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Image courtesy of © Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Cubs Affiliate Overview (July 31 – August 1) • Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 53–52 • Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Smokies lead 4-0 Season Record: 48-51 • High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): River Bandits lead 3-1 Season Record: 38–61 • Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 49–48 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 53–52 Series Opponent: Indianapolis Indians (63–42) Series Standing: Tied 2-2 July 31: The Iowa Cubs captured a 6-2 victory over the Indianapolis Indians, winning their second-straight game. Miguel Amaya, making his third rehab appearance with the team, went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Owen Caissie went 2-for-3 with a run and a double to finish his scorching July with an overall slash of .333/.398/.744 with eight doubles, eight home runs and 14 RBIs. Hayden Cantrelle recorded his second-straight multi-hit effort, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI, and also slugging his first Triple-A home run of the season Brandon Birdsell improved to 1-0 on the season by tossing his first quality start of the campaign. He blanked the Indians over six innings of work, yielding two hits and striking out six. Aug. 1: The I-Cubs dropped Friday’s ballgame to the Indians, 8-5, in 10 innings. Iowa jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first thanks to RBI-knocks from Kevin Alcántara (1-for-5) and Ben Cowles (1-for-4). Will Sanders took no-decision in his second quality start with the Cubs, allowing two runs on two hits over six innings of work, striking out eight batters. After Indianapolis took a 5-3 lead in the eighth, James Triantos (2-for-4) launched a two-run blast in the home-half of the frame to level the contest. The Indians, however, would plate three in the 10th to even the series. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 48–51 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (52–44) Series Standing: Lead 4-0 July 31: The Knoxville Smokies pushed their winning streak to five games, and clinched at least a series split, with a dominant 11-3 victory over the Chattanooga Lookouts on Thursday. Five of the nine Smokies hits in the ballgame went for extra bases, with Casey Opitz’s 3-for-4 performance leading the charge offensively. BJ Murray Jr.’s (2-for-4) three-run blast in the fourth opened the scoring in the contest and put Knoxville ahead for good. Grant Kipp picked up the win to improve to 6-3 on the season. Kipp allowed one run on two hits over five innings of work, striking out six without issuing a walk. Aug. 1: The Smokies pushed their season-long winning streak to six games with an 8-1 victory over the Lookouts to clinch a series victory. Eight of the nine Knoxville starters recorded a at least one hit in the ballgame and combined to draw six walks from Chattanooga pitching. BJ Murray Jr. went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Murray Jr. has driven in 11 runs in his last eight games and has hit safely in seven contests during that span, which includes four multi-hit performances. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 38–61 Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (59–40) Series Standing: Trail 3–1 July 31: The South Bend Cubs got on the board in the series with a 5-1 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits. Brian Kalmer’s (2-for-4) two doubles in the ballgame drove in four of the Cubs’ runs, with his three-run double in the bottom of the eighth putting the contest out of reach. Kevin Valdez turned in a quality start in his second-career Double-A start, allowing one run on two hits over six innings of work, picking up two strikeouts. Luis Martinez-Gomez worked two scoreless innings in relief, whiffing one. Aug. 1: The Cubs dropped Friday’s contest to the River Bandits, 5-3. After trailing 5-0 through five, South Bend got on the board with three runs in the eighth but were ultimately unable to complete the comeback. All six of the Cubs’ hits were limited to singles and they were limited to just three at-bats with runners in scoring position, going 1-for-3. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 49–48 Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (54–44) Series Standing: Tied 2-2 July 31: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans blanked the Charleston RiverDogs, 3-0, on Thursday to snap a brief two-game losing skid. Eli Lovich went 3-for-4 on the night and was the lone Pelican batter to record multiple hits in the contest. Walker Powell earned his first win of the season in the start, tossing five scoreless frames while allowing four hits and striking out two. Kevin Camacho worked three shutout frames in relief, whiffing four batters, and Ethan Bell earned his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth. Aug. 1: The Pelicans evened the series with a 5-1 victory over the RiverDogs on Friday. Matt Halbach’s (1-for-4) three-run blast in the sixth was the decisive swing of the contest. Eli Lovich (2-for-4), Derik Alcantara (2-for-4) and Christian Olivo (2-for-4) all posted multi-hit efforts. Jostin Florentino continued his stellar work on the mound, twirling his fourth quality start at the Single-A level. Florentino allowed just one run on three hits over six innings of work, striking out six. View full article

Image courtesy of © Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Cubs Affiliate Overview (July 24-25) • Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): Bats lead 3-1 Season Record: 50–49 • Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins): Blue Wahoos lead 4-0 Season Record: 42-51 • High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 36–58 • Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Pelicans lead 3-1 Season Record: 45–46 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 50–49 Series Opponent: Louisville Bats (44–56) Series Standing: Trail 3-1 July 24: The Iowa Cubs dropped Thursday’s ballgame to the Louisville Bats 4-2. James Triantos went 3-for-4 and Moisés Ballesteros went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, his ninth of the season. Jordan Wicks fell to 1-4 on the season, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits over four innings of work, striking out four. Tom Cosgrove turned in two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out three. July 25: The I-Cubs suffered a 6-5 walk-off defeat to the Bats on Friday. Ben Cowles (2-for-4) gave Iowa a 5-2 lead in the fifth with a three-run triple but the offense would be held to just two hits the rest of the way. Jonathan Long (2-for-4) and Greg Allen (2-for-4) also recorded multi-hit efforts in the contest. Brandon Birdsell took no-decision in the start, allowing three runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings, whiffing three batters while issuing no walks. