The Chicago Cubs’ minor league affiliates enjoyed a perfect night on Friday, with all four full-season clubs earning victories. The standout performance came from Double-A Knoxville, where right-hander Jace Beck delivered a dominant outing by striking out a career-high 11 batters. Meanwhile, Iowa and Myrtle Beach cruised to convincing wins, while South Bend rallied late to edge Quad Cities in a tightly contested matchup.
Before the games began, the Cubs announced a handful of roster moves across the farm system. Veteran right-hander Tyler Beede elected free agency after his stint with Triple-A Iowa. Right-handed pitcher Zac Leigh earned a promotion from the Arizona Complex League Cubs to Triple-A Iowa, while fellow right-hander Anhuar Garcia moved up from the ACL Cubs to Low-A Myrtle Beach.
Iowa Cubs overpower Buffalo 12-1
The Triple-A Iowa Cubs rolled past the Buffalo Bisons with a commanding 12-1 victory, fueled by a balanced offensive attack and outstanding pitching.
Andrew Wantz made his first start for Iowa and overcame a shaky opening inning in which he surrendered a run on three consecutive singles. After that, the veteran settled into a rhythm, tossing four innings while allowing just one run on four hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
Ty Blach was outstanding in relief, taking over for the final five innings to earn the victory. He blanked Buffalo over five scoreless frames, allowing only five singles without issuing a walk while striking out six batters.
The Iowa offense exploded throughout the game. Jonathon Long led the charge with one of his best performances of the season, going 3-for-5 with a two-run homer, a two-run single, an RBI double and an RBI groundout, driving in six runs while scoring twice.
Christian Bethancourt added more power with his eighth home run of the year, a solo blast in the sixth inning. Owen Miller enjoyed a tremendous night at the plate as well, finishing 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, two RBIs and a run scored.
Kevin Alcántara continued his strong stretch by collecting four hits, including two doubles, while driving in a run and scoring twice. BJ Murray contributed two hits, including a double, and reached base after being hit by a pitch. Moisés Ballesteros chipped in with an RBI double and also showed off his defensive skills by throwing out a runner attempting to steal second base.
Jace Beck dominates as Smokies stay unbeaten
The Double-A Knoxville Smokies remained perfect in the second half of the season, improving to 4-0 after edging the Birmingham Barons 3-2.
The story of the night belonged to right-hander Jace Beck, who produced arguably the finest pitching performance by any Cubs minor leaguer this season. Beck worked six brilliant innings, allowing only one run on five hits while striking out a career-high 11 batters and walking two. His overpowering performance consistently kept Birmingham hitters off balance and gave Knoxville complete control of the contest.
Tyler Santana closed out the victory despite surrendering a run in the ninth inning. He finished with two innings of relief, allowing two hits while recording the save.
Offensively, Carter Trice paced the Smokies by doubling twice, stealing a base, scoring once and driving in a run. Jefferson Rojas also enjoyed a productive evening, collecting two hits in four at-bats.
South Bend rallies late to defeat Quad Cities
The High-A South Bend Cubs overcame an early deficit to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits.
Starter Nazier Mulé endured a difficult beginning when he allowed a three-run home run to the third batter of the game. However, he recovered nicely, and the South Bend pitching staff completely shut down Quad Cities for the remainder of the contest.
Jackson Brockett was exceptional in relief, delivering 5.1 dominant innings to earn the victory. He retired the first 14 batters he faced before allowing a lone single in the ninth inning, then immediately induced a game-ending double play to seal the win. Brockett surrendered only one hit while striking out five batters.
Justin Stransky sparked the comeback with a solo home run in the seventh inning, his fourth long ball of the season. Angel Cepeda delivered the decisive blow in the eighth inning with a two-run single that gave South Bend its first lead of the game. Kane Kepley also contributed with a double, a stolen base, a sacrifice fly and a run scored.
Myrtle Beach cruises past Salem
The Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans completed the Cubs organization’s perfect evening by defeating the Salem RidgeYaks 8-1.
Starter Pierce Coppola worked four solid innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out six batters. Daniel Avitia followed with an impressive three-inning save, holding Salem scoreless while allowing only one hit and striking out three.
Alexis Hernández continued his recent hot streak by recording his second consecutive three-hit game. The shortstop finished 3-for-4 with an RBI triple, two walks and two RBIs, further establishing himself as one of the club’s hottest hitters.
Darlyn De Leon also made a major offensive impact, delivering a two-run double while reaching base multiple times through a walk and a hit-by-pitch. He stole a base and crossed the plate three times.
One of the game’s most unusual moments came during Myrtle Beach’s three-run fifth inning. The Pelicans failed to record a hit in the frame but still scored three runs thanks to three consecutive bases-loaded walks, showcasing their patience at the plate as they pulled away for an emphatic victory.
Overall, it was a flawless night throughout the Cubs’ farm system, highlighted by dominant pitching performances, explosive offensive displays and another remarkable outing from top-performing prospect Jace Beck, whose 11-strikeout masterpiece stole the spotlight.
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