Minor League Wrap: Knoxville splits a doubleheader with the Barons

South Bend and Mesa win. Knoxville splits a doubleheader

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs lost to the Syracuse Mets, 6-4.

It was a bullpen game for the I-Cubs tonight normal reliever Frankie Scalzo Jr. got the mound for the first inning and probably wished he didn’t. Scalzo got torched for six runs on five hits, a walk and a hit batsman. Scalzo did not record a strikeout.

Iowa chipped away at the 6-0 lead over the next nine inning, but came up short. Center fielder Kevin Alcántara hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, his seventh on the season. Alcántara went 2 for 4.

Shortstop Ben Cowles went back-to-back with Alcántara in the sixth with his fourth home run. Cowles was 1 for 4.

DH Greg Allen went a perfect 3 for 3 with a double and two walks. He scored twice.

Catcher Moisés Ballesteros was 2 for 5 with an RBI double that plated Allen in the third inning.

Jonathon Long played left field for the first time this season tonight and went 0 for 2 with three walks. But he did make this play in left.

The RBI double for Ballesteros.

A good throw behind the plate for Ballesteros.

Alcántara homers for the second-straight night.

Cowles’ home run.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies split a doubleheader with the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), winning game one 2-0 and dropping the second one 2-1 in eight innings.

Nick Dean and AJ Puckett combined for a five-hit shutout in game one. Dean pitched the first six innings gave up three hits and two walks. He struck out six.

Puckett gave up a leadoff single in the top of the seventh, but got the next batter to hit into a double play. Puckett then made in interesting with a two-out single and a walk before getting a strikeout to end the game.

Right fielder Jaylen Palmer had an RBI double in the second inning and an RBI single in the fourth to account for both Smokies runs in game one. Palmer went 2 for 2.

Both times Palmer drove in catcher Pablo Aliendo, who was 2 for 2 with a walk in game one.

Here is Palmer singling home Aliendo.

Antonio Santos started game two and surrendered just one run on three hits. He struck out three and walked no one.

Mitchell Tyranski let the automatic runner score in the top of the eighth and got the loss when the Smokies failed to score in the bottom of the inning. Tyranski’s final line was one unearned run on one hit. He walked one and struck out one.

Shortstop Corey Joyce doubled home Knoxville’s only run in the bottom of the first inning. He was 1 for 1 and was hit by a pitch. He stayed in the game to run, but he exited the game at the half inning.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs brought the Quad Cities River Bandits (Royals) to justice, 4-1.

Ryan Gallagher was terrific on his way to his third win. Gallagher gave up just one run on four hits over 6.1 innings. He struck out eight and walked no one.

Grayson Moore pitched the ninth inning and got the save. He allowed two-out single and threw a wild pitch, but nothing else. Moore did not strike anyone out.

All four South Bend runs came in the fifth inning. The big blow was a two-run double by center fielder Carter Trice. Trice went 2 for 5 with two steals and then scored on a single by shortstop Jefferson Rojas. Rojas went 1 for 4.

Right fielder Rafael Morel went 0 for 2 with two walks. He scored on a wild pitch.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped a doubleheader to the Augusta GreenJackets (Braves), 6-2 and 2-0.

Alfredo Romero started game one and took the loss after giving up three runs in the third inning and three more in the fifth. The final line on Romero was six runs, five earned, on seven hits over five innings. He walked four and struck out three.

Both Pelicans runs came in the fourth. Catcher Owen Ayers doubled in a run and shortstop Yahil Melendez singled him home. Both players were 1 for 3.

The Pelicans managed just four hits in the seven-inning contest.

Starter Kevin Valdez pitched 3.1 innings and gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits. He walked five (so yeah, control was an issue) and struck out six.

Shortstop Angel Cepeda had three of the Birds four hits in game two, going 3 for 4.

Full highlights.

ACL Cubs

Beat the Dodgers 11-4 for their first two-game winning streak. It was their fourth win.