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 42–51 Series Opponent: Pensacola Blue Wahoos (50–43) Series Standing: Trail 4-0 July 24: The Knoxville Smokies let a 7-3 lead slip, ultimately falling to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 10-7, on Thursday. The Smokies scored twice in the first to take a quick 2-0 lead but the Blue Wahoos immediately responded with three runs in the second to put the home team down one. Knoxville hit back with a five-run frame, thanks to a two-run triple from Pedro Ramirez (1-for-4) and a two-run single from BJ Murray Jr. (2-for-5). The Smokies took a 7-6 lead into the ninth but the visitors stunned them with four runs to put the game out of reach. Tyler Schlaffer took no-decision in the start, allowing three runs on three hits over five innings of work, striking out two. July 25: The Smokies dropped their seventh-straight contest on Friday, falling to the Blue Wahoos 5-1. Knoxville got its only run of the game in the ninth to avoid the shutout. Pedro Ramirez (2-for-4) and Reivaj Garcia (2-for-4) each posted multi-hit performances. Grant Kipp turned in his best start of the month, tossing five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five. Mitchell Tyranski recorded a scoreless outing in relief, working 1 1/3 frames and striking out two. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 36–58 Series Opponent: Dayton Dragons (30–61) Series Standing: Tied 2–2 July 24: The South Bend Cubs fell to the Dayton Dragons, 7-4, on Thursday. Carter Trice went 2-for-4 with two runs, two home runs and three RBI on the night, posting his second multi-HR game of the season. Kevin Valdez, making his Double-A debut, allowed four runs, all unearned, over five innings of work, striking out four. Jackson Kirkpatrick tossed two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, whiffing four. July 25: The Cubs dropped their second-straight game, falling to the Dragons 4-1 on Friday. South Bend was limited to just two hits in the contest, with neither going for extra bases, and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Grayson Moore turned in two shutout innings in relief, striking out three. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 45–46 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (44–49) Series Standing: Lead 3-1 July 24: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans had their five-game winning streak snapped on Thursday, falling to the Columbia Fireflies 4-1. The Pelicans got their only run of the ballgame in the fourth via a throwing error, going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position on the night. The offense was also limited to just five hits, with none going for extra bases and no player posting a multi-hit effort. July 25: The Pelicans bounced back on Friday with a 6-5 walk-off victory over the Fireflies in 10 innings. Derik Alcantara (1-for-4) provided the game-winner with a single in extras. Angel Cepeda was the lone Myrtle Beach batter to have a multi-hit game, going 2-for-2 with two runs and a walk. Jostin Florentino allowed one run, unearned, over four relief innings, striking out seven. Florentino has not allowed an earned run over his last 16 innings of work and has allowed just one earned run over 21 innings of work in July (0.43 ERA), racking up 26 strikeouts and holding opponents to a .156 average. View full article

Image courtesy of © Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Cubs Affiliate Overview (July 18) • Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): Clippers lead 1-0 Season Record: 47–46 • Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Barons lead 1-0 Season Record: 42-45 • High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Beloit Sky Carp (Miami Marlins): Sky Carp lead 1-0 Season Record: 34–54 • Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): Pelicans lead 1-0 Season Record: 40–45 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 47–46 Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (44–47) Series Standing: Trail 1-0 July 18: In the first game out of the all-star break, the Iowa Cubs fell to the Columbus Clippers, 5-4, in 10 innings on Friday. Ben Cowles (1-for-2) helped send the game to extras with a two-run single in the eighth, but the Cubs were unable to push runs across the plate in the ninth and the 10th. Moisés Ballesteros went 2-for-5 with a run, and Carlos Pérez launched his 20th home run of the campaign. Brandon Birdsell made his first start with Iowa this season, allowing two runs, one earned, over 2 2/3 innings of work, striking out four and walking five. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 42–45 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (50–38) Series Standing: Trail 1-0 July 18: The Knoxville Smokies were blanked by the Birmingham Barons, 2-0, on Friday. Jefferson Rojas, the Cubs’ No. 3 prospect according to MLB.com, made his Double-A debut, going 1-for-4 with a double. Reivaj Garcia was the lone batter to post a multi-hit effort, going 2-for-4. Tyler Schlaffer suffered the loss in the start, allowing just one run on five hits over four innings of work, striking out five. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 34–54 Series Opponent: Beloit Sky Carp (43–44) Series Standing: Trail 1–0 July 18: The South Bend Cubs were blanked by the Beloit Sky Carp, 1-0, on Friday in the team’s first game out of the all-star break. South Bend was held to just four hits, all singles, and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Cristian Hernandez extended his hitting streak to seven games by going 1-for-4 and has now hit safely in 11 of his last 12. Brook Caple took the loss in the start, allowing one run on four hits over five innings, striking out five. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 40–45 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (44–42) Series Standing: Lead 1-0 July 18: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans tossed the fifth nine-inning no-hitter in franchise history to earn a 3-0 victory over the Augusta Green Jackets. Jostin Florentino improved to 2-2 on the season, starting the ballgame with six shutout innings, striking out nine while issuing just one walk. Kevin Camacho picked up his first save of the season, working the final three innings of the ballgame, retiring all nine batters he faced, whiffing four, to complete the no-hitter. The Pelicans got all the offense they needed in the first inning, with Owen Ayers (1-for-3) launching a three-run shot, his fifth of the season. Alexey Lumpuy went 1-for-3 with a double to extend his hitting streak to five games. View full article

