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Knoxville Smokies beat Barons 7-4 as Jefferson Rojas delivers again
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Sports/The Apex Times/Jun 7, 9:18 PM EDT

Knoxville Smokies beat Barons 7-4 as Jefferson Rojas delivers again

A Sunday two-run swing from Cubs prospect Jefferson Rojas helped the Smokies secure a series win over Birmingham and tighten the Southern League North race.

By The Apex Times Newsroom3 min readAI-assisted Apex article

The Knoxville Smokies held on Sunday to defeat the Birmingham Barons 7-4 at Covenant Health Park, and in the process kept their grip on the upper tier of the Southern League North Division. After Birmingham took a 3-2 lead in the third inning, Jefferson Rojas answered with a two-run home run to flip momentum back to Knoxville. The win also capped a turnaround in the six-game set, with the Smokies dropping the first two contests before winning four straight to finish the series.

Brooks Caple earned the victory for Knoxville, pitching five complete innings and striking out seven while allowing three earned runs on five hits. Knoxville’s offense kept pressure on Birmingham throughout the middle innings, turning a short Barons advantage into a lead they did not relinquish. The result left Birmingham on the outside of the division’s playoff picture, while Knoxville improved its standing in a race that has tightened as the first-half schedule moved deeper into June.

Rojas, a key piece of the Chicago Cubs’ minor-league system, has been one of the Smokies’ most reliable power sources. In an highlight package from June 7, Rojas was credited with posting a two-homer game for Double-A Knoxville. That ability to produce extra-base damage has been part of his development arc this season, and previously noted that as of May 6 he had already reached four homers with a.302/.380/.587 slash line and a.967 OPS in Double-A.

The Sunday win also carried division implications. A local report said the Smokies moved into a first-place tie in the Southern League North Division with the Chattanooga Lookouts after the result, putting Knoxville squarely in the conversation for the division’s top spot. The standings update later that night listed Knoxville at 30-26, 0.5 games behind Chattanooga, underscoring how narrow the margin has been in this division.

For the Cubs organization, the venue matters less than the trajectory. Double-A Knoxville is where the organization tests whether top-end prospects can combine power with consistency against more advanced pitching, and Rojas has shown signs of handling that jump. wrote earlier this spring that Rojas struggled at Double-A last season but began shaping an improved start in 2026, and Sunday’s production added another chapter to that shift.

Next, Knoxville will leave home for a six-game road series against the Montgomery Biscuits, with the opener scheduled for Tuesday. The Smokies then plan to return to Covenant Health Park the following week to welcome the Lookouts, a matchup that is already shaping up as a key barometer for where the North Division standings will settle. If Knoxville wants to keep its place near the top, it will likely need Rojas to keep turning at-bats into extra bases while its starting pitching continues to deliver innings the way Caple did on Sunday.

Why It Matters

  • Rojas’ power has been a swing factor for Double-A Knoxville as the Smokies push toward the top of the Southern League North.
  • The Smokies’ ability to win a series after an early slide (losing the first two games) indicates steadier play as the division race tightens.
  • Sunday’s result kept Knoxville within striking distance of Chattanooga, where standings are being decided by small margins.
  • For the Cubs’ player-development pipeline, performances like Rojas’ reinforce whether a top prospect can deliver extra-base production consistently at Double-A.
  • The upcoming road trip and the imminent home series with Chattanooga create near-term tests for Knoxville’s position in the North.

Sources

Key Facts

  • The Knoxville Smokies defeated the Birmingham Barons 7-4 on Sunday, June 7, 2026 at Covenant Health Park.
  • Jefferson Rojas hit a two-run home run in the third inning to put Knoxville back in front.
  • Brooks Caple earned the win, pitching five innings with seven strikeouts and three earned runs allowed.
  • Knoxville dropped the first two games of the series but won four of the final six overall.
  • A local report said the win moved Knoxville into a first-place tie in the Southern League North, while standings late Sunday showed Knoxville 30-26, 0.5 games behind Chattanooga.
  • Next for Knoxville is a six-game road series against the Montgomery Biscuits starting Tuesday, followed by a home series against the Chattanooga Lookouts beginning June 16.