Cubs Split Doubleheader with Isotopes
Published on April 20, 2011 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Iowa Cubs News Release
The Cubs and Isotopes split a pair of seven-inning games on a chilly afternoon at Principal Park. The weather figured to favor the pitchers, which held true as all four starting pitchers recorded quality starts. Albuquerque starter John Ely fell one out short of making history with a no-hitter.
In game one of the doubleheader, Iowa got on the board first in the fourth inning. Scott Moore was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game by starting pitcher Dana Eveland with two outs and would come around to score when Marquez Smith doubled to left.
Albuquerque responded in the top of the fifth. Cubs starter Austin Bibens-Dirkx walked his counterpart Eveland to load the bases on four pitches. Dee Gordon tied the game with an RBI sac fly scoring Trayvon Robinson from third.
That would be the only run the Isotopes would plate the rest of the game as Bibens-Dirkx had his best outing of the season, going six innings, giving up two hits and the one run, while walking three and striking out nine. His nine strikeouts were the most by an I-Cubs pitcher since Casey Fossum tallied the same total on Aug. 29, 2009 vs. Oklahoma City.
The Cubs added some insurance in the bottom half of the fifth with some more two-out magic. Tony Campana lined a double just over the head of Russ Mitchell at third base, and Lou Montanez drove him in with a full count triple to deep left center. Montanez would finish 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Bobby Scales added an RBI hustle-double, his tenth, to right center which extended his hitting streak to ten games. His streak would come to an end in game two where he went 0-for-1 with two walks. Scales' RBI in the fifth put the Cubs up at 3-1.
Iowa reliever Chris Carpenter escaped trouble after walking two in the top of the seventh inning by inducing a line drive double-play to end the game. He earned his first save of the year.
Albuquerque starting pitcher Dana Eveland (2-1) was the tough luck loser, pitching a complete game (six innings), giving up three runs on five hits, while walking two and striking out eight.
Game two featured another complete game effort by an Isotopes starting pitcher; this time it was John Ely on the mound. While he had appeared to have some control issues early, walking two in the first two innings, he showed pinpoint accuracy at times with his strikeout pitch. Ely entered the seventh and final inning with a no-hitter in tact.
The 'Topes scored a run in the fourth inning after a leadoff walk to Justin Sellers came back to haunt Cubs starter Robert Coello. Sellers scored on a double to Corey Smith, but Coello would escape the inning with no further damage.
In the fifth, Coello again surrendered a free pass to start the inning, this time by hitting Wilberto Ortiz with a pitch. A strikeout and sacrifice bunt had Coello poised to escape another jam, but Trayvon Robinson smacked a two-out two-run home run to left and put the Istotopes up 3-0.
Three runs proved to be plenty for Albuquerque and Ely. He navigated through six innings without surrendering an Iowa hit. Ely looked to kick into an extra gear as the completion of the no-hitter was in his sights in the bottom of the seventh inning. He struck out Bryan LaHair to lead off the inning, and set down Bobby Scales with another strike out. The potential final batter, Marquez Smith, grounded a sharp double just inside the third base bag and broke up the no-hit bid for Ely. He would go on to record the final out with the next batter.
Ely pitched seven innings, striking out seven and walking four. He gave up just the one hit. Albuquerque has never had a no-hitter in its history.
Coello (1-2) pitched six innings, giving up three runs on four hits while striking out six and walking one.
Game three of the series is scheduled for Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. The first 1,500 fans will receive an Iowa Cubs stocking cap sponsored by MetaBank.
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