Image courtesy of © Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Cubs Affiliate Overview (July 10–11) • Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Saints lead 3-1 Season Record: 46–44 • Double-A Tennessee Smokies Series vs. Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays): Smokies lead 3-1 Season Record: 41-43 • High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Cubs lead 4-0 Season Record: 33–52 • Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 38–44 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 46–44 Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (41–48) Series Standing: Trail 3-1 July 10: The Iowa Cubs dropped their third-straight contest, falling to the St. Paul Saints, 2-1. Owen Caissie (1-for-4) continued his torrid stretch by homering in the fourth to tie the game at 1-1, but that was just one of just five hits recorded by the Cubs in the contest. Caissie is now slashing .394/.487/1.091 through eight games in July, homering seven times and driving in nine. Jonathan Long went 2-for-4 with a double, posting his second-straight multi-hit game. Chris Kachmar suffered the loss in the start, allowing two runs on three hits over five innings of work, striking out five. July 11: The I-Cubs snapped a three-game losing skid with an 8-7 victory over the Saints in eight innings. Iowa was powered by a seven-run fifth inning, with Darius Hill’s (1-for-2) bases-loaded walk in the frame giving the Cubs the lead for good in the contest. Moisés Ballesteros went 3-for-5 with an RBI, his ninth game this season with at least three hits. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 41–43 Series Opponent: Montgomery Biscuits (46–39) Series Standing: Lead 3-1 July 10: The Knoxville Smokies earned a walk-off victory with over the Montgomery Biscuits, 4-3. RBI-base hits from BJ Murray Jr. (1-for-2) and Ethan Hearn (2-for-3) in the first gave the Smokies a 2-0 lead. After the Smokies tied the game at 3-3 in the eighth thanks to a sacrifice fly from Felix Stevens (1-for-3). Pedro Ramirez (1-for-5) claimed the victory for Knoxville with a solo shot, his seventh of the season. Tyler Schlaffer took no decision in the start, allowing just one run on five hits over five innings of work, striking out four. July 11: The Smokies claimed at least a series split with the Biscuits, winning Friday’s contest 5-3. Brett Bateman led the way offensively, going 3-for-4 with an RBI in his first game back since being placed on the injured list on June 30. Reivaj Garcia went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI. Jordan Nwogu went 2-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to four games. Nick Hull turned in two scoreless innings in relief, striking out two. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 33–52 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (39–45) Series Standing: Lead 4–0 July 10: The South Bend Cubs scored double-digit runs for the second time during the series, pushing their winning streak to four games, by defeating the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 12-3 on Thursday. Cristian Hernandez recorded his third four-hit performance of the season, going 4-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Jefferson Rojas had his seven-game hitting streak snapped on Wednesday but didn’t stay 0-for for too long, going 2-for-6 with two RBI. Six different Cubs batters had at least two hits in the ballgame and five drove in at least two runs. Brandon Birdsell was solid again in the start, allowing two runs on four hits over five innings of work, striking out three. July 11: The Cubs clinched a series win and pushed their winning streak to five games with a 6-2 victory over the Timber Rattlers. Jefferson Rojas (2-for-5) and Cristian Hernandez (2-for-5) each put together multi-hit efforts, with Rojas homering twice and driving in three runs. Edgar Alvarez went 3-for-4 as six different South Bend batters had at least two hits in the ballgame as the offense totaled 14 hits. Chase Watkins turned in three shutout innings in relief, allowing just three hits and striking out three. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 38–44 Series Opponent: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (39–46) Series Standing: Tied 2-2 July 10: Myrtle Beach earned a 7-3 victory over Kannapolis on Thursday, thanks to a cycle from Alexey Lumpuy. Lumpuy became the first Pelican to hit for the cycle since 1999, tripling in the first, homering in the third, doubling in the fifth and singling in the ninth to complete the feat. Leonel Espinoza (0-for-3) and Christian Olivo (1-for-3) each tallied two RBI in the contest. Yennri Rojas earned the win in the start, allowing two runs on three hits over five innings of work, striking out five. Dominic Hambley turned in two shutout innings out of the bullpen, whiffing three batters. July 11: The Pelicans suffered a narrow one-run loss, 5-4, on Friday at the Cannon Ballers. Myrtle Beach held a 3-1 lead after the top of the eighth, getting RBI from Alexey Lumpuy (3-for-5) and Jose Escobar (1-for-3) in the fifth and Eli Lovich (1-for-4) in the eighth, but Kannapolis hit back with a four-spot in the bottom of the inning to go ahead 5-3. The Pelicans would score once in the ninth on a balk, but the game would come to an end with the bases loaded. Jostin Florentino took no decision in his quality start, allowing one run, unearned, on three hits over six innings to go along with four strikeouts. View full article

For the first time in his career, Owen Caissie has been named International League Player of the Week following an absolutely dominant series against the Omaha Storm Chasers last week. Caissie slashed an incredible .476/.560/1.143 hitting two doubles, four home runs and tallying six RBIs, while also scoring nine runs and drawing four walks. The Cubs' No. 1 prospect (MLB.com) started the series against the Storm Chasers with an 0-for at the dish before ripping off four straight multi-hit performances, which included three-hit games on Friday and Sunday. Caissie also launched two-homer games in consecutive contests on Thursday and Saturday, bringing his season total to 16, just six shy of his career-best mark of 22, which he set in 2023 at Double-A Tennessee. His torrid start to July comes on the heels of a monster June, where he slashed .316/.435/.605 with five home runs and 13 RBIs in 22 games. The headlining prospect return piece as part of the Yu Darvish trade with the Padres in the winter of 2020, his peak is coming at the perfect time for the Cubs, who might want to use the 2025 MLB All-Star Futures Game participant to headline a trade package for a top-of-the-rotation arm at the deadline. View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Cubs Affiliate Overview (July 3–4) • Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals): Cubs lead 3-1 Season Record: 44–40 • Double-A Tennessee Smokies Series vs. Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 37-41 • High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals): Chiefs lead 4-0 Season Record: 28–51 • Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays): Pelicans lead 4-0 Season Record: 36–41 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 44–40 Series Opponent: Omaha Storm Chasers (34–50) Series Standing: Lead 3-1 July 3: The Iowa Cubs put up double-digit runs for the second straight contest, defeating the Omaha Storm Chasers 12-3, earning a win in the home series of their six-game split series. Owen Caissie broke out of a 1-for-20 stretch by going 2-for-4 with three runs scored, two home runs, four RBIs and a walk. Carlos Pérez (1-for-4) slugged his 19th home run of the season and Jonathan Long (2-for-5) and Kevin Alcántara (3-for-5) each blasted their 11th home run of the campaign. Connor Noland started and picked up the win, allowing two runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings of work, striking out eight. July 4: The I-Cubs pushed their winning streak to three games, and secured at least a series split, with a 7-2 victory over the Storm Chasers. Owen Caissie (3-for-4) and Jonathan Long (2-for-4) put together multi-hit efforts at the dish, with Long driving in four runs in the contest. Chris Kachmar picked up his first-career Triple-A win in his Iowa season debut, allowing just one run on four hits over five innings of work, striking out nine. Ethan Roberts tossed two perfect innings in relief, striking out four, including whiffing the side in order in the eighth. