July 3 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Toledo Mud Hens
Published on July 3, 2026 under International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release
IOWA CUBS (4-5, 34-47) vs. TOLEDO MUD HENS (6-3, 40-43)
July 3 - 6:05 PM CT - Fifth Third Field - Toledo, OH
LHP Ty Blach (3-4, 5.95) vs. RHP Ty Madden (2-0, 5.04)
TONIGHT'S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the Toledo Mud Hens are set to play the fourth game of a six-game series at Fifth Third Park tonight...left-hander Ty Blach is set to make his 12th appearance and eighth start for the I-Cubs...right-hander Ty Madden is scheduled to start for Toledo.
THURSDAY NIGHT BASEBALL: The I-Cubs defeated the Toledo Mud Hens 6-4 last night... Owen Miller reached base five times, and had two RBI, B.J. Murray recorded three hits, Brett Bateman had two, and Jonathon Long had two hits, including a home run...Iowa scored five of their six runs between the fifth and eighth innings to jump in front after trailing 3-1...reliever Eduaraniel Nunez recorded a six out save in his team debut.... Antoine Kelly earned the win after pitching 2.0 scoreless innings of relief.
TRI: Chicago Cubs' No. 9 prospect James Triantos ended his hit streak at 14 games on Tuesday, but has recorded a hit in 15 of his last 16 games...he is batting .355 (22-for-62) with nine runs, six doubles and 12 RBI during the stretch...as noted by I-Cubs broadcaster Jason Kempf, Triantos has never hit more than 24 doubles in a season or had more than 52 RBI, he has 20 doubles and 45 RBI in just 74 games...Triantos currently ranks second in the International League in doubles (20) and fourth in hits (88)...just two other players in the International League have matched James' 88 hits and 17 stolen bases, Gwinnett's Jim Jarvis and Nashville's Luis Lara.
BALLY, BALLY: Catcher Moises Ballesteros is slashing .256/.404/.333 (10-for-39) with three doubles and nine RBI in his 11 games with Iowa since being optioned...Ballesteros walked twice in three consecutive games, becoming the first I-Cub to do so since Miles Mastrobuoni from May 6-11, 2023 (also three)...Bally also had an RBI in four consecutive games, one shy of the longest such streak for an Iowa Cub this season (BJ Murray, 5).
BATEMAN!: I-Cubs outfielder Brett Bateman has reached base safely in 18 of his last 22 games, including a season high 11-game hitting streak from June 6-19...in the month of June, Bateman batted .316 (24-for-76) with 14 runs scored, four doubles, seven RBI, and 17 walks...Brett currently ranks fifth in the International League in on-base percentage (.418) and sixth in walks (48).
BJ BALLIN': I-Cubs infielder BJ Murray is batting .449 (22-for-49) with four doubles, two triples, three home runs and five RBI in his last 12 games...Murray recorded his fourth three hit game in his last 12 games...last Wednesday marked the second time Murray has had back-to-back three hit performances this season, last doing so April 21-22 vs. Louisville...BJ is also the first I-Cub to have at least five triples in a season since Donnie Dewees also had five in 2019...BJ is one of 13 players in all of minor league baseball with at least 10 home runs and a .325 batting average and one of four in Triple-A.
LONG BALL: Last night, 2025 Cubs' Minor League Player of the Year Jonathon Long hit his eighth home run of the season as part of a two-hit night...marked his fourth home run in his last 13 games and his 28th as an I-Cub...over the last two seasons, Long's 238 hits is the most of any International League player and his .835 OPS ranks third.
CADET KELLY: I-Cubs Reliever Antoine Kelly earned his first win as an Iowa Cub last night...in seven appearances with Iowa, he has posted a 0.84 ERA across 10.2 innings pitched, allowing one run on eight hits one home run) and striking out 11 batters against just three walks...Kelly was acquired via trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 7.
MILLER TIME: I-Cubs infielder Owen Miller reached base five times last night, going 3-for-3 with two walks and two RBI...it marks the second time Miller has reached base five times in a game this season, last doing so on May 29 at Indianapolis...in his last ten games, Miller is batting .425 (17-for-40) with eight runs scored, four doubles, two triples, two home runs, and 12 RBI.
POSITIONLESS BASEBALL: On Sunday, Iowa position players Scott Kingery and Christian Bethancourt pitched for Iowa, combining to throw 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit...Bethancourt struck out Buffalo's lead off hitter Jay Harry with a 94 MPH fastball...this was the second time in the series Iowa pitched two position players in a game after Catchers Eric Yang and Casey Opitz pitched on Thursday...Kingery became the first I-Cub pitcher to homer in a game since Tyson Miller on August 26, 2019.
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