The Chicago Cubs’ farm system experienced a mixed day on Friday, with the Iowa Cubs and Myrtle Beach Pelicans earning victories, while the Knoxville Smokies suffered a lopsided defeat and the South Bend Cubs saw their game suspended because of rain. Off the field, the organization also announced the release of veteran outfielder Chas McCormick.
BJ Murray Leads Iowa Past Toledo
The Iowa Cubs secured a hard-fought 5-4 victory over the Toledo Mud Hens, giving longtime manager Marty Pevey the 1,500th win of his professional managerial career.
Iowa built an early lead and held off a late rally to earn another important victory, thanks largely to another outstanding offensive performance from designated hitter BJ Murray.
Murray continued his impressive season by finishing 3-for-4 with a walk, a home run, a triple, two RBIs, and two runs scored, falling just a double short of hitting for the cycle. His solo homer in the fourth inning was his 11th of the season, further strengthening his case as one of the hottest hitters in the International League.
The 25-year-old continues to dominate Triple-A pitching, entering the day as the International League leader with a .336 batting average while also ranking second in on-base percentage (.433) and among the league’s top sluggers.
Blach Delivers Quality Start
Veteran left-hander Ty Blach provided Iowa with a solid outing on the mound, working five innings to earn the victory.
Although he surrendered three runs on six hits and issued four walks, Blach consistently worked out of trouble while striking out six Toledo batters to improve his record.
The bullpen was forced to survive some late drama after closer Luis Peralta entered the ninth inning.
Peralta immediately allowed a solo home run to the first hitter he faced before hitting another batter later in the inning. However, the right-hander settled down to retire the final two batters, recording his save while striking out two.
Supporting Cast Contributes
Several other Iowa hitters delivered key performances.
Left fielder Brett Bateman went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base while driving home an important insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth inning.
Meanwhile, center fielder James Triantos collected two hits of his own, including an RBI single in the sixth inning that added another valuable run to Iowa’s total.
Smokies Fall to Columbus
It was a much different story for the Knoxville Smokies, who were overpowered by the Columbus Clingstones in a 9-1 loss.
Starting pitcher Dawson Netz turned in a respectable performance despite taking the loss. The right-hander allowed just two runs on four hits across five innings while striking out four batters and issuing no walks.
Unfortunately for Knoxville, the bullpen struggled to contain Columbus’ offense after Netz exited the game.
The Smokies avoided being shut out thanks to first baseman Ariel Armas, who tripled home the club’s lone run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Catcher Owen Ayers was one of Knoxville’s few bright spots offensively, finishing 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.
Rain Interrupts South Bend
The South Bend Cubs were unable to complete their game after rain forced officials to suspend play.
South Bend trailed 1-0 after the opening inning when weather halted the contest. The game will resume at a later date.
One encouraging development came from top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins, who made the start as part of a rehabilitation assignment before the rain delay ended his outing.
Pelicans Continue Winning Ways
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans closed out the day on a positive note with a 4-2 victory over the Hickory Crawdads.
Starter Daniel Avita delivered an excellent performance, throwing five scoreless innings while allowing only four hits. The right-hander struck out four batters, walked one, and hit one batter to earn the victory.
Reliever Hayden Frank followed with three strong innings, surrendering just one run while striking out five hitters.
Closer Sam Mettert worked through a challenging ninth inning, allowing one run before securing the save.
Lumpuy and Hernandez Spark the Offense
Myrtle Beach’s offense was fueled by center fielder Alexey Lumpuy, who delivered the game’s biggest swing with a three-run home run in the third inning.
The blast marked Lumpuy’s fifth home run of the season and accounted for most of the Pelicans’ offense.
Shortstop Alexis Hernandez also enjoyed an outstanding performance, finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI double, a stolen base, and a run scored.
Overall, it was another productive day across much of the Cubs’ minor league system, highlighted by BJ Murray’s continued dominance at Triple-A and another strong team performance from Myrtle Beach.
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