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 37–41 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (26–52) Series Standing: Tied 2-2 July 3: The Knoxville Smokies let an 8-6 lead slip late, and the Rocket City Trash Pandas scored four times in the eighth to hand the Smokies a 10-8 loss. Knoxville tallied 10 hits in the contest, all singles, with Corey Joyce (2-for-3), BJ Murray Jr. (2-for-4) and Jordan Nwogu (2-for-3) all tallying multi-hit efforts. July 4: The Smokies opened the home half of their split series against the Trash Pandas with an 8-3 victory. Casey Opitz (2-for-4) and Jaylen Palmer (2-for-3) posted multi-hit performances with BJ Murray Jr. (1-for-2) and Jordan Nwogu (1-for-4) each driving in three runs. It was the second-straight three-RBI game for Nwogu, who has now collected at least one RBI in four straight games, a season-long streak. Murray Jr. is now up to 51 RBIs in 75 games this season. Tyler Schlaffer earned the win with his fourth-straight quality start, allowing just two runs, one earned, on five hits over six innings of work, to go along with four strikeouts. Tyler Santana earned a three-inning save, allowing one run on three hits to go along with five strikeouts. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 28–51 Series Opponent: Peoria Chiefs (34–44) Series Standing: Trail 4–0 July 3: The South Bend Cubs were walked off by the Peoria Chiefs, 3-2, in 10 innings on Thursday. Cristian Hernandez (1-for-3) and Brian Kalmer (1-for-4) each had an RBI, with Hernandez tallying a double. Brandon Birdsell, making his first rehab appearance at South Bend, worked four innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits, striking out five. Evan Aschenbeck turned in four scoreless innings in relief, allowing five hits and whiffing four. July 4: The Cubs dropped their fifth straight contest, falling to the Chiefs 9-4 on Friday, to open the home half of their split series. Jefferson Rojas (2-for-4) hit a two-run homer in the fifth and also drew one walk. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 36–41 Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (41–38) Series Standing: Lead 4-0 July 3: Myrtle Beach earned a sweep of the road series in its split series at Charleston with a 3-1 victory to push its winning streak to four games. Owen Ayers’ (1-for-3) two-run blast in the first proved to be the decisive swing in the game. Eli Lovich (1-for-4) added an RBI-single in the fourth. Yenrri Rojas improved to 2-2 on the season by tossing five innings of one-run ball, striking out three. Landon Ginn and Cole Reynolds each turned in two shutout innings in relief, combining for four strikeouts. July 4: The Pelicans extended their winning streak to five games with an 8-6 win over the RiverDogs to clinch at least a series win of this split series. Jose Escobar (3-for-4) and Matt Halbach (1-for-3) each homered in the third inning to put Myrtle Beach up 5-0 in the ballgame. After Charleston rallied to take a 6-5 lead by scoring five in the fifth, Myrtle Beach took the lead right back with two runs in the home half of the frame through a two-run single from Owen Ayers (1-for-4). Jostin Florentino took a no-decision in the start, allowing just one run on seven hits over five innings of work, striking out six. Brayden Spears earned his first win of the season by working the final 2 2/3 of the contests, allowing no runs on one hit, striking out two. View full article

Image courtesy of © Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK Cubs Affiliate Overview (June 26–27) • Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): Clippers lead 3-1 Season Record: 40–38 • Double-A Tennessee Smokies Series vs. Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 34-38 • High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins): Lead 3-1 Season Record: 27–46 • Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Lead 3-1 Season Record: 31–40 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 40–38 Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (37–39) Series Standing: Trail 3-1 June 26: The Iowa Cubs dropped their sixth-straight contest, falling to the Columbus Clippers, 6-5, on Thursday. The Cubs took a 4-3 lead into the ninth but allowed three runs in the top of the frame. Iowa would score one in the bottom of the ninth on a Hayden Cantrelle groundout but would leave the tying run at third. Carlos Pérez (3-for-4) posted his first multi-home run game of the season, launching a solo shot in the fourth before crushing a two-run blast in the eighth. His 16 home runs lead the I-Cubs and rank second in the International League. Jonathan Long also recorded a multi-hit effort, going 2-for-4. Tommy Romero took a no-decision in the start, allowing three runs on six hits over five innings of work, striking out a season-high eight batters. June 27: The Cubs snapped their six-game losing skid with an emphatic 15-6 victory over the Clippers on Friday. Iowa was led by James Triantos and Kevin Alcántara, who combined to go 6-for-7 with seven runs scored, two doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs. Both players tallied three-hit efforts while also tallying a double and a home run. Seven of the nine Cubs starters recorded a hit in the contest and six drove in at least one run. Alcántara raised his June batting average to .281 and is also posting an OPS of .792 during the month. Brandon Hughes tossed three scoreless innings in relief, allowing just one hit and striking out three. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 34–38 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (40–33) Series Standing: Tied 2-2 June 26: The Knoxville Smokies used a five-run first inning to cruise to a 9-3 victory over the Birmingham Barons on Thursday. BJ Murray Jr. (1-for-5) launched a three-run shot in the opening frame with Felix Stevens (2-for-4) and Jordan Nwogu (3-for-3) also adding RBI-base hits in the first. Stevens and Nwogu would combine to drive in three of the four runs scored by the Smokies in the third as the home team raced out to a 9-2 lead. Cayne Ueckert picked up the win in relief, tossing two scoreless frames and allowing just two hits to go along with three strikeouts. June 27: The Smokies overturned a 4-0 deficit into a 5-4 lead with a five-run eighth inning, but the Barons scored twice in the ninth to hand Knoxville the one-run loss and even the series. The Smokies were held to just three hits in the ballgame, with Pablo Aliendo’s (1-for-4) RBI-single in the ninth appearing to be the decisive one, but they were also able to draw eight walks at the plate. