NEWSLETTER
Kevin Alcántara cooled off over the weekend while the rest of Tennessee’s offense followed suit. Thankfully for the Smokies, they were able to sprinkle a Cade Horton gem in there on Saturday. That and more in today’s Cubs Farm Report.
Cubs Farm Report | April 29, 2024
Triple-A Iowa Cubs (15-12)
The Iowa Cubs secured a commanding 12-3 victory against the Buffalo Bisons on Friday, bouncing back from a doubleheader loss the previous day. Their 12 runs and 15 hits tied season highs. Bryce Windham‘s RBI double kickstarted the scoring in the second inning, followed by Jake Slaughter‘s three-run homer in the sixth.
The Cubs exploded for six more runs in the eighth, with contributions from multiple players, including Ali Sanchez, Owen Caissie, and Darius Hill. Starter Riley Thompson pitched four shutout innings, extending his impressive streak to 8.0 innings without allowing a run this season. Richard Lovelady earned the win (and a promotion to the big league team). All but one Iowa batter recorded hits, with several players collecting multiple knocks.
The Iowa Cubs lost 2-0 to the Buffalo Bisons on Saturday, marking their first shutout loss of the season. Buffalo took a 1-0 lead in the third inning with a run-scoring single from Rafael Lantigua, and Lantigua drove in another run with a single in the seventh, extending the lead to 2-0. Iowa’s starting pitcher, Thomas Pannone, pitched 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits with two strikeouts. Darius Hill extended his hit streak to six games, batting .435 with three multi-hit efforts during that span.
The Iowa Cubs suffered another 2-0 loss against the Buffalo Bisons on Sunday afternoon, with the game called in the fifth inning due to rain. Dan Straily made his season debut for the I-Cubs, pitching three innings with four hits, two runs (one earned), five walks, and four strikeouts. Miles Mastrobuoni, Owen Caissie, and David Peralta recorded hits for Iowa.
Double-A Tennessee Smokies (11-9)
Richard Gallardo surrendered three earned runs on seven hits in three and two-thirds innings of work for the Tennessee Smokies on Friday, and that was all that Rocket City needed to top the Smokies, whose bats were silent for much of the night, mustering up one run on three hits. James Triantos‘ sacrifice fly in the top of the third accounted for Tennessee’s lone run on the evening. Traintos also picked up two of the Smokies’ three hits in the contest and a pair of stolen bases. Rocket City won that contest, 3-1.
On Saturday, the Smokies had another slow day at the dish, but their pitching was stellar, and they shut out Rocket City 1-0. Cade Horton pitched five shutout innings for the Smokies and struck out six Trash Pandas hitters while walking none. Horton is now 1-0 with a 1.10 ERA for the Smokies this season. Horton threw 72 pitches on Saturday, 50 for strikes. Josh Rivera‘s fifth-inning solo home run was all the offense the Smokies needed.
Cade Horton tossed five shutout innings for Double-A Tennessee yesterday and is now down to a 1.10 ERA in four starts.
Can't imagine he's in Double-A for much longer.#YouHaveToSeeIt pic.twitter.com/QmKLaBQssk— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) April 28, 2024
The Smokies dropped the finale of their series with the Rocket City Trash Pandas on Sunday, 6-1. If you’re keeping track, that’s three one-run offensive performances for the Smokies this weekend. A Christian Franklin RBI single in the ninth inning helped Tennessee avoid a shutout and was only their fifth hit of the ballgame at that point. Connor Noland got the start for the Smokies and allowed five earned runs on nine hits in three and two-thirds innings of work. Hayden Cantrelle picked up a hit and a walk in the loss, and Kevin Alcántara went 0 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts. Alcántara went 1 for 12 with a single and four strikeouts over the weekend.
High-A South Bend Cubs (6-15)
Despite a rain delay, the South Bend Cubs clinched a 7-4 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits, securing their second consecutive win on Friday. Cubs starter Drew Gray set a career-high in innings pitched and strikeouts. Gray allowed one run (unearned) on one hit while striking out six over three and a third innings pitched. Quad Cities took an early lead, but South Bend rallied in the sixth inning. Jefferson Rojas extended his hitting streak to 13 games, while Yohendrick Pinango‘s double and Parker Chavers‘ home run fueled a six-run surge for the Cubs. Tyler Santana earned the win in relief, with Joe Nahas closing out the game.
Despite trailing 11-1 at one point, the South Bend Cubs fought back against the Quad Cities River Bandits on Saturday afternoon. However, the River Bandits secured a 12-7 victory. Luis Devers started for the Cubs, allowing two runs in the first inning but limiting further damage. Quad Cities exploded for nine runs in the third inning, fueled by eight consecutive singles and a three-run homer. Despite the deficit, the Cubs rallied with two runs in the fourth and four in the fifth, highlighted by Jonathon Long‘s home run. Pedro Ramirez, Reivaj Garcia, and Jefferson Rojas extended their hitting streaks, while Long recorded four RBIs. Strong bullpen performances from Koen Moreno and Grayson Moore kept the Cubs in contention. In the seventh inning, South Bend loaded the bases but failed to capitalize against Quad Cities reliever Oscar Rayo, who struck out two and induced a groundout to escape the jam.
Despite a chance to split the series, the South Bend Cubs fell 8-2 to the Quad Cities River Bandits on Sunday afternoon, conceding the series. Tyler Schlaffer started for the Cubs, pitching four strong innings with one run allowed. Quad Cities took an early lead in the first inning, but South Bend tied it in the third with an RBI single from Jonathon Long. Chase Watkins relieved Schlaffer and stranded the bases loaded in the fifth inning. However, Quad Cities broke the game open with big innings in the sixth and seventh. Yohendrick Pinango‘s solo home run in the eighth was South Bend’s final run. Joe Nahas pitched 2.1 shutout innings in relief for the Cubs.
Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans (7-13)
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans suffered a 3-2 loss against the Lynchburg Hillcats on Friday night. Lynchburg took the lead in the second inning with a two-run single by Jose Pastrano. Myrtle Beach tied the game in the fourth with a two-run single from Chris Paciolla. However, Lynchburg reclaimed the lead in the fifth with an RBI single from Juan Benjamin. Myrtle Beach used four pitchers, with Vince Reilly taking the loss. Both teams’ pitching staff recorded 12 strikeouts, with Yorman Gomez earning the win for the Hillcats.
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans lost 3-2 to the Lynchburg Hillcats on Saturday night. Lynchburg took the lead in the sixth inning with Esteban Gonzalez’s RBI double. Carter Trice responded for the Pelicans with an RBI single in the seventh. However, the Hillcats extended their lead with a two-run home run by Angel Genao in the same inning. Alfonsin Rosario‘s solo home run in the ninth wasn’t enough for the Pelicans. Juan Bello started strong on the mound for Myrtle Beach with four scoreless innings, followed by Jeral Vizcaino and Francis Reynoso, who allowed the Hillcats’ final run.
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans bounced back with a 12-8 victory over the Lynchburg Hillcats on Sunday afternoon, bringing their record to 7-13. Jacob Wetzel‘s three-run homer in the first inning set the tone for the Pelicans’ offense. Both teams traded runs, with Wally Soto, Frank Hernandez, Leonel Espinoza, and Drew Bowser scoring in the fourth inning for Myrtle Beach. Alfonsin Rosario, Reginald Preciado, and Drew Bowser sealed the win with home runs for the Pelicans. Myrtle Beach collected a total of 12 hits. Garrett Brown earned his first win of the season for Myrtle Beach.
