Right-hander Keegan Thompson went on the injured list.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs impounded the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 7-5.

Kenta Maeda made his second Cubs start and like his first one, he struggled badly in the first inning. Tonight Maeda got hammered for five runs in the first inning, but calmed down after that. The first six batters he faced reached—two singles, two doubles, a home run and a walk. Maeda’s final line was five runs on seven hits over 3.2 innings. He walked two and struck out one.

Michael Fulmer took over for Maeda in the fourth and was awarded the win. Fulmer pitched 2.1 innings and retired all seven batters he faced. He struck out four of them.

Luke Little struck out five over the next two scoreless innings. Little allowed one hit and he hit one batter, but he walked no one.

Gavin Hollowell pitched the ninth and collected the save. He allowed a one-out single and nothing else. Hollowell struck out one.

Left fielder Christian Franklin deposited the second pitch of the game over the center field wall for his third home run of the game. Franklin was 1 for 4 with a walk. He scored twice.

First baseman Jonathon Long tacked on an insurance run with a solo home run in the top of the ninth, his sixth of the year. Long went 2 for 5 with a double and the homer. Long scored twice and drove in two.

Second baseman James Triantos was 2 for 3 with a walk and two steals. Triantos scored once.

Right fielder Owen Caissie doubled home Long in the first inning. Caissie went 2 for 5 two two runs batted in and two runs scored.

Franklin’s leadoff home run.

Caissie’s double.

Long’s home run went quite a ways.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were cracked open by the Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers), 3-1.

Will Sanders started and took the loss after giving up three runs on seven hits over five innings. Sanders struck out five and walked no one.

Nick Hull, Noah Clenney and Mitchell Tyranski each threw one inning without allowing either a hit or a run.

DH BJ Murray Jr. had a sacrifice fly in the first inning for the Smokies only run of the game. Murray went 0 for 2 with a walk and a stolen base.

Third baseman Pedro Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a double.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were bitten by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 2-1.

Nick Dean turned in a great start and all he went home with was this lousy loss. Dean allowed two runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked just one.

Left fielder Edgar Alvarez provided South Bend’s only run with a solo shot in the the fourth inning. It was his third of the season. Alvarez went 1 for 3 with a walk.

First baseman Drew Bowser went 2 for 3.

Alvarez’s home run.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans boiled the Hickory Crawdads (Rangers), 8-7 in 11 innings.

Starter Alfredo Romero surrendered two runs, one earned, on five hits over four innings. Romero walked one and struck out two.

Dominic Hambley entered the game in the eighth inning and got the win after tossing 2.1 innings without allowing a run. He was touched for one hit and two walks and he also hit one batter. Hambley struck out three.

After the Pelicans scored two runs in the top of the eleventh, Jackson Kirkpatrick pitched the bottom of the inning and got his third save. Kirkpatrick did allow the automatic runner to score on a passed ball, but that was good enough. His final line was one unearned run on no hits over one inning. He walked one and struck out two.

Left fielder Jose Escobar broke the tie in the 11th with an RBI single. He was 1 for 6 with two runs batted in.

Right fielder Leonel Espinoza went 3 for 6 with a steal tonight. He scored one run and drove in one.

Catcher Owen Ayers was 2 for 5 with a double. He scored twice.

Center fielder Christian Olivo with a double and an RBI single. Olivo scored one run.

Here’s that big hit by Escobar.

ACL Cubs

Losing to the Rangers, 5-3 in the seventh inning.