PCL1 Iowa Cubs

Z's Clip Cubs with Walk-Off Homer

Published on July 30, 2012 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Iowa Cubs News Release


Metairie, LA - Rob Brantley's three-run, pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifted the New Orleans Zephyrs (58-51) to a 6-3 win over the Iowa Cubs (42-67) at Zephyr Field tonight. It was the Cubs' second walk-off loss on a three-run homer on this road trip and the third of the year. The Cubs have had eight walk-off losses and lost 12 times in their opponents' final at-bat this year. The Zephyrs lead this series 2-0 and lead the season series 7-3.

The Zephyrs scored first tonight on an RBI groundout by Mike Cervenak in the top of the first inning. That was the only scoring for awhile as starters Rodrigo Lopez for the Cubs and Brad Hand for the Zephyrs were hitting their spots early. The two combined for 10 strikeouts in the first three innings. Hand struck out the side in the top of the third and when two of three Zephyrs were called out on strikes in the bottom of the third inning, Zephyrs' hitting coach Damon Minor was ejected for expressing his displeasure with strike zone.

The Zephyrs extended their lead with an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth. Hand led off with a single and Kevin Mattison followed with a drag bunt hit. Hand was able to go to third when Lopez tried to flip the bunt with his glove, and flipped it over the head of Josh Vitters at first base for an error. With Gil Velazquez at the plate, Mattison was caught off first base in a rundown play, but the Cubs didn't record an out as Hand got back to third ahead of a throw behind him once Mattison was headed back to first. That would've been a key out as Lopez struck out Velazquez and then got Chris Coghlan to flyout to left-center. Rather than ending the inning, that fly ball turned into a sacrifice fly as Hand tagged and scored.

The Cubs got going offensively in the top of the seventh. Hand walked Brett Jackson and then turned the game over to Evan Reed in relief. After Jackson stole second, Welington Castillo blasted a home run to centerfield that tied the game at two. It was Castillo's sixth home run of the season. With one out, Matt Tolbert hit a sharp ground ball down the right field line. Cervenak made a diving stop and flipped to Reed at first, but Reed dropped the ball for an error and Tolbert was safe. Pinch-hitter Blake Lalli followed with a line drive to the gap in right-center. Coghlan ran it down and got a glove on it to keep it from going to the wall, but could only knock it down. While Coghlan recovered, Tolbert raced around to score and Lalli ended up at second. Coghlan was charged with a tough error and the play was ruled a single with no RBI, but the Cubs led 3-2. The Zephyrs turned to Gary Glover and he was able to get out of the inning. Glover, an I-Cub in 2004, worked through the ninth without allowing a run.

Ryan Rowland-Smith pitched a scoreless sixth inning and Esmailin Caridad blanked the Zephyrs in the seventh and eighth to set up Michael Bowden for a save opportunity in the bottom of the ninth. Chase Lambin led off with a single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter Jeff Dominguez. Lambin went to third as Mattison beat out a slow chopper to second for an infield hit. Velazquez followed with a ground ball to third base. Diory Hernandez fielded the ball and threw home in time to cut down Lambin for the second out of the inning, but Bowden would walk Coghlan and Velazquez to force in the tying run before getting out of the inning.

Robert Ray set down the Cubs in order in the top of the 10th before Jay Jackson came in to pitch in the bottom of the frame. Chris Aguila led off with a double to the gap in right-center. After a strikeout, Lambin walked and the Zephyrs brought Brantley off the bench to pinch-hit for Ray. In his fifth game with the Zephyrs since getting acquired in a trade from the Detroit Tigers, Brantley connected on his first homer in a Zephyrs' uniform to give his team the victory.

Jackson (2-6) suffered his first loss in relief this season. Ray (1-1) picked up the win. Bowden was charged with his second blown save. The Cubs also lost the first game of this road trip on a three-run, walk-off homer by Jerry Sands that broke a 7-7 tie on July 20 at Albuquerque. The Cubs lost 4-3 on June 5 at Oklahoma City on a three-run, walk-off homer by former I-Cub Brad Snyder. Jackson is the sixth different Cubs' pitcher to suffer a walk-off loss this year.

The Cubs are now 1-9 on this road trip with two games left to play. This series continues tomorrow night at 7:00. LH Chris Rusin (7-7, 5.20) will start for the Cubs against RH Elih Villanueva (7-5, 3.89) for the Zephyrs. The game will be broadcast live on AM 940 with the Pre-Game Show starting at 6:40.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 30, 2012


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