Cubs Minor League Wrap: Carter Trice slams Knoxville past Barons, 7-2

The Ramírez home run.

An RBI double for Jonathon Long. He was 1 for 4.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies defenestrated the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 7-2.

Starter Jace Beck gave the Smokies four scoreless innings, permitting just three hits. Beck struck out two and walked no one.

Nick Dean pitched the next four innings and got the win after he gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits. Dean struck out six and walked no one.

It was a non-save situation, but Evan Taylor chipped in two scoreless innings to close out the game. He allowed two hits and no walks. Taylor struck out four.

Smokies pitchers combined to strike out 12 and walk no one.

Knoxville’s bats were silent, however, as Barons starter Dylan Cumming one-hit the Smokies through six innings, but he left the game after that and the Smokies jumped all over two Barons relievers for seven runs in the seventh inning, highlighted by a grand slam by center fielder Carter Trice. It was Trice’s third home run of the year. Trice went 1 for 3 with a walk.

Right fielder Andy Garriola had an RBI double in the seventh. He was 1 for 3 with a walk and one run scored.

Trice’s slam.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were wrenched by the Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics), 8-3.

Jostin Florentino made his 2026 debut and he took the loss after allowing four runs on three hits over 3.2 innings. All four runs came in the fourth inning after allowing just one walk (and nothing else) over the first three innings, so that’s a good argument that he was just left in too long in his first start of the season. Florentino struck out four and walked two.

South Bend didn’t have a hit in this game until the seventh inning when first baseman Cameron Sisneros broke up the no-no with a single. Sisneros finished 2 for 3 with a double and one run scored.

Second baseman Drew Bowser was 1 for 3 with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning. He also scored one run.

Four Florentino strikeouts.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

As noted yesterday, this game was canceled because of a fire at the Crawdads ballpark.

ACL Cubs

Off day.