PCL1 Iowa Cubs

Cubs split doubleheader

Published on June 9, 2012 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Iowa Cubs News Release


DES MOINES, IA - The I-Cubs won in walk-off fashion for their second straight victory in the first game of tonight's doubleheader 4-3 against Nashville. Ty Wright ripped the game-winning hit for the second straight night, with an RBI-single as the Cubs (27-33) rallied to defeat the Sounds (22-38) in the seventh.

Brett Jackson led off the final frame with a line drive up the middle, hitting safely in sixteen straight games. Tolbert laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, moving Jackson to second. Anthony Rizzo scorched a single to right, holding Jackson at third base, while Rizzo moved to second on the throw. Luis Valbuena was intentionally walked to load the bases, setting up a Josh Vitters RBI infield single to tie the game. Ty Wright then came through in the clutch, chopping a ground ball single between the five-six hole to score Rizzo for the victory.

Rodrigo Lopez tossed six innings of four-run ball, striking out six without surrendering a walk, recovering well from a shaky first. The Sounds (22-37) wasted no time, stringing together three straight hits to start the game and give them an early 1-0 lead. Lopez then retired the next two batters in order, getting a little help from his defense to complete a successful 2-4-3-6-2 rundown.

Luis Valbuena, hitting from the cleanup spot, lead off the second with his fifteenth double of the season. Josh Vitters followed up with a double of his own with a frozen rope down the left field line to drive in Valbuena, for his 31st RBI of the season.

Nashville regained the lead in the fourth when Andy Gonzalez drove in Logan Schafer, who started the inning with a single and a stolen base. Lopez buckled down again after letting up the run to retire the next two batters he faced.

Luis Valbuena responded with a solo shot to lead off the fourth inning, clearing the 400 ft. sign in straight away center field and tying the game at two. After Vitters lined out to Vargas, Wright and Sappelt reached on back-to-back errors by Nashville. Vargas then intentionally walked Juan Apodaca to load the bases, but the Cubs failed to produce another run in the inning.

The Sounds were a home run away from the cycle with two outs in the fifth, giving Nashville a two-run lead. Caleb Gindl started the two-out rally with his second double of the game. Nashville ripped three consecutive hits to score for the second time in the game.

Anthony Rizzo blasted his league-leading eighteenth home run of the season far beyond the 400 mark in center to bring the Cubs within one in the fifth. The round tripper extended Rizzo's hit streak to seven games. Josh Vitters, Luis Valbuena, and Ty Wright each hit doubles in the victory. Mike MacDougal worked his way out of trouble to pitch a scoreless seventh to pick up the win. Former I-Cub Jim Henderson was charged with the loss and the blown save.

IOWA OFFENSE SILENT IN LOSS

DES MOINES, IA - The Cubs (27-34) split their first doubleheader with the Sounds (23-38), falling 6-0 in game two, after game one's walk-off win. In Ryan Rowland-Smith first start of the season, the southpaw tossed four innings of one-run ball, surrendering just two hits and two walks while fanning four.

Rowland-Smith cruised through his first three innings of work, but ran into trouble in the fourth. After surrendering a hit in the first, the Aussie native retired eight straight Sounds before allowing two walks and a single. Hainley Statia hit a hot shot to third, driving in the game's first run on a 5-4 fielder's choice.

Iowa's offense was silent in game two, knocking just four hits, one being a double off of starter Rowland-Smith's bat. Brett Jackson (2-for-3) continued his hot hitting and has now reached safely in seventeen straight games after a line drive single to right in the third and a double to start the sixth. Anthony Rizzo snapped his seven-game hitting streak, going 0-for-3 in game two.

Michael Bowden struggled in his first appearance with the Iowa Cubs, surrendering two walk and a hit and recording only one out before leaving with the bases loaded. Jeff Beliveau inherited Bowden's runners, allowing all three to score. It was the first time the lefty reliever allowed an inherit run to count this season.

Rafael Dolis struck out the only two batters he faced. Juan Apodaca, game one's starting catcher, pitched the seventh surrendered one run on one hit and three walks.

Iowa and Nashville will play their second straight doubleheader tomorrow with game one scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. Brooks Raley is scheduled to start game one with Esmailin Caridad on the hill for his first start of the season in game two. The game will be broadcast live on AM 940 with the On Deck Circle Pre-Game Show starting at 5:10 p.m.

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