro Ramirez (1-for-4) gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI-single but the Clippers would take a 6-1 lead after scoring three runs in each the third and fourth innings. Columbus added another run in the fifth but Iowa was able to break the scoring run in the home half of the frame on BJ Murray’s (1-for-5) three-run blast. The I-Cubs cut the lead to one with two more runs in the sixth thanks to Justin Dean’s (2-for-5) two-run triple. That’s as close as the Cubs would get in the ballgame as the Clippers scored a run in each the seventh and eighth inning to pull away for the 9-6 victory. Ty Blach took the loss in the start, allowing six runs on 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings of work, striking out three and walking one. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 14–14 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (13–15) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 May 5: The Knoxville Smokies opened their series against the Birmingham Barons with a 10-4 victory on Tuesday at Covenant Health Park. The Smokies jumped out to a 4-0 lead thanks to a pair of two-run blasts from Jefferson Rojas (2-for-4) in the first and Karson Simas (1-for-4) in the second. Carter Trice (3-for-4) plated three with a triple in the fourth to make it 7-0. The Barons scored all of their runs in the contest in the sixth to get back into the game but RBI-singles from Rojas and Andy Garriola (1-for-4) put Knoxville up 9-4. Owen Ayers (2-for-3) put the finishing touches on the night with an RBI-single in the eighth to make it 10-4 as the Smokies cruised to a win. Yennri Rojas picked up his first-career Double-A win in the start, tossing five scoreless frames, allowing just three hits and striking out four. Vince Reilly worked two shutout innings in relief, yielding just one hit and whiffing one. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 13–12 Series Opponent: Lansing Lugnuts (11–17) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 May 5: The South Bend Cubs moved back above .500 with a dominant 9-1 victory in their series opener vs. the Lansing Lugnuts on Tuesday at Four Winds Field. Ty Southisene (2-for-3) got the Cubs on the board in the first with an RBI-double and Cole Mathis (2-for-3) doubled the lead later in the inning with an RBI-groundout. Kane Kepley (2-for-4) made it 3-0 by racing home on a passed ball in the third. The Lugnuts plated their lone run of the contest in the fourth but South Bend would put the ballgame out of reach with five runs later in the frame. Christian Olivo (1-for-4) singled home a run with the bases loaded and Kepley followed with a walk to bring in another. Southisene picked up his second RBI of the night on a sacrifice fly to make it 6-1 and Kade Snell (1-for-5) and Mathis followed with back-to-back RBI-singles to give the Cubs a 9-1 advantage. Cole Reynolds took no decision in the start, tossing three scoreless frames, allowing no hits and no walks to go along with five strikeouts. Adam Stone picked up the win in relief to improve to 2-0 on the season, allowing one run on four hits over three innings of work, whiffing one batter. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 14–14 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (16–12) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 May 5: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans moved back to .500 on the season with a 7-5 series-opening win over the Hickory Crawdads on Tuesday night at L.P. Frans Stadium. Josiah Hartshorn (3-for-5) gave the Pelicans a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI-double and the visitors would later add another run in the inning to go up 2-0 after their first trip to the plate. The Crawdads cut the lead in half with a run their first time up and would later take a 4-2 lead after pushing three runs across in the fourth. Hartshorn brought Myrtle Beach within a run with an RBI-single in the fifth and Jose Escobar (2-for-4) gave them the lead again with a two-run blast in the sixth to make it 5-4. The two teams traded runs in the eighth, with the Pelicans in front 6-5 heading into the final frame. Hartshorn collected his third hit and third RBI of the game with a single, giving Myrtle Beach a much needed insurance run. Jordan Henriquez worked a 1-2-3 ninth to convert the multi-inning save, his second of the season. Victor Zarraga picked up the win in relief, allowing one run on three hits over 3 2/3 innings of work, striking out two. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 3 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Saints win, 4–2 Season Record: 15–17 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 13–14 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): TinCaps win, 5-1 Season Record: 12–12 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Pelicans win, 4-2 Season Record: 13–14 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 15–17 Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (15–17) Series Standing: Lose, 2-4 May 3: The Iowa Cubs dropped their series at the St. Paul Saints with an 8-7 loss on Sunday at CHS Field. The Saints took a 2-0 lead in the first and would later make it a 7-0 game with four runs in the third before adding another in the fifth. Pedro Ramirez’ (3-for-5) RBI-double in the sixth broke the scoring run but St. Paul got that run back in the home half of the frame to make it 8-1. The Cubs plated three in the seventh to get back into the contest, with Hayden Cantrelle (1-for-4) driving in one with a double before RBI-singles from Justin Dean (1-for-3) and Ramirez. Kevin Alcántara (1-for-5) went yard for the third-straight game, and the fourth time in the series, in the eighth to make it an 8-5 ballgame. BJ Murray (1-for-4) cut the lead to one by driving in a pair in the ninth but Iowa was unable to rally further, ultimately falling 8-7. Jordan Wicks started for the Cubs and fell to 0-2 on the season by allowing six runs on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings of work, striking out four. