August 1 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. St. Paul Saints
August 1, 2024 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release
IOWA CUBS (43-61) vs. ST. PAUL SAINTS (52-51)
Thursday, August 1 - 6:38 PM CT - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA
RHP Brandon Birdsell (0-3, 7.43) vs. RHP Adam Plutko (5-1, 3.93)
TONIGHT'S GAME : The Iowa Cubs and St. Paul Saints play the third of a six-game series tonight at Principal Park...the series marks the third six-game set the two clubs have played this season following April 9-14 at St. Paul and June 25-30 in Des Moines...right-hander Brandon Birdsell is scheduled to make his 19th appearance (18th start) of the season and his fifth with Iowa...Birdsell went 4-4 with a 3.63 ERA (30 ER in 74.1 IP) in 15 outings (14 starts) with Double-A Tennessee before being promoted to the I-Cubs on July 10...right-hander Adam Plutko is slated to make his 12th appearance (11th) start of the season for the Saints.
AFTERNOON SHUTOUT : The I-Cubs dropped the second game of the series to St. Paul by a 11-0 score yesterday... Iowa starting pitcher Trey Supak suffered the loss as he worked 4.0 innings and allowed six runs on eight hits with three strikeouts...Daniel Palencia pitched 2.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen and struck out three... Gilberto Celestino, Jake Hager and Jack Reinheimer each tallied a double on offense.
BLANKED : Yesterday, Iowa was shut out for the fourth time this season following April 27-28 at Buffalo and June 19 at Indianapolis...the I-Cubs had not been shutout at home since a 6-0 loss to Toledo on Aug. 6, 2022.
HIT PARADE : The I-Cubs pitching staff snapped their streak of allowing 10 hits in six consecutive games Tuesday night as they surrendered eight hits ...it's tied for the longest such streak in the International League this season and the first time Iowa has done so since June 29-July 4, 2022 (85 hits)...the I-Cubs have not surrendered 10 hits in seven straight contests since June 3-June 10, 2007 (98 hits overall).
SIX-GAME SWEEP : Iowa was swept by the Indianapolis Indians in their last series from July 23-28 in which they were outscored 58-27 (-31)...it marked the first time the I-Cubs were swept in a six-game set since May 25-30, 2021 vs. these St. Paul Saints.
ALL THE SMALL THINGS: The I-Cubs suffered a one-run loss Tuesday night and fell to 21-16 in such games this season...Iowa has played the most one-run games in the International League during the 2024 campaign (37) ahead of next-closest Jacksonville (34).
EIGHT-GAME SKID : Iowa has lost eight straight games after being swept by Indy and dropping the first two games of the series vs. St. Paul...marks the first time Iowa has lost eight consecutive games since Sept. 23-Oct. 3, 2021 (also eight games) and is tied for the fifth-longest losing streak in the IL this season.
START THE STREAK : In yesterday's loss, Gilberto Celestino extended his hit streak to 10 games in which he is batting .341 (14-for-41)...it is tied for the third-longest active hitting streak in the International League this season.
THIS IS A HILLY AREA : In yesterday's loss, outfielder Darius Hill made his first professional pitcher appearance...he faced two batters with the first hitting a single and the next popping out to second...Hill became the second position player to pitch this season following Caleb Knight on May 21 vs. Indianapolis.
VS. ST. PAUL : Iowa and St. Paul are facing off for the third time this season following April 9-14 at St. Paul and June 25-30 at Principal Park...Iowa had won seven of the 12 games coming into the current series but have dropped the last two games.
MOISES COMES UP CLUTCH : Iowa Cubs No. 5 prospect (MLB.com) Moises Ballesteros hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the ninth inning of Sunday's game...it marked the first pinch-hit grand slam for an I-Cub since Matt Spencer on Aug. 20, 2011 vs. Oklahoma City and was the first pinch-hit homer for an I-Cub in the ninth inning or later since Greg Deichmann on Aug. 18, 2021 at St. Paul (also ninth inning)...Bally has hit .292 (88-for-301) with 14 home runs and 58 RBI in 83 games between Double-A Tennessee and Iowa this season (27 games with Iowa)...he ranks among Cubs' minor league leaders in RBI (2nd), hits (3rd), home runs (4th) and batting average (5th).
International League Stories from August 1, 2024
- Knights Fall to Tides 18-10 on Thursday - Charlotte Knights
- Luke Ritter's Huge Night Not Enough as Syracuse Falls at Columbus, 6-5, in Rain-Shortened Game - Syracuse Mets
- Iowa Drops Ninth Straight Contest - Iowa Cubs
- Johnson's Two Home Runs Leads Norfolk To Win - Norfolk Tides
- Omaha Drops Third Straight in Rochester, 7-3 - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Plutko Stifles I-Cubs, Camargo Collects Four RBI, Saints Roll 8-2 - St. Paul Saints
- Stripers' Offense Held in Check by Suffocating Pitching from Patrick, Sounds in 2-1 Loss - Gwinnett Stripers
- Suwinski, Yorke Spark Five-Run Eighth, Send Indians to Ninth Straight Win - Indianapolis Indians
- IronPigs Snag Two Wins off Jumbo Shrimp on Thursday - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- Patrick Picks up 10th Save, Pitching Staff Fans 11 in Win at Gwinnett - Nashville Sounds
- Jacksonville Swept by Lehigh Valley in de Facto Doubleheader - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Torkelson, Scott Hit Homers in Toledo's 7-3 Loss - Toledo Mud Hens
- RailRiders Downed by Bats, 10-8 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Louisville Snaps Skid against RailRiders - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Five-Run Ninth Propels Memphis Past Durham - Memphis Redbirds
- Bats Snap Losing Skid with 10-8 Win over RailRiders - Louisville Bats
- Redbirds Storm Past Bulls, 9-6 - Durham Bulls
- WooSox Win Game One in Walk-Off Fashion, But Split Doubleheader with Bisons - Worcester Red Sox
- August 1 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. St. Paul Saints - Iowa Cubs
- SWB Game Notes - Aug 1 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Double Play Prowess Proves Pivotal for Bats - Louisville Bats
- Gwinnett Stripers Announce 2025 Home Dates - Gwinnett Stripers
- Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - August 1 vs. Omaha - Rochester Red Wings
- Joe La Sorsa Wins Red Wings Player of the Month - Rochester Red Wings
- Sounds Host Pirates Affiliate for Six-Game Series Beginning on Tuesday - Nashville Sounds
- Quinn Priester Among Red Sox Acquisitions Before Trade Deadline - Worcester Red Sox
- House Walks It off to Lift Rochester over Omaha - Rochester Red Wings
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