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 27–46 Series Opponent: Cedar Rapids Kernels (42–31) Series Standing: Lead 3–1 June 26: South Bend and Cedar Rapids had its contest suspended in the top of the third inning, with the Cubs leading 5-0. June 27: The Cubs and the Kernels split the action on the day, with Cedar Rapids winning the completed suspended contest, 6-5, and South Bend coming away victorious in the nightcap, 12-4. Game 1: South Bend had its 5-0 lead instantly erased by a five-run frame from Cedar Rapids in the third. The Kernels would plate the go-ahead run in the fifth and would hold the Cubs to just one hit over the next five innings. South Bend rallied in the ninth, with the first two batters reaching safely, but were unable to plate the tying run. Evan Aschenbeck started the ballgame on Thursday and worked two scoreless innings and looked poise to bounce back from a rough outing his last time out. Edgar Alvarez, Cameron Sisneros and Drew Bowser all tallied two-hit efforts in the game. Game 2: The Cubs bounced back in the nightcap with a dominant 12-4 victory, in seven innings, over the Kernels to take a 3-1 series lead. Cristian Hernandez (1-for-4) put South Bend in front 2-0 in the first with a two-run shot, his fourth of the season. Brian Kalmer (2-for-3) also hit a two-run homer in the second, making it 4-3 Cubs, before South Bend erupted for eight runs in the third. Drew Bowser’s (1-for-3) two-run double made it 7-3 before two more scored on a double by Kalmer. Jefferson Rojas’ (1-for-3) two-run blast, his sixth of the season, capped the frame. Erian Rodriguez picked up the win, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits over five innings of work, punching out a season-high eight batters. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 31–40 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (37–36) Series Standing: Lead 3-1 June 26: Myrtle Beach was walked off by Columbia on Thursday, 3-2. The Pelicans took the lead in the contest in the second, thanks to a run-scoring balk, and doubled their advantage on Leonel Espinoza’s RBI-groundout in the fifth. The Fireflies evened the contest with runs in the sixth and seventh before scoring again in the ninth to hand Myrtle Beach the loss. Yenrri Rojas took the no-decision in his first quality start of the season, allowing just one run on six hits over six innings of work, striking out two. June 27: The Pelicans clinched at least a series split with a 4-1 win on Friday over the Fireflies. Dilan Granadillo (1-for-4), Christian Olivo (1-for-4) and Ty Southisene (2-for-5) all tallied RBI-base hits in the seventh to give Myrtle Beach a 3-0 lead, and Yahil Melendez (1-for-3) added some insurance with a sacrifice fly in the eighth to make it 4-1. Jostin Florentino picked up his first-career win at the Single-A level with his first-career quality start at this level as well. He blanked Columbia over six innings of work, allowing just three hits while firing a season-high eight strikeouts. View full article

Image courtesy of Yahil Melendez Cubs Affiliate Overview (June 19–20) • Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 39–33 • Double-A Tennessee Smokies Series at Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Shuckers lead 3–1 Season Record: 31-35 • High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Lake County Captains (Cleveland Guardians): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 24–43 • Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 26–39 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 39–33 Series Opponent: Nashville Sounds (42–29) Series Standing: Tied 2-2 June 19: The Iowa Cubs took a 2-1 series lead over the Nashville Sounds with a 6-1 victory on Wednesday at First Horizon Park. Moisés Ballesteros (3-for-5) and Carlos Pérez (2-for-5) each launched solo homers in the first inning while Owen Caissie also chipped in with a 2-for-4 effort, scoring one two runs, doubling, and drawing a walk. Jordan Wicks, who was activated off the 7-day IL, made his first appearance since May 24 and worked three scoreless frames, allowing just one hit and striking out four. Jake Woodford turned in the final six innings on the mound, allowing one run on four hits to go along with seven strikeouts. June 20: The Cubs had their brief two-game winning streak snapped with an 8-5 defeat to the Sounds on Thursday. Shota Imanaga, making his first rehab appearance at the Triple-A level on his current IL stint, looks set to return to the big leagues after turning in 4 1/3 shutout innings, allowing two hits and whiffing eight. Jonathan Long (4-for-4) posted his second four-hit game of the season, while Christian Franklin (3-for-5) also had a big night at the plate. While Imanaga looked stellar in his rehab outing, Porter Hodge didn’t fare as well, getting roughed up for seven runs, six earned, on four hits, to go along with two walks, in just 1/3 of an inning. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 31–35 Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (41–26) Series Standing: Trail 3-1 June 19: The Knoxville Smokies were walked off by the Biloxi Shuckers on Thursday, 5-4, dropping their third-straight contest. Corey Joyce went 3-for-5 at the dish with a run, double, and an RBI, and Pablo Aliendo went 1-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Nick Dean turned in a solid start, allowing three runs on five hits over five innings of work, striking out seven. June 20: The Smokies used a five-run 10th to power past the Shuckers, 10-6, on Friday to snap their three-game losing skid. BJ Murray’s (3-for-6) grand slam in extras was the decisive blow after Jordan Nwogu (2-for-4) gave Knoxville the lead with a sacrifice fly earlier in the frame. Pedro Ramirez (3-for-5) crushed a three-run homer in the third and drove in four total runs in the ballgame. Six total Smokie batters would tally multi-hit efforts in the contest, with three posting three-hit games. Jaxon Wiggins took no decision in the start, allowing two runs on two hits in four innings of work, striking out four and walking four. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 24–43 Series Opponent: Lake County Captains (35–32) Series Standing: Tied 2–2 June 19: The South Bend Cubs fell behind 5-2 after four and were unable to mount a rally, ultimately falling, 6-2, to the Lake County Captains on Thursday. The Cubs' offense, which was held to just four hits on the night, was led by James Triantos, who went 2-for-5 with a run. Evan Aschenbeck had his run of five-straight quality starts snapped, allowing five runs on eight hits over four innings of work, striking out just three batters. Connor Schultz turned in two scoreless innings in relief, whiffing two. June 20: The Cubs evened their series with the Captains with a 5-4 walk-off victory in 10 innings on Friday. Drew Bowser (2-for-5) capped a three-RBI night with a walk-off single in the 10th to deliver the win. Jefferson Rojas went 1-for-4 with a run, home run, two RBI, and a walk, and Edgar Alvarez also posted a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-5. Erian Rodriguez turned in his second-straight quality start, allowing three runs on seven hits over six innings of work, picking up five strikeouts. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 26–39 Series Opponent: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (36–31) Series Standing: Tied 2-2 June 19: Myrtle Beach let an early 4-0 lead slip late, falling to Fayetteville, 5-4, on Thursday. Yahil Melendez turned in his third-straight multi-hit effort, going 3-for-5 with a run and a double. Matt Halbach (2-for-3) and Christian Olivo (2-for-4) also turned in multi-hit games for the Pelicans. Eight of the nine Myrtle Beach batters hit safely in the contest. Ethan Flanagan took no decision in the start, allowing just one run on three hits over five innings, striking out six. June 20: The Pelicans evened the series against the Woodpeckers with a 5-3 victory on Friday. Myrtle Beach scored all of its runs in the fourth through an Owen Ayers (0-for-4) RBI-groundout, a two-run homer from Matt Halbach (1-for-4), and a two-run single from Alexey Lumpuy (1-for-4). Charlie Hurley picked up the win in relief, allowing one run, unearned, over three innings of work, yielding two hits and striking out one. View full article

