Minor League Wrap: Jefferson Rojas homers twice as South Bend tops Wisconsin, 6-2

Wins for Iowa, Knoxville and South Bend tonight.

The All-Star Futures Game is tomorrow at 3 pm Chicago time. The game will be broadcast on the MLB Network, MLB.tv and MLB dot com. Iowa Cubs star Owen Caissie is on the National League team.

The game is seven innings long and the bottom of the seventh inning will be played no matter what the score. They will play an eighth inning (but not a ninth) if the game is tied.

Smokies outfielder Brett Bateman was activated off the injured list.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs defrocked the St. Paul Saints (Twins), 8-7 in a game that ended in the bottom of the eighth because of rain.

Once again Kenta Maeda had trouble in the first inning, as he gave up two runs on a home run by Edouard Julien. Then he settled down until the sixth inning, when he left after facing three batters and retiring none of them. But Maeda got the win after allowing six runs, five earned, on ten hits over five innings. One very positive sign is that Maeda struck out seven and walked no one.

Trevor Miller got a very weird save. He retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth and then gave up a solo home run to Jose Miranda. That was the last batter of the game as the umpires stopped it then. So Miranda hit a walk-off home run in a game his team lost.

The I-Cubs scored seven runs in the top of the fifth inning. Catcher Moisés Ballesteros was 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI single in the fifth.

Third baseman Chase Strumpf went 2 for 3 with a double and a RBI single in the fifth. He was also hit by a pitch. Strumpf scored twice.

Shortstop Dixon Machado was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

RBI single for James Triantos. He was 1 for 5 and scored once.

Strumpf’s RBI single went off the wall in right.

This was ruled an RBI single for Ballesteros.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies battered the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays), 5-3.

Chris Clarke started this game on a rehab assignment and allowed just one run on two hits over four innings. He struck out six and walked two.

Frankie Scalzo Jr. retired the side in order in the fifth and was awarded the win because Clarke didn’t go five innings. Scalzo struck out one.

Shortstop Reivaj Garcia tripled in two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and then scored a Little League home run when the Biscuits made a throwing error on the play. Garcia went 2 for 4 with the two RBI and the one run scored.

In his first game back, center fielder Brett Bateman was 3 for 4 with an RBI single in the seventh inning.

Left fielder Jordan Nwogu was 2 for 3.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs sawed off the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 6-2.

Erian Rodriguez started and got the win after pitching five innings and allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out four and walked one.

Shortstop Jefferson Rojas hit not one but two home runs tonight, giving him 11 on the season. The first home run came on the second pitch of the game in the first inning. The second one came in the ninth with a man on. Rojas finished the night 2 for 5 with three RBI.

Catcher Ariel Armas also hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, his fourth on the year. Armas went 2 for 5.

Right fielder Edgar Alvarez doubled twice in a 3 for 4 game. Alvarez also had an RBI single in the eighth inning. He scored once.

Second baseman Cristian Hernandez went 2 for 5 with a steal.

First baseman Cameron Sisneros was 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He scored one run.

Left fielder Reginald Preciado was 2 for 4 with one run scored.

Rojas’ first home run. As the video says, it’s the first time Rojas has ever faced a starting pitcher younger than he is in pro ball.

Rojas’ second home run.

The Armas home run.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were blasted by the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox), 5-4.

Jostin Florentino was strong for the Pelicans tonight, allowing just one unearned run on three hits over six innings. Florentino struck out four and walked just one.

Charlie Hurley came on to pitch the seventh inning and kept the Cannon Ballers from scoring in that inning. But he came out to pitch the eighth and failed to retire anyone. He was charged with allowing three runs and got the loss.

Hurley’s final line was three runs on three hits over 1+ innings. Hurley struck out one and didn’t walk anyone, but he did hit two batters.

A day after hitting for the cycle, center fielder Alexey Lumpuy was 3 for 5 with a double. He had an RBI single in the fifth inning to score the Birds’ first run of the game.

Catcher Dilan Granadillo was 2 for 4 and scored once.

Second baseman Christian Olivo was also 2 for 4 with one run scored.

ACL Cubs

Beat the Athletics, 8-3.