Cubs Minor League Wrap: Iowa routs the Saints, 21-7

The Cubs signed left-hander Josh Fleming and assigned him to Triple-A Iowa.

Iowa right-hander Andrew Wantz went to the development list.

The Iowa Cubs condemned the St. Paul Saints (Twins), 21-7. Or maybe the Hawkeyes beat the Gopher by two touchdowns.

Josh Fleming made his Cubs debut and allowed two runs on four hits over four innings. Fleming walked two and struck out two.

Corbin Martin came on to pitch the fifth inning. The first batter he faced hit a solo home run, but he retired the next three in order. That was enough for the official scorer to award Martin the win.

DH Christian Bethancourt hit two home runs tonight. The first was a solo home run in the fourth inning and the second one was a three-run home run in the eighth off a position player. (Those were the only three runs not scored off a real pitcher.) Bethancourt now has 11 home runs this season. He finished the night 3 for 5 with a double and the two home runs. He also walked once. Bethancourt had five overall RBI and scored three times.

Shortstop Scott Kingery went back-to-back with Bethancourt in the fourth for his third home run on the season. Kingery went 1 for 6.

Left fielder Jonathan Long is putting his early-season struggles behind him and tonight he was a perfect 5 for 5 with a walk, two doubles and his tenth home run on the year. The home run came with the bases empty in the sixth. Long scored five runs and drove in two. Long is hitting .382 with three home runs so far in eight games in July.

Everyone in the lineup had at least two hits or a home run. Right fielder Brett Bateman went 3 for 6 with a double and a steal. He scored three times and drove in one.

First baseman BJ Murray went 3 for 5 with a walk. He scored three runs and drove home three. Murray is now hitting .334 with a .429 OBP on the season.

Second baseman James Triantos was 3 for 5 with a double and a walk. He drove in two and scored one run.

Third baseman Owen Miller doubled twice in a 2 for 5 effort. He had three RBI and scored twice.

Catcher Moisés Ballesteros was 2 for 5 with a double and a walk. He scored twice and drove in four.

Center fielder Chas McCormick was 2 for 6 with one run scored.

Bethancourt’s home run off a real pitcher.

Kingery goes back-to-back.

Mo Baller’s two-run double.

Jonathon Long’s tenth home run this year.

A great 3-6-3 double play.

Long doubles.

BJ Murray just missed a home run.

Bateman doubles off a lefty.

The Knoxville Smokies were extinguished by the Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers), 11-2.

Nick Dean started and kept the Shuckers scoreless for the first 1.1 innings. Did did not allow a hit. He walked one and struck out two.

After Kenyi Perez tossed 2.2 scoreless innings in relief of Dean, Yenrri Rojas came on to pitch the fifth. Rojas got through the fifth OK, but then he couldn’t find the plate, gave up four runs in the sixth and he got the loss.

The final line on Rojas was four runs on just one hit over 1.2 innings. Rojas walked four and struck out four. Three of the four runs came after Rojas exited for Tyler Schlaffer, who gave up a grand slam to top overall prospect Jesús Made.

The Smokies managed just four hits. Shortstop Ed Howard had two of them, including a solo home run in the eighth inning. It was Howard’s second home run this year. Howard was 2 for 3.

The South Bend Cubs creamed the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), 9-1.

Kevin Valdez gave the Cubs four strong innings, allowing just one run on two hits. Valdez struck out three and walked one.

Luis Rujano pitched the fifth and sixth inning, retired all six batters he faced and got the win because Valdez didn’t go five. Rujano struck out two.

Third baseman Matt Halbach went 3 for 5 with a stolen base. He scored one run and drove in one.

Second baseman Michael Hallquist was 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. Hallquist scored twice and had one RBI.

Right fielder Miguel Useche was 2 for 4 and was hit by a pitch. He scored one run.

Shortstop Angel Cepeda showing off his arm.

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were tabled by the Fredericksburg Nationals, 6-3.

Starter Emilio Ramos only allowed one run on three hits over three innings, but that was enough to earn the loss. Ramos walked two and struck out three.

Shortstop Derniche Valdez didn’t hit a home run tonight, but he did go 2 for 4 with a double. Valdez scored twice.

Third baseman Ludwing Espinoza, in his first game for the Birds since April, was 3 for 5.

Right fielder Eli Lovich was 2 for 3 with an RBI double and a walk.

Left fielder Ethan Conrad, in his Pelicans debut, was 0 for 5 with two strikeouts. Hey, it was a better debut than Kris Bryant’s first game with Boise way back when.

Highlights.

Lost to the Angels, 3-2.