Right-hander Jostin Florentino was promoted from the rookie ball ACL Cubs to High-A South Bend.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs ran aground against the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 9-4.
Ty Blach started and took the loss. An error by shortstop Ben Cowles extended the third inning, and with that extra out Kahil Watson hit the first of his two home runs today. The final line on Blach was three unearned runs on four hits over three innings. He struck out two and walked no one.
Kenton Egbert relieved Blach in his Triple-A
debut and he gave up a two-run home run to Watson in the fifth. Egbert’s final line was three runs on seven hits over three innings. He struck out one and walked no one.
Second baseman Pedro Ramírez hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. That home run set a new career-high for home runs in a season for Ramîrez with nine. He finished the game 2 for 4.
The Ramírez home run.
An RBI double for Jonathon Long. He was 1 for 4.
Knoxville Smokies
The Knoxville Smokies defenestrated the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 7-2.
Starter Jace Beck gave the Smokies four scoreless innings, permitting just three hits. Beck struck out two and walked no one.
Nick Dean pitched the next four innings and got the win after he gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits. Dean struck out six and walked no one.
It was a non-save situation, but Evan Taylor chipped in two scoreless innings to close out the game. He allowed two hits and no walks. Taylor struck out four.
Smokies pitchers combined to strike out 12 and walk no one.
Knoxville’s bats were silent, however, as Barons starter Dylan Cumming one-hit the Smokies through six innings, but he left the game after that and the Smokies jumped all over two Barons relievers for seven runs in the seventh inning, highlighted by a grand slam by center fielder Carter Trice. It was Trice’s third home run of the year. Trice went 1 for 3 with a walk.
Right fielder Andy Garriola had an RBI double in the seventh. He was 1 for 3 with a walk and one run scored.
Trice’s slam.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs were wrenched by the Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics), 8-3.
Jostin Florentino made his 2026 debut and he took the loss after allowing four runs on three hits over 3.2 innings. All four runs came in the fourth inning after allowing just one walk (and nothing else) over the first three innings, so that’s a good argument that he was just left in too long in his first start of the season. Florentino struck out four and walked two.
South Bend didn’t have a hit in this game until the seventh inning when first baseman Cameron Sisneros broke up the no-no with a single. Sisneros finished 2 for 3 with a double and one run scored.
Second baseman Drew Bowser was 1 for 3 with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning. He also scored one run.
Four Florentino strikeouts.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
As noted yesterday, this game was canceled because of a fire at the Crawdads ballpark.
ACL Cubs
Off day.
