Cubs Minor League Wrap: Smokies hang on to beat Trash Pandas, 5-4

Iowa Cubs

Rained out. Doubleheader tomorrow (Saturday).

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies reached escape velocity against the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 5-4.

Another strong start from rising prospect Luis Martinez-Gomez, who gave up a solo home run in the first inning and not much else. Martinez-Gomez got the win after going five innings and allowing just one run on three hits. Martinez-Gomez struck out four, walked three and hit one batter.

The Smokies held a 5-1 lead heading to the top of the ninth, but Marino Santy couldn’t find the plate at all. He allowed three runs on one hit, three walks, one hit batter over just one-third of an inning. So Grayson Moore got summoned from the bullpen to get the save. Moore faced two batters and got two weak groundouts to get the save.

Left fielder Carter Trice connected with the bases empty in the sixth inning for his 14th home run of the season. Trice went 3 for 3 with the home run and a sacrifice fly for two overall RBI. He scored twice.

Center fielder Kane Kepley had a two-run double in the fifth inning. Kepley was 1 for 4.

Trice’s home run.

Kepley’s double [VIDEO]

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs cooked the Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers), 6-2.

Starter Alfredo Romero gave the Cubs five scoreless innings on just three hits. Romero got the win while striking out three and walking no one.

Shortstop Angel Cepeda, the second hitter of the game, hit a solo home run in the top of the first. It was Cepeda’s fifth home run this year and fourth with South Bend. Cepeda went 1 for 4 with a walk. He scored twice.

Second baseman Michael Hallquist hit his sixth home run with the bases empty in the sixth inning. Hallquist went 1 for 4.

Right fielder Jose Escobar was 2 for 5 and scored one run.

Cepeda just sliced this one over the wall.

The Hallquist home run.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were mauled by the Hill City Howlers (Guardians), 11-7.

David Avitia gave the Birds a chance to win, as he did not allow a hit over his five innings of work. He did allow one run in the first inning (walk, steal, ground out, sac fly). Avitia walked two and struck out five.

The wheels came off for the Pelicans with a five-run seventh inning by the Howlers. Hayden Frank took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits over 1.2 innings. Frank walked two and struck out one.

Right fielder Derik Alcantara hit his first Myrtle Beach home run with a man on in the eighth inning. It Alcantara’s only at-bat of the game.

Third baseman Derniche Valdez was 2 for 3 with a two-run triple in the second inning. Valdez scored once.

Center fielder Ethan Conrad was 1 for 2 with three walks. He scored twice.

The Valdez triple.

Alcantara’s home run was his second overall.