Big Innings Help Aces Trump Cubs
August 21, 2014 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Iowa Cubs News Release
Reno, NV - The Reno Aces (71-61) scored four runs in the sixth inning and six runs in the eighth inning to beat the Iowa Cubs (67-66) 11-4 at Aces Ballpark on Wednesday night. The Cubs have lost six straight games, matching the team's longest losing streak of the season. With 11 games left in the regular season, the Cubs are three games behind Omaha for first place and one game back of Oklahoma City for second place in the American Northern Division.
The Aces scored a run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI double by Andy Marte and had runners on the corners with one out, but Cubs' starter Eric Jokisch got Mike Jacobs to hit into an inning-ending double play. Jokisch struck out four and didn't allow another run until the sixth inning.
The Cubs scored all four of their runs in the top of the third inning. With one out, Jokisch singled. CF Junior Lake followed with a slow ground ball in the hole on the left side. SS Nick Ahmed fielded, but fired wide of second for an error as Jokisch advanced. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. 2B Logan Watkins brought in one run with a groundout. 3B Kris Bryant followed with a home run over the center field wall that gave the Cubs a 3-1 lead. It was Bryant's 19th home run with Iowa and his 41st overall this year. With the blast, he regained the top spot in the minor league home run race. LF Manny Ramirez followed with a double and scored on a triple by C Rafael Lopez to cap the rally.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Aces has the bases loaded and one out when Jacobs singled to drive in the first run and knock Jokisch out of the game. Jokisch had been visited earlier in the inning about a blister problem on his pitching hand and he failed to finish the sixth inning for just the sixth time in 25 starts. RH Marcos Mateo came in and allowed a sacrifice fly, hit a batter, and walked former Cub Brett Jackson on four pitches to force in the tying run. He was also visited about a blister problem and had to leave the game after three batters. RH Yoanner Negrin came in and pinch-hitter Danny Dorn greeted him with a sacrifice fly to give the Aces a 5-4 lead before Negrin got out of the inning.
Negrin pitched 2.1 innings before running into trouble in the eighth. Former Cub Ronny Cedeno led off with an infield single. After a strikeout, Jackson and pinch-hitter Zach Borenstein connected on back-to-back homers to extend the Aces lead to 8-4. It was Jackson's first home run in four games with Reno since the Cubs traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Negrin allowed a walk, a hit, and threw two wild pitches before Garrett Weber knocked him out of the game with an RBI double. RH Marcus Hatley gave up an RBI double to Jacobs before getting out of the inning.
Four Aces relievers combined to scatter five hits over the final four innings. RH Jess Todd (7-2) worked a scoreless sixth and earned the win. RH Zeke Spruill struck out four in two innings. The eighth-inning rally kept Jake Barrett out of a save situation, but he finished off the ninth. Jokisch (9-10) suffered his second straight loss.
The Cubs also lost 1B Josh Vitters to injury in the game. He led off the top of the sixth inning with a single down the left field line. He was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double and injured his right ring finger reaching back for second base after an awkward slide.
The Cubs and Aces will continue this series on Thursday night at 9:05 PM Central time. RH Dan Straily (7-6, 4.06) will start for the Cubs against RH Mike Bolsinger (8-3, 3.77) for the Aces. The game will be broadcast live on AM 940, 104.5 FM, and streamed live at iowacubs.com, with the On-Deck Circle Pre-Game Show starting at 8:40 PM.
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