Right-handed pitcher Tyler Ferguson was acquired from the Athletics and sent to Triple-A Iowa.
Right-hander Kenten Egbert
was promoted from High-A South Bend to Iowa.Iowa catcher Casey Opitz was activated off the Development List.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs were broadsided by the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 4-2.
Connor Noland gave the I-Cubs a solid start, going five innings and giving up two runs on four hits. Noland did walk five batters while striking out five. One of the five walks issued was intentional.
Paul Campbell pitched the other four innings and got the loss after he gave up back-to-back solo home runs in the eighth inning. Campbell’s final line was two runs on three hits over four innings. He struck out four and walked no one.
Iowa managed just five singles in this one. First baseman BJ Murray was 1 for 3 with a walk.
A nice play on defense by second baseman Scott Kingery.
Knoxville Smokies
The Knoxville Smokies were harried by the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 4-1.
Grant Kipp had an impressive start, allowing just one run on three hits over five innings. Kipp struck out eight and walked no one.
Jace Beck relieved Kipp and took the loss after he allowed one unearned run on one hit over two innings. Beck struck out four and walked one.
The Smokies only run came on a home run by first baseman Owen Ayers in the bottom of the second inning. It was Ayers’ ninth home run this year and third for Knoxville.
Ayers was 1 for 4.
Here’s the Ayers home run.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs nailed the Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics), 9-2.
Eli Jerzembeck’s High-A debut went about as well as the Cubs could have hoped for. Jerzembeck pitched three scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. He walked two, hit two and struck out three.
I don’t know if Jerzembeck would have be taken out anyways after 51 pitches, but the game was delayed 92 minutes by rain after three innings. Alfredo Romero took over when the rain stopped and he got the win. He gave up two runs on three hits over four innings. Romero struck out two, walked two and hit one batter.
South Bend scored nine runs on just seven hits and none of them were home runs. First baseman Cole Mathis had one of the two doubles, which drove home two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Mathis was 1 for 4.
Left fielder Kane Kepley went 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI double in the sixth inning. Kepley also stole one base.
Center fielder Christian Olivo was 2 for 4. He scored twice and drove in two runners.
Shortstop Ty Southisene hit a two-run single in the fifth. He was 1 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He also scored once.
The Mathis double.
Southisene’s two-run single.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans boiled the Hickory Crawdads (Padres), 9-7.
Mason McGwire continued his strong start to the season by allowing three runs on six hits over four innings. Only one of the three runs McGwire allowed was earned. Most impressively, he struck out seven and walked just one.
Braylon Myers relieved McGwire and got the win. Myers gave up four runs on four hits over three innings. Myers struck out four.
Riely Hunsaker got his first career save by retiring all six batters over the final two innings. Hunsaker struck out one.
Catcher Logan Poteet hit a solo home run in the fourth, his fifth on the year. Poteet was 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Center fielder Alexey Lumpuy clubbed a two-run home run in the sixth. Lumpuy was 1 for 5.
The Pelicans took the lead after they scored six runs in the eighth inning. They took the lead when shortstop Alexis Hernandez hit a two-run single in that inning. He was 2 for 5 with a stolen base.
Second baseman Jose Escobar was 2 for 3 with two walks. He scored one run.
Poteet’s home run.
Lumpuy’s home run.
The Hernandez two-run single.
ACL Cubs
Beating the Diamondbacks, 7-6 in the 7th.
