Cubs Minor League News: Amaya, Triantos shine but Iowa drops opener

Ray Acevedo - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 11 hours ago

It's hard to believe that after playing roughly 600 Minor League games this season, it's all about to come to an end as the final six games of the Minor League season are set to take place this week, with the Iowa Cubs once again being the center of attention. This is something that hasn't happened since way back in March, as the next week will be interesting, as several AAA players are vying for a potential late-season roster spot to try and land on the postseason roster.

Tuesday didn't go as planned for Iowa, as they opened their series with the Toledo Mud Hens on a negative note, losing 8-4. Making what could be his final start of the 2025 campaign was left-hander Jordan Wicks, who, from all accounts, has put together a very good 2025 season.

Wicks was touched up early, allowing three runs in the first inning, but that was it, as he gave the Cubs three innings of three-run baseball, his ERA sitting at 3.55 for the season. He walked two and struck out three in his outing, and now the question becomes whether or not the Cubs will add him to their bullpen for the final week of the season.

Toledo couldn't have asked for a better start to the game as they put immediate pressure on Wicks to load the bases only to have Max Anderson clear them with one swing as his RBI double gave the Mud Hens an early 3-0 lead. With Randy Dobnak on the mound, the Mud Hens had to like their chances to keep the lead, but with Miguel Amaya cashing in with an RBI single in the third to pull the Cubs within 3-1, this game was far from over.

For Amaya, he has been rehabbing an ankle injury for the better part of the past month, and should he prove he is ready to roll come the postseason, you have to think he will find a way onto the playoff roster, given how he performed at the MLB level this season. One inning after getting on the board, it was the Cubs' offense taking over in the fourth as they chased Dobnak after just 3 1/3 innings on the mound.

What started with a Chase Strumpf RBI double that pulled the Cubs within 3-2 was followed by another big Rafael Morel hit as his two-run single capped off a three-run inning as the Cubs took the lead 4-3. Little did they know, his single would be the final run of the night for the Cubs, as it was going to come down to their pen to hold the lead.

Still trailing by that score in the sixth, it was the Mud Hens who had the answers as they began to tee off on right-hander Antonio Santos. Sure, walking five batters in less than two innings doesn't help as Santos had no feel for any of his pitches. When he did find the strike zone, it was the Mud Hens offense that did the damage, as former Cub Gage Workman, yes, the same Workman that the Cubs released in May, unloaded for a three-run shot, as the Mud Hens took the lead for good, 6-4.

Toledo added another run later in the sixth off a bases loaded walk as they used a four-run frame to retake the lead and never looked back. Command was an issue for most of the Cubs pitchers, including Tyson Miller, who took over for Santos and proceeded to walk three hitters in his 1 1/3 innings of work. Miller was also touched up by Anderson, who connected for a solo shot in the seventh to cap off the scoring as the Mud Hens took down the Cubs 8-4.

Iowa connected for 11 hits in the loss as James Triantos led the way with three. Iowa also saw Nicky Lopez add two hits from the leadoff spot as the offense continues to play well enough, but the pitching has been an issue.