Cubs Minor League News: Ben Brown returns, Smokies erupt, and Iowa brings the bats

Jerry Lai - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 6 hours ago

The Fourth of July weekend was a great success on the diamond overall. Not only did the Chicago Cubs complete a 5-1 homestand to open up July, but the Cubs Minor League system went out to finish the week in style by posting a 3-1 record on Sunday.

IOWA CUBS 9 - OMAHA STORM CHASERS 5

Of all the games to watch on Sunday, this was the one to keep tabs on for one big reason, as Ben Brown was taking the mound for the first time since his demotion. Expected to spend the next month or so fine-tuning his stuff, Brown didn't last long enough to get the win as Iowa took care of business 9-5.

Brown didn't show the overpowering stuff everyone expects from him as he walked one and struck out none over four innings. All that matters is the final line, as he surrendered just one run on two hits. What made things even easier for the right-hander was an Iowa offense that came out swinging as they scored seven runs in the game's first three innings, including four runs in the first.

Jonathon Long opened the scoring with an RBI single, while a Kevin Alcantara fielder's choice mixed with an error led to two runs and a 3-0 lead. Greg Allen capped off the big first inning with an RBI forceout as the Cubs were off and running 4-0. Alcantara has been on a tear since about mid-June, and that continued with an RBI double in the second to push the Cubs' lead to 5-0, with Dixon Machado connecting for a two-run shot in the third to make this a 7-0 game.

Over the next three innings, the Omaha offense started to pile up the runs, which began with a fourth-inning homer from Dairon Blanco, making it a 7-1 game. That was the lone run Brown would allow as he gave way to Luke Little and the rest of the pen. Despite some ugly moments at times, with MJ Melendez picking up an RBI single in the fifth ahead of the three-run Diego Castillo homer in the sixth, the Cubs' pen stepped up when they needed, as they still led 7-5.

After going nearly five innings without a run, Allen put an end to that as his two-run homer closed out the scoring in the eighth and secured a 9-5 Cubs win. Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros, and Long all had multi-hit games, with Caissie and Ballesteros leading the way with three.

KNOXVILLE SMOKIES 11 - ROCKET CITY TRASH PANDAS 3

Like with Iowa, the offense was plentiful early on for the Smokies, as they scored 10 times in the first few innings to pick apart the Trash Pandas, 11-3. Anytime you get that sort of offensive outburst early on, it makes things easier for the pitching, and Antonio Santos benefited from that.

The right-hander improved to 3-2 on the season following a five-inning, six-strikeout start, as his ERA stands at 1.90 for the season. As hard as it is to have one team score four times in the first, why not make it two as the Smokies matched Iowa with a four-run first? Two of those runs came off a pair of outs, with Reivaj Garcia delivering a two-run single to make this a 4-0 game.

The lone run Santos allowed came in the top of the second when Ben Gobbel touched him up for his first homer of the season to make this a 4-1 game. That was as close as things would get as the Smokies' two-run Jaylen Palmer homer and a BJ Murray Jr single in the second to open up a 7-1 lead. Knoxville continued to keep the pressure on as Casey Opitz added two RBIs over the next two innings, with an additional error helping the Smokies open up a 10-1 lead.

That score would hold until the sixth inning when Rocket City added a run off a sacrifice fly while a bases-loaded walk in the eighth pulled the Trash Pandas to within 10-3. Murray Jr closed out the scoring with an RBI single in the seventh as the Smokies took care of business 11-3. Murray Jr and Garcia were two of a handful of hitters with multiple hits, but they led the way with three.

SOUTH BEND CUBS 5 - PEORIA CHIEFS 3

After limping to the finish line to close out the week, the Cubs got back to their winning ways with a 5-3 victory against the Chiefs. There was once a time when Kenten Egbert couldn't buy a win as the right-hander started the season 1-6 on the mound.

Here we are in June, and Egbert has improved to 3-6 as this win came in relief of Connor Schultz, who allowed three runs in four innings. Fortunately for Schultz, he was backed by plenty of early offense as Jefferson Rojas opened the scoring with a two-run double to put South Bend on top 2-0 in the third. They would tack on an additional run later in the inning off an error, as they were in control early, 3-0.

Just as quickly as the Cubs took the lead, the Chiefs battled back as a pair of homers from Zach Levenson and Josh Kross made things 3-3. That was it when it came to the Chiefs and their offense, as the Cubs responded in the bottom of the fourth with an Ariel Armas double to take the lead for good, 4-3.

South Bend would add a massive insurance run later in the game on an Edgar Alvarez homer as the Cubs picked up a huge 5-3 win. Rojas continued to lead the way for the Cubs' offense with two hits and two RBIs as his massive start to the second half continued. Cameron Sisneros and Rafael Morel also added two hits in a great overall win.

CHARLESTON RIVERDOGS 7 - MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 1

The lone team to drop a game on Sunday came from a first-place team as the Pelicans fell to the Riverdogs 7-1. This was a strange game from the start as all eight runs came in three innings, with the Riverdogs using a five-run third to put the game away.

Nazier Mule was the victim of that rough inning, as he is still trying to round into form after missing nearly a month with an injury. Theo Gillen opened the massive third inning with a sacrifice bunt as two runs came home to score on that play. Following a wild pitch to make this a 3-0 game, Angel Mateo came through with a two-run single to put the Riverdogs in front 5-0.

That would be all the offense they would need, as Jose Urbina was as good as he has been at any point this season. The right-hander gave the Riverdogs six shutout innings to lower his ERA to 1.91, striking out six to improve to 5-1 for the season.

Already up five, the Riverdogs picked up two more runs in the fifth as another wild pitch led to their sixth run and a Ricardo Gonzalez single, making this a 7-0 Riverdogs lead. Those were the only runs of the day for Charleston as Owen Ayers put an end to the shutout with a ninth-inning single as part of their 7-1 loss.