CBT847

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

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

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

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 35–47-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Columbus Clingstones (Atlanta Braves): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 45–34 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Beloit Sky Carp (Miami Marlins): Sky Carp lead, 3-0 Season Record: 44–30 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 33–44 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 35–47-1 Series Opponent: Toledo Mud Hens (40-44) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 July 3: The Iowa Cubs evened their series at the Toledo Mud Hens with a 5-4 victory on Friday night at Fifth Third Field. BJ Murray’s (3-for-4) RBI-single in the first gave the Cubs an early lead before the Mud Hens made it 1-1 with a run in the third. Murray’s solo blast, his 11th of the season, restored Iowa’s lead but Toledo answered with two runs in the home half of the frame to go up 3-2. Owen Miller (1-for-4) and James Triantos (2-for-4) picked up run-scoring singles in the sixth that put the I-Cubs ahead 4-3 and Brett Bateman’s (2-for-4) solo shot in the ninth gave Iowa an important insurance run. The Mud Hens would push a run across in their last trip to the plate in the ninth but Luis Peralta was able to leave the tying run on the basepaths to earn his second save of the season. Ty Blach got the start for the Cubs and got the win to improve to 4-4. Blach allowed three runs on six hits over five innings of work to go along with four walks and six strikeouts. Vince Reilly (2.0 IP) and Jayden Murray (1.0 IP) both made scoreless relief appearances, combining to allow just one hit and whiff five batters. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 45–34 Series Opponent: Columbus Clingstones (34–40) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 July 3: The Knoxville Smokies were held to just six hits as they fell to the Columbus Clingstones, 9-1, on Friday night at Covenant Health Park. The Clingstones scored once in both the third and fourth innings and pushed two more across in the sixth to make it 4-0. Columbus broke the game open with five runs in the eighth before the Smokies grabbed their lone tally of the contest in the ninth on Ariel Armas’ (1-for-4) RBI-triple. Dawson Netz got the start for Knoxville and was handed the loss, falling to 5-2 on the season. Netz allowed two runs on four hits over five innings of work, whiffing four batters without issuing a walk. Owen Ayers snapped his brief 0-for-7 skid by going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 44–30 Series Opponent: Beloit Sky Carp (35–41) Series Standing: Trail, 3-0 July 3: The South Bend Cubs had their contest at the Beloit Sky Carp suspended in the top of the second, trailing 1-0. Jaxon Wiggins, who was making his second rehab appearance with the Cubs, allowed a run on two hits in his inning of work, including one home run. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 33–44 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (44–33) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 July 3: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans evened their series vs. the Hickory Crawdads with a 4-2 victory on Friday night at Pelicans Ballpark. The Pelicans jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third thanks to Alexey Lumpuy’s (1-for-3) three-run blast, his fifth homer of the season. Alexis Hernandez (3-for-4) made it 4-0 with an RBI-double in the fifth before the Crawdads got on the board with a run in the sixth. Myrtle Beach starter Daniel Avitia picked up the win to improve to 2-1 on the season, tossing five innings of scoreless ball, allowing just four hits to go along with one walk and four strikeouts. Hickory picked up a run in the ninth but Sam Mettert was able to close out the game to earn his first save of the season and give the Pelicans the win. View full article

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

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

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

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

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

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

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