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 13–14 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (12–15) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 May 3: The Knoxville Smokies earned a series split with the Rocket City Trash Pandas with a 1-0 win on Sunday at Toyota Field. Carter Trice’s (1-for-4) lead-off home run in the first was the difference as the Smokies earned their third shutout win of the season, despite being held to just two hits offensively. Ariel Armas (1-for-3) was the only other Knoxville batter that recorded a hit in the ballgame. Frankie Scalzo Jr. started the game with two scoreless frames before being relieved by Nick Dean, who would be credited with the win. Dean twirled 4 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits to go along with six strikeouts to improve to 3-1. Marino Santy (1 1/3 IP) and Luis Rujano (1 IP) closed out the ballgame, combining to allow just one hit and one strikeout. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 12–12 Series Opponent: Fort Wayne TinCaps (12–15) Series Standing: Lose, 1-5 May 3: The South Bend Cubs dropped their fifth-straight contest, falling 11-10 to the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Sunday at Four Winds Field. The TinCaps jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first before the Cubs answered with five runs of their own in the third. Ty Southisene (3-for-6), making his High-A debut, drove in a pair with a double and Kade Snell (2-for-5) followed with a two-run blast. Cole Mathis (2-for-5) immediately followed with a solo shot of his own to make it a 5-5 game. Fort Wayne re-took the lead with three runs in the fourth but South Bend was able to get two of those runs back in the home half of the frame on an RBI-groundout from Snell and an RBI-single from Mathis. The visitors responded with two in the fifth but the Cubs had an answer again with Southisene bringing home a run on a single. The scoring flurry continued with the TinCaps making it a 11-8 contest with another run in the sixth before Cameron Siseros’ (1-for-4) two-run blast to make it 11-10 after seven. After seven-straight half innings of runs being scored, neither team was able to continue pushing runs across as South Bend ultimately took the loss. Brayden Spears took the loss in relief, allowing three runs on four hits over 3 1/3 innings of work, striking out five. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 13–14 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (13–14) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 May 3: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their second-straight contest to the Columbia Fireflies, falling 7-3, to close out their series at Pelicans Ballpark. The Pelicans still claimed a series win with the defeat after prevailing in the first-four games of the series. The Fireflies plated five their first time to the plate before Myrtle Beach got on the board in the third through a solo blast from Derniche Valdez (1-for-4) to make it 5-1. The Pelicans added two in the sixth on an RBI-double from Michael Carico (2-for-4) and an RBI-groundout from Jose Escobar (1-for-3) to make it 5-3. Myrtle Beach was unable to mount a further rally as Columbia scored in the eighth and ninth innings to cruise to the 7-3 win. Noah Edders turned in 4 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing just two hits to go along with five strikeouts. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 1 Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Tied, 2–2 Season Record: 15–15 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 12–13 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): TinCaps lead, 3-1 Season Record: 12–10 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Pelicans lead, 4-0 Season Record: 13–12 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 15–15 Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (13–17) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 May 1: The Iowa Cubs evened their series at the St. Paul Saints with a 6-5 comeback victory on Friday night at CHS Field. Jonathan Long (3-for-5) opened the scoring in the first with an RBI-double but the Saints equaled the tally in the home half of the inning. The Cubs would regain the lead in the second on James Triantos’ (0-for-4) RBI-groundout. The hosts went back in front in the third by pushing three runs across to take a 4-2 lead and increased their advantage with another run in the fourth. The I-Cubs made it a one-run game by scoring two in the fifth, thanks to another home run from Kevin Alcántara (2-for-4), his 10th of the campaign, a two-run shot. Alcántara would then provide the biggest swing of the ballgame in the eighth, driving in two more with a double to give Iowa the 6-5 lead late. Gabe Klobosits worked a scoreless ninth, striking out a pair, to record his second save of the season. Zac Leigh earned his first win of the season, retiring all four batters he faced, picking up three punchouts. