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Image courtesy of © Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Cubs Affiliate Overview (August 14-15) Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Worcester Red Sox (Boston Red Sox): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 57-60 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 53-57 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Beloit Sky Carp (Miami Marlins): Cubs lead 3-1 Season Record: 48–63 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Columbia Fireflies (Washington Nationals): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 56–52 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 57–60 Series Opponent: Worcester Red Sox (60–57) Series Standing: Tied 2-2 Aug. 14: The Iowa Cubs dropped a high-scoring affair to the Worcester Red Sox, 13-10, on Thursday night. The Cubs rallied for five runs in the bottom of the ninth but would fall short, leaving the potential tying run on deck. Kevin Alcántara (2-for-3), Chase Strumpf (2-for-4) and James Triantos (2-for-5) all tallied two-hit performances, with Triantos driving in a team-high three runs. Will Sanders suffered his first loss at the Triple-A level this season, allowing eight runs on seven hits over 3 2/3 innings of work but also amassed a season-high nine strikeouts. Aug. 15: The I-Cubs evened their series against the Red Sox with a 9-6 victory on Friday night. Jonathan Long went 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored, a home run and two RBIs and was one four Iowa batters to post a multi-hit performance. Forrest Wall (1-for-2) slugged his first home run as a member of the Cubs organization and Carlos Pérez (1-for-5) recorded his 21st double of the campaign. Jordan Wicks picked up the win in relief, retiring all batters that he faced over 2 1/3 innings, whiffing four. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 53–57 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (38–73) Series Standing: Tied 2-2 Aug. 14: The Knoxville Smokies snapped their brief two-game losing skid with an 8-6 win over the Rocket City Trash Pandas. After getting blanked in the first two games of the series, the Smokies plated five runs their first time to the plate, highlighted by Pablo Aliendo’s (2-for-3) grand slam. Knoxville batters drew 10 walks and were hit by a pitch once but they would go just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and leave seven on base. Aug. 15: The Smokies evened the series with a 7-4 victory over the Trash Pandas on Friday. BJ Murray Jr. (2-for-5) launched a two-run shot in the fifth that broke a 3-3 tie and would give Knoxville the lead for good in the contest. Pablo Aliendo went 2-for-5, scoring three times, and Jordan Nwogu went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Tommy Romero picked up the win in relief, tossing five scoreless frames while allowing just three hits and striking out six. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 48–66 Series Opponent: Beloit Sky Carp (55–56) Series Standing: Lead 3–1 Aug. 14: The South Bend Cubs pushed their winning streak to six games with a 6-2 victory over the Beloit Sky Carp on Thursday. Ariel Armas (2-for-4) broke a 1-1 deadlock in the fifth with a two-run triple as the Cubs would go on to plate five runs in the frame. Rafael Morel (1-for-4) and Brian Kalmer (2-for-4) each recorded two RBIs in the contest. Kevin Valdez picked up the win in the start, allowing one run on five hits over 5 1 / 3 innings of work, striking out three. Aug. 15: The Cubs had their six-game winnings streak snapped with a 7-2 defeat to the Sky Carp. Kade Snell (2-for-4), the Cubs’ fifth-round selection in the 2025 MLB Draft, collected the first RBI of his professional career on a single in the first. Ariel Armas continued his scorching August by going 2-for-4. Armas has hit safely in 11 of 13 games in August, posting eight multi-hit performances and an overall slash of .489/.564/.681 with 13 RBIs. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 56–42 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (51–59) Series Standing: Tied 2-2 Aug. 14: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans fell to the Columbia Fireflies, 7-2, on Thursday night. The Pelicans were limited to just three hits in the ballgame, but two went for extra bases, including Christian Olivo’s (2-for-3) two-run homer in the eighth, his third of the season. Nazier Mulé took the loss in the start, allowing four runs on five hits over five innings of work, striking out three. Aug. 15: The Pelicans snapped their brief two-game losing skid with an emphatic 11-2 victory over the Fireflies on Friday night. Eli Lovich went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a home run and a career-high five RBIs. Myrtle Beach also got big performances from Kane Kepley (3-for-6) and Ty Southisene (3-for-5) as the offense scored in double figures for the second time during the series. Jostin Florentino continued his dominance on the mound, blanking Columbia over six innings of work, allowing just three hits and striking out seven to earn his fifth quality start at the Single-A level this season. In his last eight starts, Florentino has gone 4-0 with a 0.81 ERA (4 ER/44 2/3 IP) to go along with 54 punchouts. View full article

