Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs were silenced by the Nashville Sounds (Brewers), 6-5.
Starter Doug Nikhazy struggled with control tonight, walking seven batters in just 3.1 innings. But he kept the Sounds to only two hits and two runs. He struck out four.
Luis Peralta pitched the seventh inning, gave up an unearned run on no hits and took the loss. He walked one and struck out one.
The I-Cubs rally in the top of the ninth fell short. I don’t normally, or ever, show the highlights of the opposing team, but I will make an exception in this case. This is the deep fly that Justin Dean hit that Jordyn Adams turned into a game-ending double play.
Dean was 1 for 4 with the sacrifice fly. He also scored one run.
Pedro Ramírez started this game in left field, the first time he’s played the position since four games with South Bend 2024. He did move to third base in the eighth inning after BJ Murray was pinch-run for. Anyway, Ramírez went 4 for 5 with a stolen base. He scored one run and drove in one.
Murray went 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. He also had one RBI and one run scored.
First baseman Jonathon Long was 2 for 5 with one run scored.
Catcher Christian Bethancourt was 2 for 4 with a walk.
Knoxville Smokies
The Knoxville Smokies poached the Columbus Clingstones (Braves), 5-1.
Jake Knapp was activated off the injured list and got the Smokies off to a good start. Knapp did not allow a run or a hit over 2.2 innings. He struck out five and walked just one.
Knapp was relieved after 45 pitches by Jace Beck, who pitched the next three innings and got the win. Beck allowed one unearned run on two hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Frankie Scalzo Jr. pitched the next 2.1 innings without allowing a run and Evan Taylor threw a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation.
Left fielder Carter Trice hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning. It was Trice’s second-straight game with a home run, his third in four games and his fifth overall. Trice went 1 for 5.
In the second inning, catcher Ethan Hearn connected for a solo home run, his second on the year. Hearn was 2 for 4.
In the third inning, the Smokies smashed their third home run of the game. This one came with a man on and off the bat of right fielder Alex Ramírez. It was his third home run of the season. Ramírez was 2 for 5 with three overall runs batted in.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs called the exterminator on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 25-6. No, that’s not a typo.
South Bend actually fell behind in this game early as starter Ethan Flanagan allowed three runs in the bottom of the first. But Flanagan settled down and finished with three runs on five hits over four innings. He walked two, hit one batter and struck out five.
South Bend came back to take a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the sixth, but Kevin Valdez coughed up the lead with two runs in that frame. However, Valdez got the win because South Bend scored 19 runs from the seventh through the ninth inning. Valdez’s final line was two runs on two hits over three innings. He struck out an excellent seven batters while walking two.
The Cubs scored 25 runs on 20 hits and 15 walks. South Bend scored one run in the fourth, two in the fifth, three in the sixth, four in the seventh, nine in the eighth and six more in the ninth. Only in the ninth inning did the Rattlers throw a position player on the mound.
Matt Halbach gave the Cubs a charge in the seventh inning with a three-run home run, his third of the year. Wisconsin literally couldn’t get Halbach out as he went 5 for 5 with two walks tonight. Halbach drove in six runs and scored five times.
Catcher Justin Stransky hit a grand slam in the ninth off of the position player. It was his second on the season. Stransky went 1 for 3 with two walks. He scored twice and had five total runs batted in.
Left fielder Kane Kepley was 4 for 5 with two walks and four stolen bases. He now has 23 steals in 29 games. Kepley scored five runs and drove in two.
Right fielder Leonel Espinoza went 2 for 5 with a double and a walk. He also stole one base. Espinoza score twice and drove in two.
Center fielder Kade Snell was 2 for 5 with two walks. Snell scored four runs and drove in two.
Second baseman Alex Madera went 2 for 3 with three walks. Madera drove home three and scored two times.
Shortstop Christian Olivo was 2 for 6 with a triple and a steal. He scored two runs and had two RBI.
Everyone in the lineup had at least one hit.
Here are some early highlights.
Halbach’s home run.
And here’s the nine-run eighth.
The six-run ninth.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans shot five-under par against the Augusta Green Jackets (Braves), 6-1.
Starter Dominick Reid tossed six scoreless innings and got the win. Reid surrendered just one hit and faced just one batter over the minimum. The one hit was an infield single in the fourth and that runner was thrown out trying to steal. The other baserunner was an error in the sixth. Reid struck out four.
Left fielder Geuri Lubo clubbed a two-run home run in the second inning, his first with the Pelicans and second overall. Lubo was 1 for 4.
Right fielder Josiah Hartshorn hit his fifth home run of the year. It came with a man on in the seventh. Hartshorn was 2 for 4 with a two-run double in the third, giving him four overall RBI.
Shortstop Alexis Hernandez went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Hernandez scored twice.
Highlights.
ACL Cubs
Beat the Padres, 10-9.
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