The Cubs signed right-hander Andrew Wantz and assigned him to Triple-A Iowa.

The Iowa Cubs split a doubleheader with the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers), winning game one 7-5 and losing the second one 8-1.

The good news in game one is that Matthew Boyd started and got the win. The bad news is he allowed three home runs over five innings. But as I always say about a rehab appearance, the most important thing is how the player feels afterwards. Both Boyd and Craig Counsell said they expect Boyd’s next start to be with the major league squad.

Boyd’s final line was five runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out five and walked one. Boyd threw 80 pitches and 56 of them were strikes.

Tyler Ferguson pitched the other two innings and got the save. Ferguson gave up two hits, but no runs. He struck out three and walked no one.

Center fielder Brett Bateman went 3 for 4 with a double and a steal. He scored one run and drove in one.

Right fielder Justin Dean was 2 for 3 with a double. He had two RBI and scored two runs.

Matt Shaw played this entire game at first base in a rehab stint and was doubled in a run in the third inning. Shaw went 1 for 3 with a walk, one RBI and one run scored

Boyd with a strikeout.

The hit by Shaw was ruled a double.

Two-run double for Dean.

Bateman’s RBI double.

Vince Velazquez gave the I-Cubs a good start in game two, allowing just one run on one hit over three innings. Velazquez walked two, hit one batter and struck out four.

Things fell apart when Paul Campbell pitched the final three innings and allowed one run in the fifth, five in the sixth and one more in the seventh. He allowed four home runs in those three innings. Campbell finished with seven runs on eight hits over three innings. He walked one and struck out one.

Catcher Eric Yang was 1 for 2 with a walk in game two.

The Knoxville Smokies were in open rebellion and overthrew the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 14-5.

Tyler Schlaffer started game one and gave up five runs on seven hits over four innings. He walked three and struck out seven.

Jace Beck threw the next three innings and got the win. He allowed neither a run nor a hit, but he did walk two batters. Beck struck out three.

Tyler Ras was six up, six down over the final two frames in a non-save situation. Ras struck out two.

The Smokies hit six home runs in this game. Third baseman Jefferson Rojas connected for two home runs today: solo shots in both the first and seventh innings. Rojas was a perfect 3 for 3 with a double and the two home runs, which were the seventh and eighth of the season for him. Rojas also walked once. He scored three times and drove in three runs.

DH Owen Ayers hit a two-run home run in the third inning, his ninth on the year. Ayers went 3 for 4 with a double and the home run. Ayers walked two and struck out two.

Left fielder Carter Trice connected for a two-run home run in the fifth inning, also his ninth. Trice went 1 for 3 with a walk.

Later on in the fifth inning, center fielder Andy Garriola hit his team-leading 11th home run with two men on. Garriola went 2 for 5 and scored twice.

Finally, Edgar Alvarez hit a solo home run in the eighth. It was his sixth on the year. Alvarez went 1 for 4.

Catcher Ariel Armas was 4 for 5 with a double and one run scored.

Rojas’ first home run was historic for the reasons listed in this post. It was a long home run.

The Carter Trice home run.

Garriola went to dead center.

The second home run by Rojas may have went even farther.

The South Bend Cubs incarcerated the Quad Cities River Bandits (Royals), 13-2.

Will Sanders pitched the first four innings without allowing a run. Sanders gave up two hits. He walked three and struck out three.

JP Wheat just pitched the fifth inning, but he got the win because Sanders didn’t go five. Wheat gave up two hits but no runs. He also did not record a strikeout or a walk.

Koen Moreno threw the final four innings for the save. Moreno gave up a two-run home run in the eighth to ruin the shutout, but those were the only runs he allowed. He gave up six hits, but no walks and he struck out six.

Center fielder Christian Olivo hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, his fifth on the year. Olivo was 1 for 4.

Three batters later in the fourth, right fielder Josiah Hartshorn homered with the bases empty. It was his ninth home run this year and fourth in just 12 games in High-A. Hartshorn went 3 for 5 with the home run and a two-run double in the first inning, giving him three RBI.

Two batters after Hartshorn in the fourth with a man on, left fielder Miguel Useche hit the third South Bend home run of the inning. Useche went 1 for 3 with two walks. He scored twice.

Shortstop Ty Southisene was 2 for 5 with a steal. He scored twice.

Second baseman Drew Bowser went 2 for 4 with a double and an bases-loaded RBI walk. He also scored once.

Hartshorn’s two-run double.

Olivo’s home run.

Hartshorn showing opposite field power.

Useche’s home run.

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were carried downstream by the Charleston RiverDogs (Rays), 4-2.

Dominick Reid pitched the first five innings and allowed two runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out one.

Edwardo Melendez closed out the game and got the loss after he gave up two runs on just one hit over three innings. Melendez only walked one, but he also hit two batters while striking out just one. Both runs came in the bottom of the eighth.

The Pelicans managed just two hits, both singles. Center fielder Darlyn DeLeon was 1 for 2 with a walk and one run scored.

Lost to the Giants, 5-3.