Right-hander Edwardo Melendez was promoted to Low-A Myrtle Beach from the ACL Cubs.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs tore a hole in the Worcester Red Sox, 1-0.
Jameson Taillon turned in a dominating rehab appearance, allowing just two hits over 5.1 innings. He struck out four and walked two. Results in rehab appearances don’t mean much, but the fact that Taillon threw 84 pitches (51 strikes) does indicate that there is no reason that he shouldn’t make his next start in the majors.
Keegan Thompson pitched the next 1.2
innings and got the win. Thompson didn’t allow any hits, but he did walk two while striking out two.
Porter Hodge took over for Thompson and pitched a strong eighth inning, but got into trouble in the ninth with two, one-walks. So Luke Little came into the game with runners on first and second and one out and got a pop out to first and a grounder to second to end the game and get the save.
The final line on Hodge was 1.1 innings, allowing no hits but three walks. He struck out three.
The only run of this game came when second baseman James Triantos and third baseman Chase Strumpf hit back-to-back doubles in the sixth inning. Triantos was 1 for 3 with a walk and Strumpf went 1 for 4.
Catcher Carlos Pérez was 2 for 4.
Iowa only had four hits in this game. Worcester only had two.
The only run of the game:
Knoxville Smokies
The Knoxville Smokies were blasted by the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 5-0.
Starter Antonio Santos took the loss after surrendering three runs on four hits over five innings. One of the three runs was unearned, Santos struck out five and walked three.
The Smokies had five hits. Shortstop Jefferson Rojas was 1 for 2 with a double and two walks.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs took down the Beloit Sky Carp (Marlins), 12-1. With the win, South Bend moves into a first-place tie with Beloit in the second half.
Erian Rodriguez cruised to his sixth win after allowing no runs and just one hit over five innings. Rodriguez struck out nine and walked two. He also hit one batter.
Caleb Kilian gave up a run on one hit in one inning in a rehab assignment. He didn’t walk nor strike anyone out.
Second baseman Drew Bowser hit a three-run triple in the top of the eighth. He also walked with the bases loaded and had a sacrifice fly, giving him five RBI on the night. Bowser went 2 for 3 with the walk. He scored once.
Right fielder Rafael Morel was the big bat tonight as he went 4 for 5 with a walk. Morel scored three times and drove in three.
First baseman Brian Kalmer was 3 for 5 with a triple and a walk. He scored twice.
Catcher Ariel Armas was 2 for 6.
An RBI single for Morel.
Bowser’s triple.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were blinded by the Columbia Fireflies (Royals), 7-6 in ten innings.
Hector Camacho turned in another excellent start, allowing just one run on one hit over five innings. Camacho struck out six, walked one and hit one batter.
The Pelicans had a 5-1 lead going to the bottom of the ninth, but Dawson Netz (in his fourth inning of work) and Brayden Spears combined to give up four runs in the bottom of the ninth to send it to extras. After the Pelicans scored once in the top of the inning, Ethan Bell allowed two runs in the bottom of the tenth to take the loss.
The final line on Bell was two runs, one earned, on one hit over two-thirds of an inning. Bell walked two and struck out no one.
Cubs second-round pick Kane Kepley may be too good for Low-A, as tonight he was 3 for 5 with a triple and a stolen base. Kepley had three RBI and scored once. Kepley is hitting .409 in the first six games of his professional career.
Catcher Jairo Diaz doubled twice in a 2 for 4 game. He also walked once and scored once.
Left fielder Miguel Olivo was 2 for 4. He scored twice and had one RBI.
Kepley shows off his speed with an infield single.
And he shows off his speed with a two-run triple.
