Chicago Cubs Minor League Wrap: May 15 (2024)

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were not amazing against the Syracuse Mets, 4-3 in a game that ended after 5 ¹⁄₂ innings because of rain.

Thomas Pannone pitched a five-inning complete game and gave up four runs in five hits, two of which were home runs. Pannone struck out five and walked no one.

Iowa only had three hits and two of them were consecutive home runs. Left fielder Brennen Davis homered in his third-straight game when he connected on a two-run home run in the second inning. Davis now has five home runs this year. He was 1 for 2.

The next batter up, third baseman B.J. Murray, went back-to-back with his third home run this year. Murray was also 1 for 2.

Catcher Ali Sánchez was 1 for 2 with a double and a walk.

Davis’ home run.

Murray’s home run.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies took out the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 4-1.

Starter Chris Kachmar went 3.2 innings and surrendered one run on three hits. He did walk three while striking out six. He really worked as Kachmar threw 81 pitches in just 3.2 innings.

Blake Whitney relieved Kachmar and got the win. Whitney pitched 2.1 innings, allowing no runs and no hits. He walked one and struck out three.

The Smokies bullpen did not allow a single hit. Ethan Roberts, in his first game for the Smokies since 2021, faced four batters. He walked the first one and the third one, but he also got a ground out and a fly out before Frankie Scalzo Jr. finished the seventh inning and then pitched the eighth for 1.1 innings of work. Cam Sanders pitched a perfect ninth inning and got the save. Sanders struck out two.

Second baseman James Triantos was 2 for 4 with an RBI.

First baseman Luis Verdugo went 2 for 4. He scored twice and drove in one.

Verdugo’s RBI single. (Despite what the Tweet says, the scorer called this a single.)

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were boiled by the Ft. Wayne TinCaps (Padres), 3-2.

Starter Aaron Perry gave up just one run on three hits over four innings. Perry struck out two and walked no one.

Tyler Santana pitched the next three innings and allowed just one run on one hit. He did walk three batters and did not strike anyone out.

Mitchell Tyranski got the loss when he gave up a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth—that right fielder Rafael Morel slipped and fell on. Tyranski’s final line was one run on two hits over 1.2 innings. He struck out no one and walked one.

Catcher Casey Opitz hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, his third on the season. Opitz went 1 for 4.

First baseman Brian Kalmer had an RBI single in the fourth inning. He was 2 for 4 with a double.

Center fielder Brett Bateman was 2 for 4.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans outvoted the Frederick Nationals, 6-5.

Despite giving up two home runs, it was a very good start for Mason McGwire. McGwire’s final line was three runs on four hits over four innings. More importantly, McGwire struck out four and walked no one. He threw 66 pitches and 40 of them were strikes.

Marino Santy gave up one run on three hits over the 2.2 middle innings. Santy walked two and struck out one.

Nico Zeglin blew the save when he allowed a run on two doubles in the top of the ninth. But he got the win when the Pelicans scored in the bottom of the inning. Zeglin’s final line was one run on two hits over 2.1 innings. He struck out four and walked no one.

Center fielder Leonel Espinoza got the Birds off to a great start with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning. It was his second home run of the year. Espinoza was 2 for 3 with a double, the home run and two walks. He had two RBI.

In the second inning, DH Wally Soto hit a two-run home run in the second inning. Soto went 1 for 4.

Left fielder Christian Olivo started a rally in the ninth with a single and scored the winning run on a fielder’s choice by Christopher Paciolla. Olivo was 2 for 4 and scored twice. Paciolla went 0 for 5, but had that crucial walk-off RBI.

Highlights:

ACL Cubs

Losing to the Angels, 6-4 in the third inning.