Cubs Minor League Wrap: Three HRs lead Smokies past Lookouts

Smokies catcher Owen Ayers (6) celebrates hitting a solo home run during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and Birmingham Barons at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tennessee., on May 7, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/ News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images I’m sure there will be an article on it after it is officially announced, but the Cubs transactions page notes that catcher Moisés Ballesteros has been demoted to Triple-A Iowa.

class="has-text-align-none">South Bend right-hander Mason McGwire was activated off the development list.

Iowa CubsThe Iowa Cubs lost to Indianapolis (Pirates), 11-8.

class="has-text-align-none">Will Sanders gave the I-Cubs a good start, giving up just one run on three hits over five innings. He struck out six and walked no one. Sanders fastball was sitting 92-93 miles per hour.

class="has-text-align-none">Yosver Zueleta did not make a great impression in his Cubs and Iowa debut. He relieved Sanders in the sixth and gave up five runs on three hits over two-thirds of an inning. Zueleta walked two, had two wild pitches and struck out just one. He was throwing 95-to-97 though.

class="has-text-align-none">Left fielder Jonathon Long hit a solo home run in the second inning, his fifth on the year. Long went 3 for 5 with a double and the home run. He scored two runs.

class="has-text-align-none">Right fielder Chas McCormick crushed a 467-foot home run in the sixth inning with a man on. It was McCormick’s eighth home run this season. He went 1 for 4 with a walk.

class="has-text-align-none">Later in the sixth inning, catcher Christian Bethancourt hit a two-run home run. It was his eighth on the season. Bethancourt was 2 for 4 and scored twice.

class="has-text-align-none">First baseman Casey Opitz then went back-to-back with Bethancourt for his first home run of 2026. Opitz went 1 for 4.

class="has-text-align-none">DH BJ Murray went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored once.

class="has-text-align-none">Everyone in the I-Cubs lineup had at least one hit.

class="has-text-align-none">Long’s home run went 433 feet.

Jonathon Long drives one out of Principal Park! pic.twitter.com/LlsuoG2843

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) June 19, 2026McCormick’s blast.

Chas McCormick hits a 467-foot homer! Longest home run by an I-Cub since 2023🚀 pic.twitter.com/4Bg3Z3S2Zr

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) June 19, 2026Bethancourt’s home run was “only” 432 feet.

Christian Bethancourt hits a two-run homer! pic.twitter.com/Wvhy1oGrGw

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) June 19, 2026The Casey Opitz home run.

Casey Opitz makes it back-to-back home runs for his first Triple-A homer and makes it a one run game! pic.twitter.com/CeqoJbbU7c

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) June 19, 2026Knoxville SmokiesThe Knoxville Smokies moved back into a first-place tie with a 4-1 win over the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds).

class="has-text-align-none">Dawson Netz started and got the win after giving up just one run on six hits over five innings. Netz struck out seven, walked three and hit one batter.

class="has-text-align-none">Erian Rodriguez then pitched three scoreless innings, surrendering just two hits. He struck out one and walked no one.

class="has-text-align-none">Marino Santy pitched the ninth inning and got the save. Santy gave up a walk and a single after one out, but then ended the game when he caught a hard comeback line drive to the mound and then threw to first base for the double play. Santy did not have a strikeout.

class="has-text-align-none">The Smokies took the lead with three solo home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, the first two of which were back-to-back. Third baseman Jefferson Rojas tied the game with his 11th home run of the year. Rojas also walked with the based loaded in the seventh inning, giving him two RBI on the game. Rojas went 1 for 3.

class="has-text-align-none">Next, catcher Owen Ayers went back-to-back with his 12th home run. Ayers was 1 for 4.

class="has-text-align-none">The next batter, Alex Ramírez, struck out, but then center fielder Andy Garriola hit his team-leading 13th home run. Garriola went 1 for 4.

class="has-text-align-none">Those three hits were the only hits the Smokies had in this game. They did draw six walks and were hit by a pitch.

class="has-text-align-none">The win moves the Smokies back into a first-place tie with the Lookouts for the first-half title with three games to play.

class="has-text-align-none">Here are all three Smokies hits and all three home runs.

THE SMOKIES TAKE THE LEAD WITH THREE HOMERS IN THE 4th!

