Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: June 25

I missed all these games. It looks like I picked a great day to miss games.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were birdseed for the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals), 16-6.

Ben Brown had a rough start and didn’t even make it out of the first inning. Brown got rocked for six runs on three hits and three walks over two-thirds of an inning. He hit one batter as well. Brown did strike out two, accounting for both outs. All six runs scored after two were out.

If you’re looking for a positive sign from the pitching staff, Cam Sanders faced four batters and retired all four. He struck out two of them.

Third baseman Chase Strumpf connected in the fifth inning for a three-run home run, his 13th of 2023 and sixth in 23 games in Iowa. Strumpf went 1 for 4.

Center fielder Darius Hill was 3 for 4 with a triple and an RBI single. He also walked once and scored twice.

Strumpf’s home run.

Tennessee Smokies

Rained out. As it was the final game of the first half, it will not be made up.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs got walloped by the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres), 10-2 in ten innings.

It was another nice outing for Luis Devers, who pitched four scoreless innings, allowing four hits. He walked one and struck out three.

Frankie Scalzo Jr. pitched three innings of relief and surrendered just one run on three hits over three innings. The one run came on a solo home run in the seventh. Scalzo struck out four and walked one.

When I said South Bend got walloped, it was really just in the tenth inning. This game was tied 1-1 after nine, but the TinCaps exploded for nine runs in the tenth. Sheldon Reed failed to retire anyone and was tagged with the loss after giving up seven runs, six earned, on two hits and four walks. Three of those runs came around to score after he was relieved by Chase Watkins, who did finish the inning but allowed two home runs—a grand slam and a later solo home run.

First baseman Bryce Ball was 2 for 4. Center fielder Kevin Alcántara was 1 for 4 with a double.

Some nice defense from Scalzo.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans took a direct hit from the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox), 11-10.

Starter Brody McCullough has been one of the great under-the-radar stories of the Cubs farm system this year. But his ERA jumped from 2.09 to 2.86 today after he allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out four and walked one. The game was 3-0 after three batters in the bottom of the first inning after Tim Elko hit a three-run home run.

The Pelicans trailed this game 11-1 after five innings, but they fought back and had the tying run on first base when the game ended. Third baseman Juan Mora and first baseman Reivaj Garcia led the comeback. Mora went 3 for 5 with a double and three runs batted in. Garcia was a perfect 4 for 4 with a double and a walk. Garcia had three RBI, scored once and was the runner on first when the game ended.

ACL Cubs

Do not play on Sundays.