Image courtesy of MiLB.com Evan Aschenbeck has been named Midwest League Pitcher of the Week following his stellar start on Thursday at Fort Wayne. The lefty worked seven innings for the second-straight outing, holding the TinCaps scoreless, yielding just one hit and striking out five. The start was also his fifth-straight quality start, a streak that dates back to May 14. During that span, Aschenbeck has gone 2-3 with a 2.23 ERA (8 ER/32 1/3 IP) to go along with 25 strikeouts and just four walks. The Texas A&M product has also held opponents to just a .584 OPS during that run, with just six of the 30 hits allowed going for extra bases (4 2B, 2 HR). Aschenbeck was one of the most dominant relievers in college baseball last season, going 6-1 while posting the nation's best ERA (1.78, 15 ER/75 2/3 IP) and WHIP (0.89), totaling an SEC-best 10 saves. The Brenham, Texas, native also struck out a total of 87 batters, compared to just 12 walks, and held opponents to a .198 batting average. Thanks to his stellar 2024 campaign in College Station, Aschenbeck was an unanimous All-American, First Team All-SEC performer and was also selected as the NCBWA Stopper of the Year. He was selected in the 13th round of the 2024 MLB Draft but wouldn't make his professional debut until April 4, 2025, with the Cubs shutting him down following his lengthy 2024, which saw the Aggies finish runners-up at the NCAA College World Series. In his debut at Single-A Myrtle Beach, Aschenbeck struck out seven batters and allowed just one run, unearned, over four innings of work. Working as a starter for the first time since 2022 as a sophomore at Blinn College, he made quick work of Carolina League hitters, going 1-0 with a spotless 0.00 ERA (0 ER/14 1/3 IP) to go along with 16 punchouts and just four walks, holding opposing hitters to a .146 average. Aschenbeck quickly earned himself a promotion to High-A South Bend on April 22. Like most players do, he struggled initially in his first couple of outings at the higher level, posting a 5.84 ERA (8 ER/12 1/3 IP) in three starts and didn't work longer than 4 1/3 innings in any of those outings. He's been nothing but sharp since, allowing three earned runs over fewer in each of his last five starts, which includes four outings of two earned runs or fewer. A second promotion this season could be on the horizon if he continues to overpower Midwest League hitters. View full article

Image courtesy of Cody Scanlan/The Register/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Cubs Affiliate Overview (June 12–13) • Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): Cubs lead 3-2 Season Record: 36–30 • Double-A Tennessee Smokies Series at Columbus Clingstones (Atlanta Braves): Clingstones lead 2–1 Season Record: 27-32 • High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): Cubs lead 3-0 Season Record: 20–40 • Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers): Pelicans lead 3-1 Season Record: 23–36 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 36–30 Series Opponent: Louisville Bats (36–30) Series Standing: Lead 3-2 June 12: The Iowa Cubs swept a doubleheader vs. Louisville, winning the opener, 10-2, and claiming a 5-4 walk-off victory in the nightcap. Game 1: Making up a previously postponed game in Louisville, the Cubs played as the “road” team, using an eight-run seventh to put the contest out of reach. Jonathan Long (2-for-5) and Owen Caissie (2-for-3) each had three RBIs in the ballgame, with Caissie’s two-run homer in the seventh, his 10th of year, putting the game out of reach. Christian Franklin and Moisés Ballesteros each drew three walks at the plate. Will Sanders took the no-decision in his start, allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings of work, striking out seven. Game 2: The I-Cubs claimed the doubleheader sweep with a 5-4 walk-off victory, in nine innings, over the Bats. Carlos Pérez (1-for-3) delivered the win with a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Brooks Kriske turned in the best outing of the six Iowa arms that were used, allowing no runs and just two hits over two innings of work, striking out five. June 13: The Cubs had their three-game winning streak snapped with a 9-6 defeat to the Bats. Carlos Pérez put Iowa ahead 2-1 on his two-run homer, his 12th of the year, but Louisville scored the next eight runs in the ballgame to go up 9-2. The I-Cubs rallied with three in the eighth, but it would not be enough. Moisés Ballesteros went 3-for-3 with a run, double, an RBI and a walk, while Chase Strumpf went 2-for-5 with a run. Jake Woodford, making his second start in the Cubs organization, allowed four runs on 10 hits over five innings, striking out two. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 27–32 Series Opponent: Columbus Clingstones (25–31) Series Standing: Trail 2-1 June 12: The Knoxville Smokies blanked the Columbus Clingstones, 3-0, snapping a three-game losing skid. Ethan Hearn’s (1-for-4) bases-loaded walk in the first was more than enough run support for the Smokies pitching staff, which limited the Clingstones to just four hits. Antonio Santos earned his first win of the season by tossing five innings of scoreless ball, allowing just two hits and whiffing five. Pablo Aliendo went 3-for-4 with a run and a double. June 13: The Smokies and the Clingstones had their contest suspended in the third inning due to inclement weather. Play will resume on Saturday. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 20–40 Series Opponent: Fort Wayne TinCaps (29–31) Series Standing: Lead 3–0 June 12: The South Bend Cubs earned at least a series split with a 10-1 victory over Fort Wayne. Carter Trice went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a double, home run, two RBIs and a walk, and Miguel Pabon went 2-for-5 with two runs, a home run and three RBIs. Four Cubs batters posted multi-hit efforts as the offense posted its third game with double-digit runs in the last four. Evan Aschenbeck was stellar again, spinning seven shutout innings on the mound, allowing just one hit and striking out five, recording his fifth-straight quality start. June 13: The Cubs and the TinCaps had their game postponed due to rain. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 23–36 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (30–30) Series Standing: Lead 3-1 June 12: Myrtle Beach earned a 3-2 walk-off win over Hickory, its second-straight one-run victory. Leonel Espinoza scored the decisive run on a balk. Espinoza (2-for-4) and Cameron Sisneros (2-for-3) combined for four of the five Myrtle Beach hits in the game, with Sisneros launching a two-run shot in the first, his third of the season. Kevin Valdez turned in the best start of his professional career, allowing just one run on two hits over seven innings, striking out four. June 13: The Pelicans earned a second-straight 3-2 win over the Crawdads to clinch a series victory. Myrtle Beach has won three-straight games for the first time since April 4-6, the first three games of the campaign. All three of the wins during this current streak have been by just one run. Yahil Melendez went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Alfredo Romero improved to 2-2 with his start, blanking Hickory over five innings of work, allowing just three hits and striking out six. View full article