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 12–13 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (11–14) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 May 1: The Knoxville Smokies evened their series at the Rocket City Trash Pandas with a dominant 6-1 victory on Friday night at Toyota Field. Carter Trice (1-for-5) gave the Smokies a 1-0 lead with his first home run of the year in the third. The Trash Pandas tied the game in the fifth with their first run of the ballgame. Knoxville took control of the contest with two runs in the sixth, on an Andy Garriola (1-for-4) solo shot and a two-run double from Karson Simas (1-for-2). The Smokies added three more in the seventh to go ahead 6-1, all coming off the bat of Owen Ayers (1-for-5), who crushed a three-run blast for his second of the season. Jake Knapp took no decision in his start, allowing one run on one hit over 4 1/3 innings of work, whiffing four batters. Tyler Ras picked up the win in relief, tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings, yielding three hits and striking out one. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 12–10 Series Opponent: Fort Wayne TinCaps (10–15) Series Standing: Trail, 1-3 May 1: The South Bend Cubs dropped their third-straight contest, falling 6-2 to the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Friday night. The TinCaps claim at least a series split with the win. The Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the second through sacrifice flies from Justin Stransky (1-for-2) and Kane Kepley (1-for-2). Fort Wayne cut the lead in half with a run in the fourth and would later take a 4-2 advantage with three runs in the seventh. The visitors would add two more in the ninth and South Bend would go down in order in the home half of the inning to end the game. Brooks Caple got the start for the Cubs but did not factor into the decision. Caple worked three scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out two. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 13–12 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (11–14) Series Standing: Lead, 4-0 May 1: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans claimed a series victory by winning their fourth-straight ballgame, 8-7 in walkoff fashion, over the Columbia Fireflies. The Fireflies took a 1-0 lead after one but the Pelicans grabbed their first lead of the game with four runs in the second. Alexis Hernandez (1-for-4) cleared the bases with a three-run double and Alexey Lumpuy (2-for-5) drove in another with a single. Columbia cut the lead to one with two runs in the fifth but Myrtle Beach got both of those runs back in the home half of the frame on Logan Poteet’s (2-for-4) two-run shot, his third of the season. The visitors took their first lead of the contest with four runs in the seventh but Jose Escobar (1-for-4) leveled the game at 7-7 with an RBI-triple in the bottom of the inning. After the Fireflies were held scoreless in the ninth, Ty Southisene (1-for-4) drew a walk to start the inning and would make it to third on a pair of wild pitches. Michael Carico (0-for-2) was intentionally walked, bringing Poteet to the plate, who drove in his third run of the game with a single, ending the ballgame. Mason McGwire got the start for the Pelicans, but did not factor into the decision. McGwire allowed one run on four hits over four innings of work, striking out four. Eli Jerzembeck earned his first win of the season by working the final two innings of the game, allowing no runs on two hits to go along with three strikeouts. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - April 28 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Saints lead, 1–0 Season Record: 13–14 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels): No games played Season Record: 10–12 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): Cubs lead, 1-0 Season Record: 12–7 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Pelicans lead, 1-0 Season Record: 10–12 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 13–14 Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (12–15) Series Standing: Trail, 0-1 April 28: The Iowa Cubs slipped to under .500 for the first time since March 31 with a series-opening defeat to the St. Paul Saints, 9-5. The Saints scored five times in their first trip to the plate and extended the lead to 6-0 with another run in the second. Brett Bateman’s (1-for-3) first home run of the season got the Cubs on the board in the third and James Triantos (1-for-3) cut the six-run lead in half with a two run blast later in the frame, his fourth of the season. St. Paul pushed runs across in the fourth and fifth to make it 8-3 before Kevin Alcántara (1-for-4) blasted his ninth homer of the year, a solo shot. The hosts made it 9-4 with a run in the seventh and Hayden Cantrelle (1-for-1) launched the I-Cubs’ fourth homer of the game to make it 9-5, which would go on to be the final score. Jordan Wicks took the loss in the start, allowing six runs on seven hits over two innings of work, giving up three home runs. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 10–12 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (10–12) Series Standing: No games played April 28: The Knoxville Smokies’ series opener at the Rocket City Trash Pandas was postponed due to inclement weather. The two teams will begin play at Toyota Field today. Monday’s contest will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 12–7 Series Opponent: Fort Wayne TinCaps (7–15) Series Standing: Lead 1-0 April 28: The South Bend Cubs opened their series vs. the Fort Wayne TinCaps with a 6-4 win, staving off a late rally from the visitors to hold on for the victory. Kade Snell’s (1-for-4) sacrifice fly in the third opened the scoring in the ballgame but the TinCaps responded in the fourth with a run of their own to level the game at 1-1. Cole Mathis (2-for-4) would give the Cubs the lead back by drawing a walk with the bases loaded in the home half of the fourth and the hosts would extend their advantage with a pair of runs in the fifth. Cameron Cisneros (1-for-2) crushed a solo shot, his third of the year, and Christian Olivo (3-for-4) followed later in the inning with an RBI-double. Fort Wayne scored twice in the eighth to make it 4-3 but South Bend got those two runs right back, first on an RBI-single from Reginald Preciado (1-for-5) and then on a balk. The Cubs would need those insurance runs as the TinCaps scored once in the ninth but were unable to rally further as South Bend held on for the 6-4 triumph. Kenten Egbert got the start and did not factor into the decision, firing three shutout innings, allowing just three hits and striking out one. Brayden Spears picked up the win in relief, working three innings and allowing one run on one hit. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 10–12 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (11–11) Series Standing: Lead 1-0 April 28: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans snapped their six-game losing skid with a come-from-behind victory over the Columbia Fireflies, 6-4. The Pelicans opened the scoring in the ballgame with a pair of runs in the second, with Michael Carico (1-for-4) and Logan Poteet (1-for-3) starting the frame with back-to-back solo shots. The Fireflies evened the contest with two runs in the third and would eventually take a 6-3 lead after putting up a four spot in the seventh, following Eli Lovich’s (2-for-4) solo homer in the fifth. Myrtle Beach rallied for three runs after the stretch, with Ludwing Espinoza (1-for-2) sparking the offense by stealing home. Jose Escobar (1-for-4) made it 6-6 with a two-out, two-run single. Ty Southisene (1-for-4) had the decisive hit in the contest with his RBI-double in the eighth to give the Pelicans the 7-6 lead. Eli Jerzembeck capped his two-inning scoreless outing by striking out the side in the ninth to improve to 2-1 on the season. Jerzembeck didn’t allow a hit in his appearance and whiffed five batters. Noah Edders, who started for Myrtle Beach, allowed two runs, both unearned, over four innings of work, giving up five hits while striking out two batters. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - April 26 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): Bats win series 4–2 Season Record: 13–13 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Lookouts win series 4–2 Season Record: 10–11 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds): Tied 3–3 Season Record: 11–7 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros): Woodpeckers win series 6–0 Season Record: 9–12 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 13–13 Series Opponent: Louisville Bats (16–11) Series Standing: Lose 2–4 April 26: The Iowa Cubs fell to the Louisville Bats, 12-6, in Sunday’s series finale, dropping the series, 4-2. The Bats took a 5-0 lead their first time to the plate and never looked back, taking a 12-2 lead after five. Eric Yang (1-for-4) drove in the Cubs’ first run with an RBI-single in the second and Justin Dean (3-for-4) drove in the team’s second run in the fifth on his own RBI-single. Dean’s three-hit effort was his first multi-hit performance of the season. Iowa would plate four in the eighth, getting run-scoring singles from BJ Murray (3-for-4), James Triantos (1-for-5) and Hayden Cantrelle (1-for-2). Kevin Alcántara would also draw a walk with the bases loaded in the frame. Murray’s three-hit game was his third such performance in his last five. Paul Campbell took the loss in the start, allowing seven runs on seven hits over three innings of work. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 10–11 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (16–5) Series Standing: Lose 2-4 April 26: The Knoxville Smokies earned a 7-2 victory over the Chattanooga Lookouts in Sunday’s finale but the Lookouts ultimately claimed the series win, 4-2. Chattanooga took a 2-0 lead after the first but Knoxville rallied with three runs in the third to take the 3-2 lead. Alex Madera (2-for-4) had an RBI-single and Alex Ramírez (4-for-5) launched a two-run homer, his first of the season. Ramírez’ four hits in the ballgame marked a season high. Nick Dean earned the win out of the bullpen, firing four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, striking out five while issuing no walks. Frankie Scalzo Jr. and Luis Martinez-Gomez each tossed two shutout frames, combining to allow just one hit and seven punchouts. The Smokies put the game out of each in the eighth, pushing four runs across the plate, and would cruise to the 7-2 win. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 11–7 Series Opponent: Dayton Dragons (10–10) Series Standing: Tied 3–3 April 26: The South Bend Cubs were blanked by the Dayton Dragons, 3-0, in Sunday’s ballgame to split their series at Day Air Ballpark. The Dragons jumped out to a 2-0 lead after runs in the first and second and would later add some insurance in the sixth with their third run of the contest. The Cubs were held to just four hits offensively, two of which came off the bat off Matt Halbech, who went 2-for-4, his fourth multi-hit game of the series. Ethan Flanagan took the loss in the start, allowing two runs on four hits over four innings of work, picking up three strikeouts along the way. