The rain shortened the schedule tonight.
There were several moves in the minor league system today, but the biggest one was 2019 first-round pick Ryan Jensen going to Double-A Tennessee.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs were branded as heretics by the St. Paul Saints (Twins), 9-4.
Starter Matt Swarmer took the loss after allowing six runs on seven hits over six innings. One of the six runs was unearned. Swarmer gave up two runs in the first inning and four in the sixth. He was better in the middle. Swarmer struck out six and walked one.
Iowa scored all four of their runs in the fourth inning. Third baseman Abiatal Avelino was 1 for 3 with a walk and a two-run single in the fourth.
Center fielder Ian Miller went 2 for 4 with a two-run double in the fourth inning.
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies split a doubleheader with the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), winning game one 5-1 and losing the second game 6-5. The Smokies were the road team in game two as it was a makeup of a rainout of a game in Birmingham.
Javier Assad became the first Smokies starting pitcher to pitch into the seventh inning this season, but he couldn’t finish out the game and exited with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh. Assad allowed just one run on five hits over 6.1 innings. He struck out four and walked just one.
Brandon Hughes got called in to get out of the bases-loaded, one-out jam. He threw one pitch and induced a game-ending 6-4-3 double play. That earned Hughes his first save of the season.
The first two runs of the game came on a second-inning two-run single by catcher Tyler Payne. Payne went 2 for 3 with a double.
Third baseman Christopher Morel hit a bases-clearing, three-run double in the third inning to give the Smokies a 5-0 in game one. Morel was 1 for 3 and scored on Payne’s single. He also stole two bases.
Right fielder Brennen Davis was 2 for 3.
The Smokies went with a bullpen game for game two and starter Wyatt Short allowed two runs on five hits over three innings. He struck out two and walked one.
Samuel Reyes got the loss after giving up two runs in the fifth inning. The final line on Reyes was two runs on three hits over two innings. He struck out two and walked no one.
The Smokies were losing 6-3 with two outs in the top of the ninth when center fielder Nelson Velazquez hit a two-run single to get the Smokies to within a run. Unfortunately, Velazquez was thrown out at second base trying to stretch the single into a double, and that ended the game. Velazquez was 2 for 4 with a double earlier in the game.
Third baseman Christopher Morel lined a solo home run down the left field line in the second inning. It was Morel’s 14th home run of 2021. He was 1 for 2 with a walk.
DH Carlos Sepulveda hit a two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning, his second home run of the season. Sepulveda was 2 for 4 in game two.
Left fielder DJ Artis was 2 for 3 and scored twice.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs and the Quad Cities River Bandits were scoreless in the top of the third inning when the rains came. It will be finished as a part of a doubleheader tomorrow.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were beating the Fayetteville Woodpeckers 3-2 after 1 1⁄2 innings when the rains came. They will also try to finish tomorrow.
ACL Cubs
Were losing to Giants Black 11-8 in the seventh inning.
Rafael Morel, Christopher’s little brother, has a home run in this game.