Image courtesy of Chris Kachmar Cubs Affiliate Overview (June 5–6) • Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals): Cubs lead 4-1 Season Record: 32–27 • Double-A Tennessee Smokies Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Lookouts lead 2–1 Season Record: 25-28 • High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers): Cubs lead 2-1 Season Record: 16–38 • Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 20–33 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 32–27 Series Opponent: Omaha Storm Chasers (24–36) Series Standing: Lead 4-1 June 5: The Iowa Cubs earned at least a series split with an 8-5 victory over the Omaha Storm Chasers. Carlos Pérez’s (1-for-4) grand slam highlighted a six-run fourth for the I-Cubs that put the game out of reach. Jonathon Long (3-for-4) drove in two runs as he collected his second-straight multi-hit game. Moisés Ballesteros (1-for-4) also collected two RBI, tallying a hit for the fifth time in his last six ballgames. Will Sanders turned in his first-career quality start at the Triple-A level, allowing four runs, three earned, over six innings, firing three strikeouts. Luke Little earned his first save of the season by turning in 1 1/3 shutout frames, striking out three. June 6: The I-Cubs split their doubleheader with the Storm Chasers, winning the opener, 5-3, before dropping the nightcap, 9-5. Game 1: Iowa claimed a series win over Omaha with a 5-3 triumph to open the doubleheader. The Cubs scored all their runs in the second, with Chase Strumpf’s (2-for-3) two-run double the decisive blow. Moisés Ballesteros (2-for-4) recorded his 20th multi-hit performance of the season, driving in one run to reach the 30-RBI mark on the campaign. Game 2: The Cubs fell to the Storm Chasers, 9-5, to split their doubleheader. Owen Caissie (2-for-3) and Moisés Ballesteros (2-for-4) each tallied multi-hit efforts, while five different Iowa batters drove in at least one run. Caissie has hit safely in five of the first games in June, posting an overall slash of .381/.480/.571 this month. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 25–28 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (26–24) Series Standing: Trail 1-2 June 5: The Knoxville Smokies were limited to just two hits by the Chattanooga Lookouts, falling 3-0. Pablo Aliendo (1-for-3) and Jaylen Palmer (1-for-3) tallied the hits as the Smokies were held to just three baserunners and took just one at-bat with runners in scoring position. Chris Kachmar struck out a career-high 10 batters over five innings of work, allowing two runs on six hits. Tyler Santana worked two shutout innings in relief, yielding just two hits. June 6: The Smokies and the Lookouts were postponed due to weather conditions. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 16–38 Series Opponent: Great Lakes Loons (28–26) Series Standing: Lead 2–1 June 5: The South Bend Cubs and the Great Lakes Loons split a doubleheader on Thursday, with the Cubs taking the opener, 6-5, before getting blanked in the finale, 3-0. Game 1: The Cubs captured a walk-off victory thanks to Jefferson Rojas’ sacrifice fly in the seventh. South Bend scored six runs on just three hits, drawing eight walks in the ballgame to put traffic on the base paths. Carter Trice (1-for-2) led off the home half of the contest with a home run, and Christian Hernandez (1-for-3) would later record a two-run single in the fifth. Tyler Schlaffer took no decision in his start, allowing just one run over five innings of work, striking out five. Game 2: South Bend was no-hit in the doubleheader nightcap, earning just three walks in the ballgame. Evan Aschenbeck turned in a complete-game quality start on the mound despite taking the loss. He allowed three runs over seven innings of work, striking out five. June 6: The South Bend and Great Lakes contest was suspended due to inclement weather. The Loons held a 2-1 advantage in the top of the fifth, with play set to resume on Saturday. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 20–33 Series Opponent: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (29–26) Series Standing: Tied 2-2 June 5: Myrtle Beach was handed a lopsided 12-1 loss on Thursday by Kannapolis. Leonel Espinoza and Eriandys Ramon each had two-hit performances while Angel Cepeda (1-for-5) drove in the lone run with an RBI-groundout. Charlie Hurley turned in 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, striking out four batters. June 6: The Pelicans earned a 5-3 win in extra innings to even the series with the Cannon Ballers at 2-2. Cameron Cisneros (3-for-5) slugged a three-run blast in the 10th, his second of the season, to give Myrtle Beach the lead for good. Alfredo Romero allowed just one run in five innings of work, striking out a season-high six batters. View full article

Honorable Mention RHP Brooks Caple – Myrtle Beach Pelicans/South Bend Cubs - 4 GS, 2.29 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 19 2/3 IP, 14 H, 7 BB, 17 K Caple has outclassed hitters at the two Class-A levels all season long, going 3-1 with a 2.31 ERA (7 ER/35 IP) in his first seven starts as a professional. The Cubs’ ninth-round selection in the 2024 MLB Draft was nearly unhittable in May, going 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in his three starts for the Pelicans, whiffing 16 batters in 16 innings of work, limiting opponents to a .118 average, and allowing just one extra-base hit. Caple’s finest outing of the month came on May 20 at Hickory, where he blanked the Crawdads over 7 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out six. He was the only pitcher with at least three starts in the Carolina League in May in which he didn't allow a run, and his average against was the lowest among league arms that tossed at least 16 innings in the month. The Lamar product earned a promotion to High-A South Bend and made his debut with the Cubs on May 27. May’s Top 3 Cubs MiLB Starting Pitchers of the Month 3. RHP Grant Kipp – South Bend Cubs - 5 GS, 2.63 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 24 IP, 21 H, 25 BB, 12 K After earning honorable mention honors last month from North Side Baseball, Kipp cracks into the top three following May, where we went 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA (7 ER/24 IP) over five starts to go along with 25 strikeouts and 12 walks. The Yale product ended May with his first quality start of the campaign on the 29th vs. Birmingham, blanking the Barons over 6 innings, allowing six hits and whiffing three batters. Kipp began May with a 5-inning, four-run outing on the 4th vs. Rocket City, but went on to allow just three earned runs over his next four starts, covering 19 innings. He doubled his walk total from April, but his slight uptick in punchouts (currently at a 26% strikeout rate) has him on pace to set a career-best mark in that category. 