💣 Jefferson Rojas 💣 Owen Ayers 💣 Andy Garriola pic.twitter.com/fG2SZnkuLc

— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) June 19, 2026South Bend CubsThe South Bend Cubs dropped a doubleheader to the Ft. Wayne TinCaps (Padres), 4-3 in eight innings and 5-2.

class="has-text-align-none">Mason McGwire started and gave the Cubs three good innings, allowing just one run on two hits. McGwire struck out three and walked three.

class="has-text-align-none">Cole Reynolds then pitched the next four innings, allowing just one run on one hit, a solo home run. Reynolds walked two, hit one batter and struck out three.

class="has-text-align-none">After the Cubs scored a run in the top of the eighth, Adam Stone came in to get the save in the bottom of the inning. Unfortunately, Stone gave up two runs on three hits while retiring just one batter. One of the two runs was unearned, naturally. Stone also walked one and struck out no one.

class="has-text-align-none">South Bend had just three hits in game one, all singles. Catcher Justin Stransky was 1 for 2 with a two-run single and two walks. One of the two walks was intentional.

class="has-text-align-none">Stransky’s two-run single.

Stransky finds a soft spot for the lead!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/cxmOW0zFId

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) June 18, 2026Jostin Florentino started game two and gave up just one hit and one run over four innings. The one hit, unfortunately, was a solo home run. Florentino struck out six and walked two.

class="has-text-align-none">Brayden Spears gave up four runs in the bottom of the sixth and took the loss. Spears’ final line was four runs on three hits and two walks over two innings. He struck out two.

class="has-text-align-none">South Bend only had three hits in game two as well, but one of them was a solo home run by third baseman Matt Halbach in the fourth. It was Halbach’s sixth home run on the season. Halbach was 1 for 3.

class="has-text-align-none">Center fielder Kane Kepley went 1 for 3 with a walk and two steals in game two. He scored on a throwing error.

class="has-text-align-none">Josiah Hartshorn went 0 for 7 with zero times on base in this game. He’s human, I guess.

class="has-text-align-none">Halbach’s home run.

Halbach has another @hoosierlottery home run!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/fmAOAuduWg

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) June 19, 2026Myrtle Beach PelicansThe Mytle Beach Pelicans hunted down the Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles), 21-10 thanks to a 12-run top of the eighth.

class="has-text-align-none">Starter Hayden Frank got knocked around for five runs on three hits and five walks over three innings. He struck out three.

class="has-text-align-none">Yoendris Gonzalez got the win with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief. Gonzalez gave up just one hit and he walked one while striking out two.

class="has-text-align-none">The Pelicans sent 16 batters to the plate in the 12-run eighth and five of them hit home runs. The first one was shortstop Derniche Valdez, who hit his fifth home run with a man on. Valdez went 2 for 6 with a walk. He had the two RBI and scored three times.

class="has-text-align-none">The next home run came three batters later as catcher Henniel Alcala hit a three-run home run. It was his first home run with the Pelicans and second on the season. Alcala was 3 for 5 with a walk. He scored twice.

class="has-text-align-none">Next, center fielder Alexey Lumpuy connected for a solo home run, his fourth on the season. Lumpuy was 2 for 6 with a walk. Lumpuy also stole two bases. He scored twice and had two runs batted in.

class="has-text-align-none">The fourth home run of the eighth was hit with two men on by first baseman Michael Carico. It was Carico’s sixth on the season. He finished the night going 1 for 3 with three walks. He drove in four total runs and scored three times.

class="has-text-align-none">Finally, right fielder Geri Lubo cranked his fifth home run of the year with two men on. Lubo went 1 for 4 with two walks. Lubo scored three times and had the three RBI.

class="has-text-align-none">Second baseman Alexis Hernandez doubled twice in a 2 for 6 night. He also walked once and stole a base. Hernandez scored twice and had two RBI.

class="has-text-align-none">Left fielder Darlyn De Leon was 3 for 5 with two doubles. De Leon drive in three runs and scored three times.

class="has-text-align-none">None of the home runs were hit off of position players.

class="has-text-align-none">An RBI double for Hernandez.

Hernandez doubles to bring us closer. pic.twitter.com/YDv9e0Ksyi

— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) June 19, 2026De Leon with an RBI double.

👔🆙 pic.twitter.com/0wfEEa5Waw

— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) June 19, 2026Alcala’s home run.

ALCALA WITH HIS FIRST THREE-RUN💣!!!

“while admin was typing this…we hit another home run.” pic.twitter.com/bDifJGuNyC

— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) June 19, 2026Lumpuy goes deep.

LUMPUY LUMBER CO. pic.twitter.com/GUGaE7nGvV

— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) June 19, 2026Carico’s home run.

RICO ROCKET 🚀 pic.twitter.com/LvYEK7DsqO

— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) June 19, 2026Lubo’s home run.

LUBO LAUNCHES THE FIFTH HR OF THE INNING 🤯 pic.twitter.com/jknjo065mM

— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) June 19, 2026ACL CubsBeat the Reds, 7-5.