July 8 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. St. Paul Saints
IL Iowa Cubs

July 8 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. St. Paul Saints

Published on July 8, 2026 under International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (5-8, 35-50) vs. ST. PAUL SAINTS (7-5, 49-37)

July 8 - 12:08 PM CT - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA

RHP Andrew Wantz (1-0, 5.51) vs. LHP Aaron Rozek (2-0, 3.13)

TODAY'S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the St. Paul Saints are set to play the second of a six-game series at Principal Park today...right-hander Andrew Wantz is slated to make his sixth outing of the season (third start)...left-hander Aaron Rozek will start for St. Paul.

FIRST OF THE SERIES: The I-Cubs dropped the series opener last night to the St. Paul Saints by a 7-4 score...outfielder Brett Bateman went 4-for-4 with two runs, two doubles and a walk... Moises Ballesteros went 2-for-5 with a run and two doubles... Paul Campbell and Jayden Murray each worked 3.0 scoreless innings with Campbell having five strikeouts...the I-Cubs are 6-10 in series-opening games this season.

TRI: Chicago Cubs' No. 8 prospect James Triantos has hit safely in 17 of his last 20 games and is batting .346 (27-for-78) during that span...Tri ranks among International League leaders in hits (T-3rd) and batting average (10th) during the stretch...Triantos currently ranks among the International League leaders on the season in hits (T-3rd, 93) and doubles (T-4th, 20)...just two other players match Triantos' 93 hits and 17 stolen bases this season, Nashville's Luis Lara and Gwinnett's Jim Jarvis.

BATEMAN!: I-Cubs outfielder Brett Bateman went 4-for-4 last night, the first time he has done so in a game in his professional career and reached base five times in a game for the second time this season, last doing so with three hits and two walks on June 27 versus Buffalo...Brett has reached base safely in 21 of his last 26 games, including a season high 11-game hitting streak from June 6-19...since June 1, Bateman is batting .333 (34-for-102) with eight doubles, one triple, one home run, nine RBI and 20 walks...Brett had two doubles last night for the first time in his career...he currently ranks second in the International League in on-base percentage (.430) and tied for fifth in walks (51).

RARE OCCURRENCE: Friday night, BJ Murray had his second game of the season in which he had a triple and a home run...just five players for the I-Cubs have had two such games in a season since 2005, Murray (2026), Jonathon Long (2025), Brett Jackson (2012), Andres Torres (2008) and Scott McClain (2005).

LONG BALL: Saturday night, 2025 Cubs' Minor League Player of the Year Jonathon Long hit his ninth home run of the season as part of a two-hit night...marked his fifth home run in his last 16 games and his 29th as an I-Cub...over the last two seasons, Long's 243 hits is the most of any International League player and his .837 OPS ranks third.

WHAT A RELIEF: I-Cubs reliever Jayden Murray tossed 3.0 scoreless innings last night with two strikeouts...Murray has not allowed a run dating back to May 27 with Triple-A Sugar Land vs. Oklahoma City...in those seven scoreless appearances, Murray has tossed 10.0 innings and allowed just three hits with 11 strikeouts...the seven-game scoreless streak is tied for longest by an I-Cub this season, along with Antoine Kelly.

BJ BALLIN': I-Cubs infielder BJ Murray is batting .400 (28-for-70) with four doubles, three triples, five home runs and nine RBI in his last 17 games...BJ has reached base in 22 straight games, which is the fifth-longest active streak in the International League and the second-longest by an I-Cub this season, trailing Kevin Alcántara's 35-game streak...Murray tallied his sixth triple of the season Friday night, becoming the first Iowa Cub since John Andreoli (8) in 2017 to have at least six triples in a season...Murray currently leads the International League in batting average (.331), hits (97) and ranks among leaders in triples (T-1st, 6), OPS (2nd, .987), total bases (3rd, 164) and on-base percentage (3rd, .427).

CADET KELLY: I-Cubs Reliever Antoine Kelly pitched two scoreless innings of relief on Sunday, lowering his ERA to 0.71 since joining the I-Cubs...Kelly earned his first win as an Iowa Cub Thursday night...in eight appearances with Iowa, he has pitched 12.2 innings, allowing one run on eight hits one home run) and striking out 13 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 extended his hitting streak to a season-high eight games last night after going 1-for-4...Miller reached base five times Thursday night, going 3-for-3 with two walks and two RBI...it marked 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 12 games, Miller is batting .431 (22-for-51) with 11 runs scored, four doubles, three triples, two home runs and 14 RBI...Miller scored a run in six consecutive games, which ended on Sunday...it is tied for third-longest such streak by an I-Cub this season, trailing Chas McCormick who scored in eight straight games from April 11-22...Miller is currently tied with I-Cubs teammate B.J. Murray for the most triples (6) in the International League.

AGAINST ST. PAUL: The I-Cubs and the St. Paul Saints are meeting for the second time this season and first time at Principal Park...they met in at CHS Field in St. Paul on April 28-May 3, where the Saints won the series 4-2.

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