Don’t let the superficial numbers fool you on Cade Horton today. He was dominating.

A couple of moves to fill the hole left by the loss of Curt Casali. Catcher Caleb Knight was promoted to Triple-A Iowa from Tennessee. Catcher Wally Soto was promoted from Low-A Myrtle Beach to Double-A Tennessee.

Lowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs beat the Syracuse Mets, 10-4.

Cade Horton got his first Triple-A win after he allowed three runs on four hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out three. Horton had a no-hitter going after four innings when the BABIP gods struck in the fifth. Horton allowed three runs on four hits in the fifth, but three of the four hits were weak bloopers.

Horton threw threw 73 pitches and 53 of them were strikes.

Carl Edwards Jr. pitched the final 1.1 innings and got a save. Edwards got a strikeout to end the eighth inning and then gave up a single to lead off the ninth. Edwards then induced a double play and got a fly out to end the game.

For the fourth-straight game, left fielder Brennen Davis homered. This one came in the fourth inning and went 430 feet off the top of the scoreboard in Syracuse. It was a solo home run. Davis went 1 for 3 with a walk and a hit by pitch. He scored three times.

First baseman BJ Murray Jr. hit two home runs today. The first one was a two-run home run in the fourth and the second one was a solo home run in the sixth. Murray now has five home runs this year. Murray went 2 for 3 with two walks. He scored three times.

Finally, shortstop David Bote hit a solo home run in the seventh inning. Bote came a double shy of the cycle as he went 3 for 5 with a triple and the home run. He scored twice.

For the first time in his professional career, Owen Caissie played center field tonight. Caissie went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He drove in one run.

Second baseman Hayden Cantrelle collected his first two Triple-A hits this evening. Cantrelle went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. Cantrelle drove in three runs.

Right fielder Darius Hill was 2 for 5 and scored once.

Here’s Davis’ blast. You don’t want to miss this one.

Brennen Davis did thing home run thing…AGAIN

His fourth consecutive game with a long ball and this one goes 430 feet 😤 pic.twitter.com/a7vnszM7Si

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) May 16, 2024

Murray’s second home run. His first one was a fly ball that hugged the right field foul line and just went out.

BJ Murray Jr. getting in on the deep fly action with his second of the game! 💪 pic.twitter.com/f4gY3MghLG

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) May 17, 2024

And Bote’s blast.

It's a blast from David Bote! 👋

Make it four homers for the good guys on the night! pic.twitter.com/72hPCwukhV

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) May 17, 2024

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies took out the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 6-2.

Starter Kyle McGowin got his first Cubs win after he pitched six innings and allowed just two runs on five hits. McGowin walked two and struck out two.

Michael Arias had two scoreless innings of relief, giving up just one hit. He struck out one and walked no one.

The Smokies homered three times this evening. Catcher Moises Ballesteros got the party started with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. It was his fifth home run this year. Ballesteros was 1 for 4.

In the fourth inning, first baseman Haydn McGeary connected with a man on for his third home run on the year. McGeary went 1 for 3.

In the seventh inning, right fielder Ezequiel Pagan hit a solo home run, his fourth. Pagan went 1 for 3.

Center fielder Kevin Alcántara went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. He scored on Ballesteros’ home run in the first inning.

Ballesteros’ home run.

Back-to-back hits by Kevin Alcántara and Matt Shaw set up MLB's No. 94 prospect Moises Ballesteros (@Cubs) for his fifth homer of the season for @SmokiesBaseball: pic.twitter.com/xcyR5hkTNJ

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 16, 2024

McGeary’s home run.

Haydn McGeary sent this one to the moon! #NextStopWrigley #LastYearBestYear pic.twitter.com/Fi8Wtnxef6

— Tennessee Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) May 17, 2024

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were capped by the Ft. Wayne TinCaps (Padres), 5-1.

Luis Devers started and took the loss. Devers pitche four innings and allowed three runs on four hits. He struck out two and walked one.

South Bend had just three hits in this game. The one run came on a home run by first baseman Felix Stevens in the second inning. It was his eighth on the year. Stevens went 1 for 4.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were filibustered by the Fredericksburg Nationals, 5-2.

Kenten Egbert was dominating tonight, retiring the first 15 batters he faced. But guess what? He ended up getting the loss. A leadoff triple in the sixth inning broke up the perfect game and that runner then scored on a sac fly. He then walked a batter and he would come around to score on a ground out.

The final line on Egbert was two runs on one hit over 5.2 innings. He struck out four and walked one.

The Birds had five hits tonight and three of them came in consecutive at-bats in the bottom of the sixth inning. Second baseman Christian Olivo led off the inning with a single and left fielder Leonel Espinoza tripled him home. Next, third baseman Christopher Paciolla singled Espinoza home.

Olivo was 2 for 3. Espinoza and Paciolla were both 1 for 4.

Highlights:

ACL Cubs

Beat the Athletics, 4-2.