IOWA CUBS (13-14, 43-56) vs. SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE RAILRIDERS (16-9, 53-46)
July 28 • 6:38 PM CT • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA
RHP Jace Beck (0-0, 6.75) vs. RHP Dom Hamel (3-9, 6.91)
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are set to play the first game of a six-game series today at Principal Park...right hander Jace Beck is set to make his 4th appearance and second start this season with Iowa...right-handed pitcher Dom Hamel is set to start for Scranton.
BACK ON TRACK: The Iowa Cubs snapped a four game losing streak on Sunday, defeating the Gwinnett Stripers 7-3 at Gwinnett Field... Moises Ballesteros homered, Brett Bateman and Owen Ayers recorded three hits apiece, while Owen Miller and Jonathon Long also had multi-hit efforts...Iowa jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never lookedback...Iowa starter Grant Kipp earned his first Triple-A win, pitching five innings and allowing just one run, while Vince Reilly, Zac Leigh, and Collin Snider combined to throw three scoreless innings of relief.
THE JAG: I-Cubs outfielder Kevin Alcántara drew a walk in the ninth inning on Sunday, extending his on-base streak to 36 games and breaking the Iowa Cubs franchise record for the longest on-base streak in franchse history...Alcántara broke the I-Cubs franchise record previously held by Jonathon Long at 35 games that he set from July 9-Aug. 24, 2025...it is the longest streak in the International League this season and second longest streak this year in all of Triple-A, trailing Albuquerque’s Chad Stevens’ 51-game on- base streak from March 27-July 3.
BATEMAN: Brett Bateman went 3-for-4 on Sunday, extending his hitting streak to 13 games on Sunday, a season high...it is the third longest active hitting streak in the International League and all of Triple-A...it is also the longest hitting streak of his professional baseball career...Brett’s longest hitting streak of his pro career prior to the 2026 season was nine games, a feat he reached twice from Aug. 28 - Sep. 6, 2025 with Double-A Knoxville and July 5 - July 20, 2024 with High-A South Bend...Brett is slashing .446/.516/.643 (25-for-56) with six doubles, a triple, a home run and 12 RBI during the stretch...he ranks among International League leaders in on-base percentage (1st, .438), walks (5th, 57) and batting average (3rd, .318)...the I-Cubs have had just on player lead the league in on-base percentage as Terrell Lowery tied for the lead in 1997 with a .401 mark...Brett is one of three players in the International League with at least 75 hits and 55 walks, along with Lehigh Valley’s Christian Cairo and former Iowa Cub and current Rochester Red Wing Christian Franklin.
AYE-RS!: Chicago Cubs’ No. 8 overall prospect Owen Ayers recorded his second three-hit game on Sunday since being promoted to Triple-A and fourth multi-hit game in eight appearances...Ayers is batting .393 (11-for-28) with two doubles, five RBI and three stolen bases since joining the I-Cubs... Ayers played in 65 games in Knoxville, batting .304 with 16 home runs and 48 RBI...since being promoted to Iowa last Friday, Owen is batting .285 (6-for-21) with four RBI...at the time of his promotion, Ayers ranked first in the Southern League in on-base percentage (.417), slugging percentage (.591), and OPS (1.008), second in batting average, third in extra-base hits (33), fifth in total bases (136), and sixth in home runs.
CONGRATS TRI!: Chicago Cubs’ No. 7 prospect and infielder/outfielder James Triantos made his Major League debut Saturday night and recorded his first big league hit in his first at-bat against Pittsburgh... he later scored on an RBI double by fellow former I-Cub Pedro Ramirez...at the time of his promotion, Triantos ranked among International League leaders in doubles (T-3rd, 24), hits (2nd, 107) and batting average (8th, .306)...James is one of four players in all of minor league baseball with at least 107 hits and 18 stolen bases, along with Josue De Paula (LAD), Andy Perez (COL) and Roldy Brito (COL)...he is the only Cubs farmhand in with such numbers.
THREE ME: BJ Murray recorded his seventh triple of the season on Sunday, moving him past teammate Owen Miller for the International League lead in triples...Murray’s seven triples are the most by an I-Cub since John Andreoli hit eight triples in 2017 and Brett Jackson hit 12 triples in 2012...Murray is one triple shy for matching the International League lead for triples from last season, set by Toledo’s Hao-Yu Lee (8)...the most triples hit in the International League since 2005 was 15, set by Shane Victorino of Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre...the I-Cubs franchise record for most triples in a season is held by Billy Hatcher (18) in 1984.
AGAINST SCRANTON: Tonight, the Iowa Cubs and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre are facing off for the first time since the 1990 season in the American Assoociation of Triple-A... the I-Cubs set a record winning streak of 11 games with a win over Scranton/WB on Aug. 20, 1990.