After everyone lost yesteday, everyone won today! OK, the Pelicans actually split a doublheader.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs stuffed and mounted the Gwinnett Stripers (Braves), 7-3.
Grant Kipp turned in a solid start, earning the win after allowing one run on four hits over five innings. Kipp walked three and struck out two.
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DH Moisés Ballesteros hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning, his second with Iowa. Ballesteros went 1 for 5.
Center fielder Brett Bateman went 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. Bateman also stole a base. He scored three times and had one RBI.
In the month of July, Bateman is hitting .397/.466/.628 over 19 games.
First baseman Jonathon Long doubled twice in a 2 for 5 game. He had two runs batted in.
Catcher Owen Ayers was 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. Ayers scored once and had one RBI.
Second baseman Owen Miller went 2 for 4 with a double and one run scored. He was also hit by a pitch.
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Right fielder Kevin Alcántara was 0 for 3 with a walk and a sacrifice fly. The walk gives Alcántara a 36-game on-base streak for Iowa, which is a new team record. At least going back to 2005, the first year that full game data is available.
Mo Baller’s home run.
Owen Ayers’ guns down a runner trying to steal.
Long’s RBI double.
And Long drives home another runner with a double.
Knoxville Smokies
The Knoxville Smokies took out the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 6-5 in ten innings.
Starter Kevin Valdez went five innings and allowed two runs on just three hits. Both runs came on a fourth-inning home run. Valdez struck out four, walked one and hit two.
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Luke Little retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth and got the win. Little struck out one.
Jacob Wallace came on to pitch the bottom of the tenth and allowed the automatic runner on second to score on no hits. Wallace walked one and struck out two to collect his first save in the Cubs organization.
Third baseman Jefferson Rojas hit a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the tenth that proved to be the winning blast. It was his 15th home run this year. Rojas was 2 for 5 with a double and the home run.
DH Ariel Armas hit a solo home run in the second inning, his second on the season. Armas went 1 for 3 with a walk and scored twice.
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First baseman Edgar Alvarez hit an RBI double in the sixth inning. Alvarez went 2 for 4.
Right fielder Andy Garriola was 2 for 5 with a double and a run scored.
The Armas home run.
RBI single for Carter Trice and then the RBI double by Alvarez. Trice went 1 for 4.
Rojas’ clutch home run.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs stomped on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 8-3.
Pierce Coppola pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. He walked one, hit one batter and struck out four.
JP Wheat relieved Coppola to start the sixth and promptly let three runs score to tie the game and had two runners on when Jackson Brockett entered the game. Brockett stranded the two runners and then went the rest of the way, earning the win. Brockett’s final line was no runs on two hits over 3.1 innings. He struck out six and walked on.
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Catcher Justin Stransky connected for a two-run home run in the eighth inning. It was Stransky’s fifth home run this season. He went 2 for 4 with three total RBI.
Right fielder Josiah Hartshorn went 2 for 4 with an RBI double. He scored two runs.
Center fielder Kane Kepley was 2 for 4 with a triple and scored on Hartshorn’s double.
Shortstop Angel Cepeda went 2 for 4. Both singles drove in a run, giving him two on the day.
Second baseman Michael Halquist broke the 3-3 tie with a two-run double in the sixth. He went 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Hartshorn’s RBI double.
Halquist’s double.
Stransky’s home run.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans split a doubleheader with the Hickory Crawdads (Rangers), winning game one 4-1 and losing the second on 9-2.
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Riely Hunsaker gave the Birds five scoreless innings, giving up just two hits. Hunsaker struck out seven and walked one.
Anhuar Garcia handled the other two innings for the save. Garcia gave up one run on two hits. The one run was a leadoff home run in the seventh. Garcia walked one and struck out two.
Second baseman Fernando Cruz hit his first Pelicans home run with the bases empty in the seventh in game one. It was his 14th overall home run. Cruz went 1 for 3.
Two batters later, first baseman Edward Vargas cranked a two-run home run, his first of the year and his first since 2023 in the Dominican Summer League. Vargas went 1 for 3.
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Third baseman Derniche Valdez doubled twice in a 2 for 3 game. He scored one run.
Cruz’s home run
And Vargas goes deep.
Jordan Henriquez started game two and was responisble for five of the six runs the Crawdads scored in the third inning. The final line on Henriquez was five runs on four hits over 2.1 innings Two of the five runs were unearned. He walked one, hit one and struck out one.
Left fielder Geuri Lubo homered with the bases empty in the top of the seventh. It was Lubo’s sixth home run for the Birds and seventh overall. Lubo went 1 for 3.
First baseman Edward Vargas went 2 for 3.
Lubo’s home run.
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