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April 21 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs at Buffalo Bisons

April 21, 2023 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (11-4) @ BUFFALO BISONS (6-11)

Friday - 5:05 PM CT - Sahlen Field - Buffalo, NY

RHP Nick Neidert (1-1, 5.23) vs. RHP Luke Bard (0-0, 3.86)

TONIGHT'S GAME: After sweeping the twin bill yesterday, the I-Cubs will look to keep their winning ways going against Buffalo as the teams take the field for the fourth game of the six game series. With a win in tonight's contest Iowa will match their longest winning streak of the season at four games. Nick Neidert gets the starting nod for Iowa and will make his fourth start of the season. Neidert will be looking to carry some momentum from his last outing, where he earned his first win on the year, into tonight. In that performance the right-hander tossed five innings versus Omaha and allowed just one run off four hits to go along with a pair of strikeouts. The Bisons will send out right-hander Luke Bard to face the Iowa bats. Bard has appeared in four games for Buffalo so far in 2023 making two relief outings and two starts for a record of 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA. Bard has just thrown a total of 7.0 innings over his four appearances with his longest outing going 3.0 innings his last time out on April 15 against Rochester. On the year, Bard has allowed three earned runs on seven hits and has yet to give up a home run. He has also recorded 12 strikeouts compared to just one walk.

GIVE ME MOREL: I-Cubs utility man and leadoff hitter Christopher Morel has been on a tear at the plate so far in 2023 and is currently on a nine-game hitting streak coming into tonight's contest. Morel extended his hitting streak by hitting a home run in game one of yesterday's doubleheader and followed with a leadoff double in game two. The nine-game hitting streak sets a new mark for the longest hitting streak by an I-Cub this season. Nelson Velazquez had the previous mark of an eight-game hitting streak from March 31-April 9. Over the course of his hitting streak, which started on April 8 against St. Paul, Morel has posted a .371 average, 10 runs scored, 13 total hits, five doubles, four home runs, 10 RBI, and a .857 slugging percentage. The 23-year-old still has quite a few games to catch the longest hitting streak in I-Cubs history, which is set at 33 games by two different players, Mike Squires in 1978 and Steve Staggs in 1977.

NEAR NO-NO'S: The I-Cubs pitching was in elite form during yesterday's doubleheader as they had no-hit bids going into the seventh inning in both games. However, both opportunities were squandered. Game one starter Roenis Elías had his no-hit bid broken up with one out in the bottom of the seventh as former I-Cub Wynton Bernard doubled to left field. In game two, it was a combined effort from the I-Cubs pitching staff with starter Riley Thompson and reliever Vinny Nittoli not allowing a hit, but Otto Lopez poked a pinch-hit single through the left side off Anthony Kay to put an end to that chance. The last time Iowa recorded a seven-inning no-hitter was in the first game of a doubleheader on July 11, 2021, versus St. Paul with a combined effort from Justin Steele (3.2 IP), Scott Effross (1.1 IP), and Dillon Maples (2.0 IP).

DÉJÀ VU: Although Iowa has come away with wins in the first three games of the six-game series with Buffalo, two of those have come down to pressure situations in the final inning. In the first game of the series on Wednesday, the I-Cubs held on to a 1-0 victory after Manuel Rodriguez produced a game-ending 4-6-3 double play with the bases loaded. In the second game of yesterday's doubleheader the Cubs were on the ropes once again in a bases loaded situation in the bottom of the seventh, but Cam Sanders came through with a clutch strikeout to preserve the 3-2 victory.

SERVING UP QUALITY: With his outstanding pitching performance in game one of yesterday's doubleheader, Roenis Elías recorded the first quality start for Iowa on the 2023 season. The veteran left-hander earned his second win of the season to improve his record to 2-0 with his impressive stat line of 6.1 innings, one hit allowed, two earned runs allowed, two walks allowed, and two strikeouts against the Bisons. Elías did have a no-hitter going into the bottom of the seventh, but it was eventually broken up on a one-out double to left field by Wynton Bernard. The last I-Cubs pitcher to record a quality start was Wyatt Short, which came on September 21, 2022, in a 6-3 win against Omaha.

THREE'S COMPANY: For the third time this season Iowa blasted three long balls in game. Christopher Morel, Matt Mervis, and Mike Tauchman all sent homers over the fence in game one during yesterday's doubleheader. Morel got things going with a solo opposite field shot in the third, while Mervis and Tauchman each hit two-run bombs in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively. Morel and Mervis rank one and two in home runs on the I-Cubs with Morel hitting five and Mervis right behind with four. Tauchman's homer was his second on the season.

AGAINST BUFFALO: Iowa and Buffalo will lace up their cleats for just one game tonight following their doubleheader yesterday. The I-Cubs have taken all three games that have been played in the scheduled six-game series. By going two-for-two in games yesterday, Iowa improved to 53-61 on the road and 116-107 all-time against Buffalo. With three road wins under their belt already against the Bisons, the I-Cubs have passed their road win mark against Buffalo from a season ago where they went 2-4.

SHORT HOPS: The I-Cubs had their first ejection in the second game of their doubleheader yesterday as relief pitcher Anthony Kay was tossed by home plate umpire Matt Bates for arguing balls and strikes...Cam Sanders earned his first save on the season as he closed the door to help Iowa secure the 3-2 win in game two fo the doubleheader yesterday...Riley Thompson earned a career milestone with his first win at the Triple-A level after tossing five scoreless and hitless innings against the Bisons in game two yesterday...Iowa tossed a seven-inning one-hitter in game two yesterday, the first since August 15, 2017, in game one of a doubleheader versus the Colorado Springs Sky Sox...By hitting three homers in game one, Iowa improved to 4-0 on the road when they send one over the fence...Although the season is young, the I-Cubs have not won a Friday road contest yet with a mark of 0-1 in 2023.

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