2. RHP Ryan Gallagher – South Bend Cubs - 5 GS, 2.33 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 27 IP, 17 H, 9 BB, 40 K Gallagher turned in a monster May for South Bend, going 3-2 with a 2.33 ERA (7 ER/27 IP), whiffing 40 batters. After making his professional debut in April and posting a 4.50 ERA (5 ER/10 IP) over three games, the Sacramento native was simply untouchable last month, posting a 0.96 WHIP and holding opponents to a .179 average and a .513 OPS at the plate. Gallagher posted an eye-popping 38.5% strikeout rate and walked batters just 8.7 percent of the time over his five starts. He allowed two runs on six hits in just 2 2/3 innings in his first start of the month on May 3 at Cedar Rapids, but proceeded to work 6+ innings in each of the next four starts, posting quality starts in three of those contests. In all four of those ballgames, Gallagher struck out at least eight batters, including a career-high 12 on May 17 at Lansing. The Cubs’ sixth-round pick out of UC Santa Barbara in the 2024 MLB Draft tossed 6 shutout innings on May 10 vs. Fort Wayne, allowing no hits to go along with eight strikeouts, earning him Midwest League Pitcher of the Week for the first time in his career. 1. RHP Will Sanders – Knoxville Smokies/Iowa Cubs - 5 GS, 2.77 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 26 IP, 20 H, 4 BB, 29 K Sanders dominated hitters at Double-A Knoxville to begin May, going 3-1 with a 1.71 ERA (4 ER/21 IP) in four starts, earning himself a call-up to Triple-A Iowa on May 30, where he earned the win by allowing four runs over 5 innings of work, picking up six strikeouts. Sanders’s numbers may have looked even more impressive had he made a fifth start for the Smokies, but the promotion was well deserved for the Cubs’ fourth-round selection in the 2023 draft. The South Carolina product turned in his first quality start of the season, and best outing of May, on the 17th, blanking Columbia over 6 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out seven without issuing a walk. He was later named Southern League Pitcher of the Week on the 19th for that effort. That outing was the final contest of a three-game stretch here Sanders allowed one earned run or fewer. During that span, he racked up 18 strikeouts while issuing just two walks. Sanders turned in a solid April, where he posted a 3.47 ERA (9 ER/23 1/3 IP) with 21 strikeouts and nine walks. Then, he not only lowered his ERA but also improved his WHIP from 1.39 to 0.92 and his strikeout-to-walk ratio from 3.5 to 7.3. The Atlanta native has needed a couple of starts to adjust to each level he’s appeared at in his professional career, so if he finds his footing with the I-Cubs, he could definitely make some more noise within the organization and potentially earn himself a spot on the Cubs’ top prospects list. View full article

Image courtesy of © Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Cubs Affiliate Overview (May 29–30) • Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Syracuse Mets (New York Mets): Mets lead 3-1 Season Record: 28–24 • Double-A Tennessee Smokies Series vs. Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies lead 3–1 Season Record: 23-24 • High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): River Bandits lead 3-1 Season Record: 13–36 • Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): Tied 2–2 Season Record: 18–28 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 28–24 Series Opponent: Syracuse Mets (25–30) Series Standing: Trail 1-3 May 29: The Iowa Cubs fell behind 11-0 after two innings and would eventually go on to lose, 12-3, to the Syracuse Mets. Greg Allen went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk and was the only Cub to notch multiple hits in the contest. Kevin Alcántara (1-for-3) drove in two runs in the ballgame. Brandon Hughes turned in 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, picking up one strikeout. Phil Bickford also posted a scoreless outing, working 2 innings while punching out three. May 30: The I-Cubs snapped a three-game losing skid with an 8-5 victory over the Mets. Jonathan Long had another big night at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two home runs and two RBI, tallying his first multi-HR game this season. Kevin Alcántara also went yard, reaching the 30-RBI mark in the process. Nate Pearson spun 2 scoreless innings, picking up four strikeouts. Pearson has now worked 7 1/3-straight shutout frames, spanning five games, whiffing 11 batters. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 23–24 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (26–21) Series Standing: Lead 3-1 May 29: The Knoxville Smokies split a doubleheader with the Birmingham Barons, winning the opener, 1-0, before falling in the nightcap, 2-0. Game 1: BJ Murray Jr.’s (1-for-2) solo blast in the second was the only hit recorded in the ballgame by the Smokies but it was enough run support for Grant Kipp, who turned in 6 shutout innings, striking out three batters, earning his first quality start of the season. Mitchell Tyranski picked up his fourth save of the campaign by working a perfect seventh inning, striking out two batters. Game 2: Making up a postponed game from April 6, Knoxville played as the “road” team and were limited to just three hits on the night. Sam Thorensen (1.1 IP, 2 SO), Robert Kwiatkowski (1.0 IP, 1 SO) and Zac Leigh (1.0 IP, 2 SO) combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, yielding just one hit. May 30: The Smokies stunned the Barons by scoring three runs with two outs in the ninth to come away with an 8-7 walk-off victory. Ethan Hearn’s (2-for-5) RBI-single was the final of three-straight RBI-singles from Knoxville, with BJ Murray Jr. (2-for-5) and Pablo Aliendo (1-for-4) also picking up the crucial knocks in the frame. Murray Jr. also slugged a two-run homer in the contest, his ninth of the season, Nolan Clenney allowed just one run, unearned, over 3 innings of work out of the bullpen. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 13–36 Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (31–18) Series Standing: Trail 1–3 May 29: South Bend used a five-run sixth to propel them to an 8-6 victory over Quad Cities. Edgar Alvarez (2-for-5) and Ivan Brethowr (2-for-4) each tallied multi-hit performances, while Christian Hernandez and Rafael Morel each collected two RBI in the ballgame. Evan Aschenbeck turned in his third-straight quality start, allowing two runs over 6 innings of work, racking up a season-high eight strikeouts. May 30: The Cubs were walked off by the River Bandits, 3-2, in 10 innings. Eight of the nine South Bend batters recorded a hit, with Christian Hernandez driving in both runs with a single in the fifth. Erian Rodriguez took no decision in his start, allowing just one run over 5 innings, striking out five. Connor Schultz fired 2 shutout innings out of the bullpen, whiffing two. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 18–28 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (25–21) Series Standing: Tied 1-1 May 29: Myrtle Beach and Augusta were postponed due to inclement weather. May 30: The Pelicans and the GreenJackets had their contest canceled due to inclement weather and power outages. View full article