Minor League Wrap: Pelicans use the long ball to snap a five-game losing streak.

Iowa wins again. The Pelicans snap a five-game losing streak.

The Cubs have re-signed RHP Caleb Kilian and assigned him to Iowa.

Lefty Luke Little has been optioned down to Iowa.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs excommunicated the St. Paul Saints (Twins), 6-2.

Jordan Wicks got scratched again from his scheduled start and so Keegan Thompson went the first 3.1 innings and did quite well. Thompson allowed just one unearned run on four hits over 3.1 innings. Thompson struck out three and walked no one, although he did hit one batter.

The win went to Tom Cosgrove in relief of Wicks. Cosgrove allowed one hit and walked one, but gave up no runs over 1.2 innings. Cosgrove struck out three.

Gavin Hollowell pitched the next two innings and retired all six batters he faced, striking out five of them.

Brandon Hughes pitched the final two innings and collected the save. Hughes gave up a solo home run to lead off the ninth inning for one run on one hit. He walked one, hit one and struck out three. the next t

All six of Iowa’s runs today came on home runs. First, left fielder Greg Allen connected on a two-run home run in the fourth inning. It was his second home run this year. Allen was 2 for 3 and was hit by a pitch. He scored twice.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Chase Strumpf hit a grand slam. It was Strumpf’s third home run in the past two games. Strumpf went 1 for 3 with a walk.

Catcher Moises Ballesteros was 1 for 3 with two walks.

Allen’s home run went 407 feet.

It looks like Strumpf’s grand slam went even farther. It seems to have broken Statcast.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies couldn’t hide from the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 5-4.

Starter Will Sanders was pretty good over the first three innings, but then came a pretty disastrous fourth and he took the loss. Sanders allowed five runs on seven hits over 3.2 innings. All five runs came in the fourth inning. Sanders struck out two and walked no one.

Catcher Pablo Aliendo hit a solo home run in the second inning, his second on the season. Aliendo was 1 for 4.

Third baseman Pedro Ramirez hit a bases-clearing, three-run double later on in the fourth. Ramirez went 2 for 4.

DH Ethan Hearn was 2 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base. He scored on Ramirez’s double.

Aliendo’s home run.

Aliendo’s double.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were flooded out by the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers), 2-1.

The Cubs got a very strong start from Jaxon Wiggins, who allowed just one run on two hits over five innings. The one run came on a second inning home run by Luke Gold. Wiggins walked two and struck out seven.

Chase Watkins pitched the other three innings and took the loss, although he gave up just one run on three hits. Watkins walked two and struck out three.

South Bend managed just three hits in this game, all singles. DH Drew Bowser scored their only run on a sacrifice fly by first baseman Edgar Alvarez. Bowser was 0 for 2 with a walk and Alvarez was 0 for 2 with the sac fly.

Some Wiggins highlights.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans made the Augusta GreenJackets (Braves) blue, 11-6. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Pelicans.

Nazier Mulé started and allowed just one baserunner over the first four innings and that came on an error. But things got weird in the fifth as three errors and a balk led to a six-run inning, five of which were charged to Mulé. (Admittedly, two of the errors were Mulé’s on the same play.) The final line on Mulé was five runs, but only one earned, on just one hit over 4.2 innings. Mulé walked two, hit one and struck out five.

Luis Martinez-Gomez came on to finish the fifth inning and he gave up a game-tying two-run home run to the first batter he faced. But Martinez-Gomez ended up getting the win. He was charged with one run on two hits over 2.1 innings. Martinez-Gomez walked one and struck out three.

Brayden Spears threw two scoreless innings in a non-save situation. He allowed one hit, walked one, hit one and struck out two.

DH Cole Mathis hit his first home run as a professional with a man on in the third inning. Not content with that, Mathis then hit his second professional home run with two on in the eighth inning. Mathis’ final line was 2 for 5 with the five RBI.

Right fielder Alexey Lumpuy hit a solo home run in the fourth. Lumpuy was 2 for 5 and scored twice.

Finally, the player of the game was center fielder Leonel Espinoza, who was a perfect 5 for 5 with his third home run of the year with the bases empty in the eighth. Espinoza scored three times and drove in three runners. He also stole a base.

Mathis’ first home run.

Lumpuy’s blast.

Espinoza golfed his home run over the left field wall. Fitting against the GreenJackets.

Home run number two for Mathis.