Cubs Minor League Wrap: South Bend stops the Chiefs, 8-6

South Bend Cubs infielder Reginald Preciado reacts to being called out at third base during a Minor League Baseball game between the South Bend Cubs and the Peoria Chiefs at Four Winds Field on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

His brother may be off to the Marlins, but shortstop Alexis Hernandez joined the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were swept in a doubleheader by the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 6-4 in nine innings and 6-1.

Will Sanders started game one and didn’t make it out of the second inning. Sanders finished with a line of three runs on four hits and four walks over 1.2 innings. Sanders struck out two.

Tyler Santana relieved Sanders with the bases loaded on two outs and walked in a run with the first batter he faced. But he settled down after that and allowed just one run of his own over 4.1 innings of relief. Santana allowed two hits, walked three and struck out one.

Ryan Jensen pitched the top of the ninth and got the loss. He allowed two runs, one earned, on one hit and one walk. He struck out one.

Catcher Christian Bethancourt cranked a two-run home run in the fifth inning. It was his third of the season. Bethancourt went 2 for 4.

First baseman BJ Murray tied the game up 4-4 with an RBI single in the sixth. He was 2 for 4 with a double.

Bethencourt’s two-run home run.

An RBI Double for Pedro Ramirez, who was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Tyler Beede started game two and took the loss after he was knocked around for four runs on five hits over three innings. Beeded struck out two and walked no one.

Right fielder Justin Dean opened the bottom of the first with a single. He stole second and scored on an RBI single by BJ Murray. That was Iowa’s only run of game two.

Dean went 1 for 2 with a walk. Murray was 1 for 3.

Center fielder Kevin Alcántara was 2 for 3 with a double.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were discarded by the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 8-6.

Starter Connor Schultz left the game in the first inning with some kind of injury. Before he left, he gave up two runs on two hits and two walks while retiring just one batter.

DH Alex Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a two-run double in the fifth. He scored one run.

Right fielder Carter Trice went 1 for 3 with a double and one run scored.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs smoked the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals), 8-6.

Nazier Mulé started and pitched well. Mulé allowed just one run on six hits over four innings. More promising, Mulé walked just one and struck out five.

Another flamethrower with a good outing tonight got the win. JP Wheat did not give up a run or a hit over two innings. Wheat did walk two and hit one batter, so it wasn’t all good. He had two wild pitches as well. Still that’s progress for Wheat. He struck out three.

Kenyi Perez came on to close out the game in the ninth, but he struggled and retired just one batter. He gave up four runs on two hits, four walks and two hit batsmen. Ethan Bell had to be summoned from the bullpen. Bell got a ground ball to get the second out (although Peoria’s sixth run scored) and then got a strikeout to end the game and collect the save.

The hottest hitter in the Cubs system is third baseman Reginald Preciado. Tonight he opened the scoring with a two-run double in the first inning. He finished the game 2 for 5. His batting average after tonight is .500.

DH Owen Ayers went 2 for 4 with an RBI single and a double. Ayers also walked once and scored one run.

Shortstop Angel Cepeda hit a three-run double in the sixth inning. Cepeda was 1 for 3 and was hit by a pitch.

Preciado’s two-run double.

Ayers’ RBI single.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were mesmerized by the Columbia Fireflies (Royals), 6-2.

Starter Eli Jerzembeck allowed a solo home run in the second inning and a two-run home run in the third and got the loss. Jerzembeck’s final line was three runs on four hits over four innings. He struck out three and walked just one.

Shortstop Ty Southisene went 2 for 3 with four stolen bases. He was also hit by a pitch. Southisene scored once.

Center fielder Alexey Lumpuy was 1 for 3 with two walks and three steals. He hit a two-run single in the third inning.

The Pelicans only had four hits, but stole nine bases.

Lumpuy’s two-run single.