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April 16 Game Notes: Iowa vs. Toledo

April 16, 2022 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (5-5) vs. TOLEDO MUD HENS (3-7)

Saturday - 3:08 PM - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA

LHP Matt Dermody (1-0, 1.93) vs. RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez (0-0, 0.00)

TODAY'S GAME: Iowa will go for their first series win of the season today, sending Matt Dermody to the mound for his first start of the year. Dermody has made two appearances for Iowa this year, both out of the bullpen. The lefty is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA, allowing one earned run on three hits over 4.2 innings of work. Toeing the rubber for Toledo will be right-hander Nivaldo Rodriguez. Rodriguez is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA through two starts this year, allowing no runs over his 9.1 innings pitched. He has allowed 10 hits and two walks, but pitched around them enough with eight strikeouts to not allow a single run to cross the plate.

A GOOD START: Though Iowa has not received much length from their starters so far this season, they have received some quality performances this week against Toledo. In four games, their starters have combined for 14 innings and just one earned run. That works out to a dominant ERA of 0.64 for the group this series. The four of them have allowed just five hits - all singles - and five walks while registering 11 strikeouts against the Mud Hens. All told, the Mud Hens have hit just .109 (5-for-46) against Iowa's starters through the first four games.

GRAND SLAM: Jared Young made the difference in last night's game, knocking out a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth to complete Iowa's comeback. It was the second grand slam of the season for the I-Cubs, joining Donnie Dewees' blast in the home opener on Tuesday, and the first of Young's professional career. Combined with his first-inning double, it also boosted the infielder to his first multi-hit and multi-RBI games of the season, and marked the fourth game in his career with four or more RBI. In 42 games with the I-Cubs over two seasons, Young had collected seven home runs, but none with more than one runner on until last night. The early season power also continues a recent trend for Iowa teams; the 2021 I-Cubs hit four grand slams in their first 29 games, the 2019 team hit four in their first 28 games, and the 2017 team hit five in their first 21 games.

THE SWARM: Matt Swarmer threw another four innings of relief last night, earning his first win of the season. It was his third relief appearance of the season, tossing 3.2 innings once and 4.0 innings each of the other two times out. On the year, Swarmer is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in three games. His 0.00 ERA is tied for first in the International League and leads the league in innings pitched, with 11.2. The righty has allowed just six hits and six walks while striking out 11. He has held opponents to a batting average of .146, good for ninth in the IL. His fifth and final strikeout of the night last night marked Iowa's 100th of the year.

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Dixon Machado collected two more hits in last night's game, including an RBI double that tied the game in the eighth inning. Machado now leads the I-Cubs roster in several offensive categories, including average (.321), hits (9), on-base percentage (.441) and multi-hit games (3). Since he switched to the leadoff spot, the infielder has gone 9-for-25 with two doubles, eight runs scored, and a league-leading seven stolen bases.

ONE IS OKAY: Iowa has 13 errors this season, including one last night. Oddly enough, one error has not hurt the I-Cubs this year, and they have actually won more games when they make one error compared to when they make none. On the year, Iowa is 3-0 when committing one error and the team is 1-2 when committing none. When having three or more errors, the team hasn't won a game, going 0-3.

PITCH ALL NINE: For the first time all season, Iowa pitched a ninth inning last night and did not allow a run to score. Before last night's game, the I-Cubs had allowed at least one run to score in all five games in which they had played a ninth inning. They also ended their three-game streak of allowing a home run in the ninth inning. Despite keeping them to no runs last night in the final frame, the Mud Hens have still scored seven of their 16 runs (44%) against Iowa in the ninth inning this series. 10 of Iowa's 36 total runs allowed this season have come in the ninth inning, accounting for 28%. In their first win of the year against Buffalo they allowed two runs in the ninth and surrendered one in their second win of that series. So far in this series, they gave up three runs on Tuesday, one on Wednesday and three more on Thursday night. The 10 runs they have allowed in the ninth are three more than any other inning, allowing seven in the fourth inning.

AGAINST TOLEDO: With their two wins to start the series, Iowa had more wins at home in 2022 against Toledo than they did in all of 2021. With their win last night, matched the total number of wins they had all year last year against Toledo. Today, the I-Cubs will go for the series win, something they didn't accomplish last year against Toledo in the two series they played. With the 5-1 win in last night's game, Iowa moved to 4-6 against the Mud Hens here at Principal Park and 6-10 overall in the last two years. Iowa will face off with Toledo 21 total times this season, tied for second most games against an opponent in 2022.

SHORT HOPS: All three wins against Toledo have been comeback victories for the I-Cubs...with four more hits and Jared Young's grand slam, Iowa has now tied their hit total (30) and home run total (5) from the first series against Buffalo.

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