Cubs Minor League News: Games postponed, Smokies win, Pels rocked again, Slider's bday

Slider was a good boy on his birthday.

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - Thursday, April 10 2025

Although it may be a new week of Minor League Action, the Cubs affiliates are dealing with more of the same as Mother Nature continues to give them fits. This time, not one but two games got postponed due to this great Spring weather, as Iowa and South Bend received an extra day off.

That took what was a full slate of games and turned it into a half slate, as only two teams were in action on Wednesday. The end result was what we have seen for the better part of two days now, as the Cubs system posted a 1 -1 record on the evening.

IOWA CUBS at TOLEDO MUD HENS (Postponed)

Tonight's game has officially been POSTPONED

We will play a double header on SATURDAY. With two seven-inning games beginning at 4:05 PM.
— Toledo Mud Hens (@MudHens) April 9, 2025

KNOXVILLE SMOKIES 6 - ROCKET CITY TRASH PANDAS 1

It was a near-historic day in Alabama on Wednesday as the Smokies made quick work of Rocket City 6-1. The historical significance was watching the Smokies staff no-hit the Trash Pandas into the seventh before a solo home run broke that up. Still, everything else went in the Smokies' favor as they got back on track after a loss on Tuesday.

Getting things started on the mound for the Smokies was right-hander Grant Kipp, who, despite some command issues at times, got through five innings. He walked one, struck out seven, and, most importantly, didn't allow a hit as he was locked in from the start. The same can be said about Rocket City starter Joel Hurtado, who matched Kipp pitch for pitch through four before allowing a run in the fifth.

That run came off a leadoff Hayden Cantrelle triple as he scored off a balk. Once the first run came across, you started to see the Smokies offense wake up as Jaylen Palmer had his best day as a Smokie, connecting for three hits and three RBIs, including his RBI single in the sixth to double the lead. With the no-hitter still intact after Ben Leeper took over for Kipp, Cayne Ueckert pitched the seventh. On the verge of getting to the eighth, it was Sam Smith not only putting an end to the no-hitter, but the shutout and his solo shot made this a 2-1 game.

It was the only hit for Rocket City as BJ Murray Jr. answered that homer with one of his own in the eighth before the Smokies tacked on three more runs in the ninth. Pedro Ramirez was part of the big ninth inning with his RBI single extending the lead to 4-1, while Palmer capped off the scoring with an RBI double to give the Smokies the 6-1 victory. Palmer was one of three players to record multiple hits, as Ramirez and Brett Bateman had two.

The Smokies pitching staff shuts down the Trash Pandas as the Smokies win it 6-1. | @zips3mincarwash
Box Score: https://t.co/UyPy1QIlZh pic.twitter.com/K4mLfMlEzl
— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) April 9, 2025

SOUTH BEND CUBS vs PEORIA CHIEFS (Postponed)

Due to the inclement weather, today's game (April 9) has been postponed.
The game will be made up as part of a 7-inning doubleheader on Saturday, April 12. Gates open at 2:00 PM and first pitch of game 1 will begin at 2:05 PM.
Ticket info & details ➡️ https://t.co/EPO4o0r1RQ… pic.twitter.com/eXyK0UAIvA
— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) April 9, 2025

CAROLINA MUDCATS 9 - MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 2

If there were a team ever in need of a mulligan to start the week, the Pelicans would be that team. After coming into this series unbeaten, the Pelicans not only dropped the first two games of this series but have also outscored 23-2 in the process.

That isn't going to cut it, as the Mudcats have made things look easy and have run their record to 5-0 to start the season. Will Frisch made his Pelicans debut, and it was a rough outing for the right-hander as he allowed three runs in just 2 1/3 before handing things off to the pen. All those runs came in the second inning as he walked in a run to get the scoring started before the Luis Pena single pushed the lead to 3-0.

That would be all the offense the Mudcats would need, as the Pelicans' offense has looked lifeless in this series, and their pitching hasn't been good. One inning after scoring three runs to take a 3-0 lead, the Mudcats' offense was at it again. An RBI groundout extended the lead to 4-0, and another two-run single capped off a three-run frame, this one coming from Yannic Walther, pushing the lead to 6-0.

The Pelicans did manage to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third on the Christopher Paciolla single, but the Pelicans would need far more offense than that if they wanted to pull this one out. Still leading 6-1 in the seventh, the Mudcats added a run on a steal of home before Walther connected for a two-run double in the eighth to put the Pelicans in a 9-1 hole.

Myrtle Beach closed out the scoring in the bottom of the eighth on a Leonel Espinoza single before falling by that 9-2 score. Espinoza and Paciolla were responsible for two of the team's three hits, with Angel Cepeda grabbing the other one.

Name something better than Slider's birthday on Wet Nose Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/wVgpcmnWUd
— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) April 10, 2025