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 9–12 Series Opponent: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (9–12) Series Standing: Lose 0–6 April 26: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were swept by the Fayetteville Woodpeckers after falling in Sunday’s de facto doubleheader, falling 6-5 in the resumption of Saturday’s suspended contest and 6-2 in the regularly scheduled ballgame. Game 1: Play resumed in the seventh, where the Woodpeckers would rally for four runs to tie the game at 5-5. The ballgame would eventually head to extra innings, where the hosts would walk off the Pelicans in the 10th. Game 2: Myrtle Beach dropped their sixth-straight game with a 6-2 defeat to Fayetteville in seven innings. The Pelicans took the lead in the first with a run but the Woodpeckers scored two in the second and three in the third to take a 5-1 lead. Fayetteville extended the lead to 6-2 with a run in the sixth. Myrtle Beach would plate a run in the seventh but were unable to mount a larger rally. View full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - April 24 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): Bats lead 3–1 Season Record: 12–12 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Lookouts lead 3–1 Season Record: 9–10 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds): Tied 2–2 Season Record: 10–6 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros): Woodpeckers lead 4–0 Season Record: 9–10 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 12–12 Series Opponent: Louisville Bats (15–10) Series Standing: Trail 1–3 April 24: The Iowa Cubs suffered a second-straight defeat, falling to the Louisville Bats, 5-4, in extra innings on Friday night at Principal Park. The Cubs took the lead in the contest in the second on an RBI-single from Eric Yang (1-for-4). Kevin Alcántara (1-for-5) made it 2-0 Iowa with an RBI-single in the sixth. Trent Thornton started on the mound for the I-Cubs, working two scoreless innings and picking up a pair of strikeouts. Phil Maton, who was placed on the 15-day IL by the big-league Cubs on April 10, made his first rehab appearance at the Triple-A level, working a scoreless third, allowing two hits and striking out two. Jace Beck got the bulk of work in relief, firing three scoreless innings and whiffing a pair. The Bats got on the board in the eighth to make it 2-1 but Pedro Ramírez (0-for-3) restored the two-run advantage with an RBI-groundout in the home half of the frame. Louisville would rally in the ninth with a pair of runs to send the game to extras. Both teams would score in the 10th, with Jonathan Long (4-for-5) driving in the Cubs’ run but the Bats would go ahead again in the 11th and keep Iowa off the board, handing the home team the loss. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 9–10 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (15–4) Series Standing: Trail 1-3 April 24: The Knoxville Smokies snapped their five-game losing skid with an 11-9 win over the Chattanooga Lookouts on Friday night. Ethan Hearn’s (1-for-4) two-run shot in the second, his first of the year, gave the Smokies the 2-0 but the Lookouts tied the ballgame with two runs in the third. Knoxville responded in the bottom of the inning with three runs to re-take the lead at 5-2. Owen Ayers (2-for-2) launched his first-career Double-A home run, a solo blast, and Edgar Alvarez (1-for-5) followed with a two-run shot later in the frame. Chattanooga cut the lead to 5-4 with runs in the fourth and fifth and would eventually take the lead with three runs in the eighth. The Smokies offense then erupted for sixth runs in the bottom of the inning, thanks to a two-run double from Alex Ramírez (1-for-5) and a grand slam from Andy Garriola (1-for-2) to make it 11-7. The Lookouts halved the deficit with a pair of runs in the ninth but Knoxville was able to hang on for the 11-9 victory. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 10–6 Series Opponent: Dayton Dragons (9–9) Series Standing: Tied 2–2 April 24: The South Bend Cubs fell to the Dayton Dragons, 6-4, in seven innings, in a rain-shortened game on Friday night at Day Air Ballpark. The Cubs took a 2-0 lead their first time to the plate through a sacrifice fly from Cameron Sisneros (1-for-1) and an RBI-double from Reginald Preciado (1-for-3). The Dragons answered with two runs of their own their first time up to make it 2-2. South Bend went back in front with two more runs in the third thanks to RBI-doubles from Kade Snell (1-for-3) and Sisneros. Dayton responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-4 and to take the lead for good. The hosts tacked on one more in the sixth before rain stopped play after seven. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 9–10 Series Opponent: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (7–12) Series Standing: Trail 0–4 April 24: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans suffered a fourth-straight defeat with a 5-2 loss to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, who claim a series win. The Woodpeckers took a 2-0 lead in the second and made it 3-0 after the sixth. The Pelicans scored on a wild pitch in the seventh but Fayetteville answered with two more in the eighth to make it 5-2. Myrtle Beach scored on a passed ball in the ninth but were unable to rally and ultimately fell 5-2. The Pelicans were held to just three hits offensively, going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base. View full article