IOWA CUBS (13-15, 43-57) vs. SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE RAILRIDERS (17-9, 54-46)
July 29 • 12:08 PM CT • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA
RHP Jaxon Wiggins (0-1, 9.19) vs. RHP Brendan Beck (8-2, 2.89)
TODAY’S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are set to play the second game of a six-game series today at Principal Park...Chicago’s No.3 overall prospect right hander Jaxon Wiggins is set to make his sixth appearance and start with Iowa...right- handed pitcher Brendan Beck is set to start for Scranton.
OUCH: The Iowa Cubs fell to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 6-3 on Tuesday night in the series opener at Principal Park...Jonathon Long had a multi-hit effort and Owen Ayers homered...Iowa led 3-0 after five innings, but Scranton would proceed to score six unanswered runs, all with two outs over the final four innings of play...Iowa starter Jace Beck threw five scoreless innings, allowing four hits.
THE JAG: I-Cubs outfielder Kevin Alcántara hit a single in the sixth inning last night, extending his on-base streak to 37 games... Kevin broke the Iowa Cubs franchise record for the longest on-base streak in franchse history on Sunday at Gwinnett, 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 extended his hitting streak to 14 games last night, a season high... it is the second 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 .433/.507/.617 (26-for-60) 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, .437), walks (4th, 58) and batting average (4th, .317)...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 55walks, along with Lehigh Valley’s Christian Cairo and former Iowa Cub and current Rochester Red Wing Christian Franklin.
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.
AYE-RS!: Chicago Cubs’ No. 8 overall prospect Owen Ayers recorded his first home run at the Triple-A level last night...on Sunday he recorded his second three-hit since being promoted to Triple-A and fourth multi-hit game in eight appearances...Ayers is batting .375 (12-for-32) with two doubles, one home run, six 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.
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.
BECK: Iowa Starter Jace Beck threw five scoreless innings last night, allowing four hits...it is the fourth outing this year that Beck has pitched at least five innings...it is the second time this year he has thrown five scoreless innings, last doing so on June 19 with Double-A Knoxville against Chatanooga.
AGAINST SCRANTON: 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.
JONNY LONG: Jonathon Long hit his 29th double of the season last night, which extends his International League for doubles...Additionally, Long has the most doubles in all of Triple-A... the most doubles hit in a single season by an Iowa Cub is held by Steve Hammond, who hit 45 doubles in 1986...he is six doubles short of matching the IL league high for last season, held by Joey Meneses with Syracuse and Cesar Prito with Memphis...former I-Cub Yonathan Peralza was the last Iowa player to lead the IL in doubles, tying for the league lead in 2023 with 40...Jon Weber of Durham has the most doubles in the IL since 2005, hitting 46 doubles back in 2009... Juan Brito of Columbus is the last IL player to hit 40 doubles, doing so in 2024.