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It was an eventful day in the Cubs’ minor league system. Matthew Boyd made a rehab start. Iowa held off a comeback rally while Knoxville pulled off an epic one of their own. In South Bend, Owen Ayers remained red-hot, and the team set a new record. Let’s get to it.
Cubs Prospects Report | April 17, 2026
Triple-A Iowa Cubs
After dropping their matchup on Wednesday, Iowa won a thriller against Columbus on Thursday. Matthew Boyd got the ball for the Cubs in a rehab start, and things went fine. Boyd tossed 3.2 innings, surrendered three runs on four hits and a walk, but also struck out six. It wasn’t the sharpest outing, but all things considered, seeing him back on the mound is a good sign for the big league club’s pitching depth.
Boyd did get plenty of run support, though. Pedro Ramirez drove in a run on a single in the first, then later scored on an error. With a 2-0 lead in the top of the second, Ramirez went deep with a three-run blast to make it 5-0. After a three-run second for the Clippers, Iowa put up two more in the third to make it 7-3 on an Owen Miller single and Ben Cowles double.
Columbus battled back again, though. The teams would trade solo home runs in the bottom of the seventh and top of the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, Columbus put up three runs to cut the deficit to 8-7. Then in the ninth, the Clippers completed the comeback with one more to send the game to extras.
In the 10th, Iowa got extras started with a three-run frame. Cowles hit a sac fly, Brett Bateman had an RBI single, and so did Pedro Ramirez. With the score 11-8, the Clippers tried to come back one more time. After cutting the lead to 11-10, Columbus had the bases loaded with two outs, but Ryan Jenson came up with a clutch strikeout to finish the win.
Notable Performances
Pedro Ramirez | 4-6, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 SB Ben Cowles | 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, 2B Matthew Boyd | 3.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 6 K, BBFINAL/10: Cubs 11, Clippers 10 | Box Score
Your regularly scheduled Pedro Ramirez homer! pic.twitter.com/R2e9vPpSK6
— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) April 16, 2026Double-A Knoxville Smokies
While Iowa held off Columbus from a big comeback, Knoxville pulled off the comeback in their Thursday matchup with Pensacola. It was a tough day on the mound for Nick Dean and Erian Rodriguez, who combined to allow eight runs (seven earned) through 5.2 innings of work, with a five-run Blue Wahoos fifth doing most of the damage.
The Smokies did strike first in the second on an Edgar Alvarez home run and an Andy Garriola double, but that lead went away quickly, and after five innings, Pensacola led 8-2.
The top of the eighth, with the score still at 8-2, was where the fun started. Knoxville scored a pair of runs on wild pitches to cut the deficit to 8-4, then an Alex Madera walk made it 8-5 before Pensacola recorded an out. Alex Ramirez then hit a sac fly, and just like that, it was 8-6. Following the Ramirez sac fly, Jordan Nwogu picked up the only hit of this entire eighth inning rally – an RBI single, making it 8-7. The next batter, Karson Simas, tied the score on a run-scoring groundout.
Despite blowing the lead, Pensacola wasn’t phased, and they struck right back in the bottom of the eighth, scoring a run off Tyler Ras, and they took a 9-8 lead into the ninth. But the Smokies had no quit in them and rallied. With two outs and runners on second and third, Ramirez drove in both runners with an RBI single, making it a 10-9 Smokies lead, and that ended up as the final score.
Notable Performances
Alex Ramirez | 1-4, 3 RBI, BB, SB Edgar Alvarez | 1-2, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB Andy Garriola | 2-3, R, RBIFINAL: Smokies 10, Blue Wahoos 9 | Box Score
Smokies climb their way back from a 6 run deficit. 8-8 in a nail biting finish ? pic.twitter.com/nYy1LEDBxN
— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) April 17, 2026High-A South Bend Cubs
South Bend picked up a win over Beloit behind more Owen Ayers heroics and a great day on the basepaths, stealing a club-record NINE bases for the game. The Cubs jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third on RBI from Drew Bowser, Reginald Preciado, and Justin Stransky. After giving one back in the top of the fourth, Owen Ayers made it four straight games with a homer, ripping a two-run shot in the bottom half to make it 6-1 Cubs.
South Bend’s bullpen had some issues in the top of the seventh, though. With the score still 6-1, JP Wheat surrendered four runs in just 0.1 innings of work, and none of Beloit’s four seventh-inning runs even came on a hit (two wild pitches, a walk, and a sac fly). What was once a comfortable five-run lead was now down to just a run.
In the bottom of the eighth, though, South Bend got a little breathing room, scoring themselves on a wild pitch to take a 7-5 lead, which is how the game ended.
Notable Performances
Owen Ayers | 2-5, HR, 2 RBI, SB Reginal Preciado | 1-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B Kane Kepley | 0-2, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 SBFINAL: Cubs 7, Sky Carp 5 | Box Score
The list of South Bend Cubs to hit a @hoosierlottery home run in four straight games:Alexander CanarioOwen Ayers!#SBCubs pic.twitter.com/UTH43EltNA
— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) April 17, 2026We are going to steal the moon! ?All 9⃣ stolen bases from tonight, good for a South Bend Cubs single-game record.#SBCubs pic.twitter.com/46U7I8LOrm
— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) April 17, 2026Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Pelicans played in the least eventful matchup of the Cubs’ minor league squads on Thursday as they dropped their first matchup of the series to Kannapolis after back-to-back wins.
Trailing 1-0 heading into the top of the fourth, Myrtle Beach surrendered five runs to blow the Cannon Ballers’ lead wide open. Noah Edders was charged with one run, while Riely Hunsaker was charged with four in the frame.
Things didn’t get much better for Myrtle Beach. They got one run back in the bottom of the fourth on a throwing error, but then remained scoreless until the ninth, where they scored on another throwing error and a two-RBI double from Josiah Hartshorn, but 9-4 was as close as they would get.
Notable Performances
Josiah Hartshorn | 1-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B, BB Alexey Lumpuy | 1-3, 2B, 2 BB Ty Southisene | 1-3, R, BBFINAL: Cannon Ballers 9, Pelicans 4 | Box Score
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