Cubs Minor League Wrap: South Bend clinches 1st half title

Cubs Minor League Wrap: South Bend clinches 1st half title. In a bullpen-heavy tilt, Ty Blach started for Iowa, tossing two innings without permitting a baserunner, while Vince Velázquez followed with four frames, yielding two runs on three hits and escaping a sixth-inning jam when a two-run homer plated the opposition’s runs. Right fielder Kevin Alcántara went 2-for-4 with a two-run double, and first baseman Jonathon Long added a 2-for-4 day with a double and a run. South Bend defeated the Peoria Chiefs 6-4, sealing the Midwest League West Division’s first-half crown.

In the other Midwest action, Jackson Kirkpatrick struck out six over two scoreless innings to back a 12-5 Knoxville win over Montgomery, tying for first in the Southern League North. Jefferson Rojas belted a three-run homer in the third inning, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, and Alex Ramirez was 3-for-5 with a double and two stolen bases, driving in two and scoring twice as the Smokies surged ahead.