IL Iowa Cubs

April 19 Game Notes: Iowa at Louisville

April 19, 2022 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (6-5) vs. LOUISVILLE BATS (3-9)

Tuesday - 6:05 PM ET - Louisville Slugger Field - Louisville, KY

RHP Robert Gsellman (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Randy Wynne (0-1, 3.38)

TONIGHT'S GAME: In their first game at Louisville Slugger Field, Iowa will send out Robert Gsellman for his second start. Gsellman is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA this year, pitching in two games so far. The righty has struck out four batters over four innings without allowing a single base runner entering tonight's start. Opposite of Gsellman will be right-hander Randy Wynne toeing the rubber for the Bats. Wynne enters the game 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA and will be making his first ever start against Iowa. He has gone five or more innings in each of his first two starts this year. In his first start against St. Paul, Wynne spun five innings of five-hit ball, allowing just a solo home run. His last time out against Omaha, he threw 5.2 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and another home run. In that outing, he walked one batter and struck out seven.

PITCH PERFECT: Robert Gsellman is set to take the ball for Iowa tonight in his second start and third appearance of the season. Gsellman, who entered the year 176 games of Major League experience, has been lights-out for the I-Cubs so far. In his first outing of the year, he tossed a perfect inning in Buffalo, striking out one and putting all three hitters away on just ten pitches. He impressed again on Tuesday against Toledo, completing three more perfect innings in his first start of 2022. So far for Iowa, Gsellman has tossed four innings and struck out four batters on just 43 total pitches without allowing a baserunner.

DOWN BUT NOT OUT: After their latest victory over Toledo on Saturday, Iowa has now registered four comeback wins and two walk-off victories. Despite trailing at one point in every game they played against the Mud Hens, Iowa took the series, winning four of the five games the two teams played. They had two walk-off wins against Toledo, including Saturday's extra-inning game when Donnie Dewees collected his third hit of the game in the bottom of the 10th inning to bring home the winning run for Iowa. Dewees went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI on Saturday. His three hits doubled his season total entering the game and raised his average on the year to .316 (6-for-19), good for the team lead. In 2021, the I-Cubs had 22 comeback wins and 5 walk-off wins.

MAKE THEM COUNT: Just one day after collecting his first multi-hit game of the season, Jared Young added another two-hit day in Saturday's finale against Toledo. He went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI, giving him sole possession of the team lead with eight runs batted in so far this season. Like most of Iowa's lineup, Young got off to a fairly slow start in Buffalo, and left the first series hitting just .154 (2-for-13). With the boost from his multi-hit games, however, he arrives in Louisville with a .250 average (7-for-28). Though his seven hits are tied for third on the active roster, he leads the group in both home runs (3) and extra-base hits (4).

RIVAS RETURNS: Alfonso Rivas will make his 2022 Iowa debut this week in Louisville after being optioned by Chicago on Saturday. The infielder broke camp with the Cubs as part of their Opening Day roster and went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI in two games before his departure for Triple-A. Last season for the I-Cubs, Rivas hit .284 (56-for-197) with 32 RBI in 58 games. In July, his only complete month on the roster, he led the team in hits (27), total bases (45), doubles (6), RBI (17), and walks (19) and tied for the lead in home runs with four. Rivas reached base safely in 51 of 58 games he played for Iowa in 2021 and recorded the longest hitting streak (12) and the longest on-base streak (26) by an I-Cub last season.

LIMIT THE DAMAGE: Iowa is ranked 26th in the entire Triple-A with 15 errors this season, including two in their last game against Toledo on Saturday. They have committed at least one error in seven of the 11 games they have played this season, good for 64%. Coming into tonight's game, the I-Cubs have at least one error in each of their last four games and have not gone back-to-back games without an error all year. Oddly enough, having one error has not hurt the I-Cubs yet this year, winning more games when they commit one error than when they make none. On the season, Iowa is 3-0 when committing one error and 1-2 when they have none. On Saturday, they got their first win when committing two errors, moving their record to 1-3 with two errors. In their first win of the season (8-4 over Buffalo), Iowa made four errors, moving their record to 1-0 on the year when they commit three or more errors.

AGAINST LOUISVILLE: Iowa is set to make their first trip ever to Louisville Slugger Field to take on the Louisville Bats for a six-game series. The two teams played in the American Association back in 1996, but Louisville Slugger Field didn't open until 2000. Before last year, 1996 was the last time the two teams met, and last year Louisville just came to Iowa for one six-game series. In that six-game series at Principal Park last year, the I-Cubs and Bats split the series 3-3, while Iowa holds the all-time record over Louisville by just two games at 13-11. Iowa is 10-5 against Louisville at home and 3-6 on the road entering this series.

SHORT HOPS: Tonight will mark the first time Iowa will play at Louisville Slugger Field and the first time they will visit Louisville since 1996 when they were a Cardinals affiliate in the American Association...in a spot-start on Saturday against Toledo, Matt Dermody spun 4.2 innings, marking the longest start this year for an I-Cubs pitcher.

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