Image courtesy of © Steven Worthy / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Cubs Affiliate Overview (August 7-8) Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 55–56 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Tied 2-2 Season Record: 50-54 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres): Cubs lead 3-1 Season Record: 43–62 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Fredericksburg Nationals (Washington Nationals): Pelicans lead 3-1 Season Record: 54–49 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 55–56 Series Opponent: St. Paul Saints (49–61) Series Standing: Tied 2-2 Aug. 7: The Iowa Cubs jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third but the St. Paul Saints scored six unanswered runs to hand the Cubs a 6-5 defeat on Thursday. Kevin Alcántara (1-for-4) launched a three-run blast in the third, his 14th of the season, to cap a five-run frame, but the Saints scored once in the home-half of the inning and four times in the fourth before taking the lead for good with a run in the fifth. Iowa would load the bases in the ninth with one out but neither Alcántara or Chase Strumpf (1-for-5) were able to come up with a game-tying, or go-ahead, hit. Riley Martin turned in two scoreless innings in relief and has now turned in three-straight scoreless outings, spanning 4 1/3 innings. Aug. 8: The I-Cubs evened their series against the Saints with a 10-5 victory on Friday night. Owen Caissie led the offense by going 3-for-6 at the plate with two RBI. Caissie was one of six Iowa batters to tally multiple hits in the contest, as the Cubs recorded 15 hits. Carlos Pérez (2-for-4) slugged his 21st homer of the season in the sixth, which ranks tied for fourth among all International League batters. Miguel Amaya went 1-for-5 as he continues his rehab assignment. Jameson Taillon, also on rehab, allowed one run on three hits over 4 2/3 innings of work, striking out six batters while issuing no walks. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 50–54 Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (58–48) Series Standing: Tied 2-2 Aug. 7: The Knoxville Smokies had their game against the Biloxi Shuckers suspended in the bottom of the fifth with the ballgame tied at 0-0. The contest will resume on Friday with a seven-inning game to follow. Aug. 8: The Smokies split their doubleheader on Friday, winning the completion of Thursday’s suspended contest, 2-0, before falling in the nightcap, 2-1. Game 1: The Smokies held the Shuckers to just four hits to earn their first shutout of the second half of the season. Antonio Santos took no decision in the start, yielding just one hit over five innings of work, whiffing four batters. A.J. Puckett turned in two shutout innings in relief, striking out one. Brett Bateman (1-for-3) delivered both runs of the ballgame with a one-out single in the eighth. Game 2: The Knoxville offense was held to just four hits over seven innings, going 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, in the loss. Corey Joyce’s (1-for-1) RBI-single in the first scored the Smokies’ lone run of the contest. Walker Powell took a no-decision in the start, allowing one run on five hits over four innings of work, striking out three. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 43–62 Series Opponent: Fort Wayne TinCaps (50–55) Series Standing: Lead 3–1 Aug. 7: The South Bend Cubs had their four-game winning streak snapped with an 8-3 defeat to the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Brian Kalmer (1-for-4) got the Cubs on the board with a two-run blast in the fourth, his sixth of the year, and Cameron Sisneros (0-for-3) added an RBI in the sixth. Ariel Armas went a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish, his third straight such performance. Armas has started August 11-for-18 at the plate for an overall slash of .611/.696/.944 with three doubles, a home run and eight RBI. Aug. 8: The Cubs clinched at least a series split with their 8-5 victory over the TinCaps on Friday. The game was tied 4-4 in the eighth before South Bend plated four runs, with Leonel Espinoza’s (2-for-4) two-run single breaking the deadlock. Espinoza was one of five Cub batters to record multiple hits in the ballgame, as South Bend totaled 12 on the night, with the top four in the order going a combined 8-for-17 with eight RBI. Brooks Caple took no decision in the start, allowing two runs, one earned, over five innings of work, whiffing five batters. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 54–49 Series Opponent: Fredericksburg Nationals (49–52) Series Standing: Lead 3-1 Aug. 7: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans swept Thursday’s doubleheader over the Fredericksburg Nationals, taking the opener, 9-0, and the nightcap, 5-3. Game 1: The Pelicans blanked the Nationals 9-0 to open Thursday’s twin bill. Nazier Mulé turned in arguably his best start of the season, blanking Fredericksburg over five innings of work, allowing just two hits and striking out five. Matt Halbach’s (2-for-2) RBI-double in the first was all the offense that Myrtle Beach would need in the ballgame as the Pelicans scored runs in five of their six trips to the plate. Game 2: Myrtle Beach stunned Fredericksburg with three runs in the eighth inning to earn a 5-3 walk-off victory. Christian Olivo (2-for-4) slugged a three-run shot in extras, the first game-winning homer of the season for the Pelicans. Kevin Camacho worked five scoreless frames, allowing just four hits and striking out a season-high nine batters. Aug. 8: The Pelicans clinched at least a series split with a 9-7 victory on Friday night. The Myrtle Beach offense erupted for eight runs in the sixth, with Alexey Lumpuy (1-for-3) giving them the lead for good with his two-run blast. Ty Southisene (2-for-4) plated a pair of runs in the big inning on a single and Kane Kepley (1-for-3) capped the frame by stealing home. In his first three games as a professional, Kepley, the Cubs’ second round selection in the 2025 MLB Draft, has gone 4-for-10 to go along with a .971 OPS. Jostin Florentino took no decision in the start, allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings of work, striking out seven. In his last seven starts, Florentino has gone 3-0 with a 0.93 ERA (4 ER in 38 2/3 IP) to go along with 47 punchouts. View full article

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