IL Iowa Cubs

August 12 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Louisville Bats

Published on August 12, 2022 under International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (48-60) vs. LOUISVILLE BATS (45-63)

Friday - 7:08 PM - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA

RHP Javier Assad (0-2, 4.01) vs. LHP Justin Nicolino (3-4, 5.46)

TONIGHT'S GAME: Iowa will send Javier Assad to the mound looking to end the I-Cubs two-game losing streak and earn his first win with the I-Cubs. Through his first six games with Iowa, Assad is 0-2 with a 4.01 ERA, allowing 11 earned runs on 22 hits in 24.2 innings pitched. He has walked just six batters compared to 26 strikeouts over that span. The righty is coming off of arguably his best start with Iowa in which he spun 5.1 innings of two-hit ball while walking one compared to eight strikeouts. Unfortunately for Assad, each of the two hits were solo home runs and he suffered the loss. Opposite of Assad will be southpaw Justin Nicolino taking the ball for Louisville. Nicolino is 3-4 with a 5.46 ERA over 12 games with the Bats, allowing 34 earned runs on 59 hits over 56.0 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting .268 against the lefty, who has allowed 16 walks compared to 37 strikeouts with Louisville. He has made one start against Iowa this year back on June 22, allowing four earned runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings.

SILENCE STEER: Spencer Steer has been a thorn in the side of the Iowa Cubs here at Principal Park and that was increased in yesterday's loss. Steer accounted for three of Louisville's four runs yesterday with an RBI double and a two-run go-ahead home run in the ninth inning. It marked his fifth home run here at Principal Park against the I-Cubs this year, good for 38% of his Triple-A home runs in 2022. The infielder started the year with Double-A Wichita in the Minnesota Twins system and was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul after 35 games. In two series with the Saints he recorded 11 hits, two doubles, four home runs while driving in 13 runs. Since then, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds and assigned to Louisville, where he now has two hits, the double and the home run, driving in three. Steer has accounted for 27% (3-of-11) of his doubles, 38% (5-of-13) of his home runs and 41% (16-of-39) of his runs batted in in Triple-A against Iowa this year.

HIGH QUALITY: With his 6.0 innings of two-run ball yesterday, Caleb Kilian is now tied for the most innings pitched by a starter all year for Iowa. It also marked just the second quality start the I-Cubs have gotten all year, with the first coming back on June 21 by Brandon Leibrandt. Leibrandt had a similar line to Kilian yesterday, throwing six innings while allowing just two runs on five hits, walking one and striking out one. The big difference was back on June 21, Iowa's offense gave the starter seven runs of support, taking the game 7-2. In Kilian's start yesterday, despite allowing just two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six, he got a no decision as the game was tied when he left. At this point in the season last year, 108 games in, Iowa had gotten 21 quality starts from their starting pitchers and were 10-11 in those games, holding an overall record of 45-63. In their first 108 games of this season, they have received just two quality starts and are three games better overall than they were last year, at 48-60.

GOIN' BACK-TO-BACK: In just his third game with Iowa since being optioned here on August 4, David Bote went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a strikeout. It marked his second consecutive game with a solo home run, as the infielder went 2-for-4 with a solo blast on Wednesday night's game as well. For Bote, it was his first time since hitting home runs in back-to-back games since doing so on July 28 and 29, 2020. Those were both hit as a member of the Chicago Cubs, at Cincinnati, whose Triple-A affiliate he has now hit back-to-back home runs against just two years later. Home runs in back-to-back games have been a common thing this year for Iowa players, as Bote marks the eighth different player this year to hit home runs in back-to-back games and is the ninth time it has happened for the I-Cubs. In his 21 games with the I-Cubs, the infielder is hitting .282 (22-for-78) with nine runs scored, six doubles and 14 runs batted in entering tonight's contest.

MULTI-HIT MERVIS: Matt Mervis went 2-for-4 with a double, a run batted in and a strikeout in yesterday's loss. He was the only I-Cubs player to record a multi-hit game, accounting for two of Iowa's seven total hits as a team. With the two hits, the first baseman raised his batting average on the year with Iowa to .290 (20-for-69) with 12 runs scored, eight doubles, a triple, three home runs and 13 runs batted in. He also has taken six walks compared to striking out 11 times. Mervis now has two hits in 39% (7-of-18) of his games with Iowa this year.

DIFFICULT DEFEAT: After dropping yesterday's game by a score of 4-3, Iowa dropped to one game below the .500 mark against Louisville this year, at 7-8. With yesterday's loss, five of those eight losses to the Bats have been by just one run. Not only has Iowa lost five of their eight games by one run, they have also taken four of their seven victories by four or more runs.

AGAINST LOUISVILLE: With Louisville mounting two comeback victories against Iowa in back-to-back games, they have now taken a 2-1 series lead over Iowa in the final series between the two teams. Not only do the Bats have a one-game lead in the current series, they are now up 8-7 over Iowa in the season series. Iowa still holds the all-time series record over Louisville but now by just one game, going 20-19 against the Bats all-time. That includes being four games over .500 here at Principal Park, going 11-7 in 18 contests. Despite being down a game in the season series, the I-Cubs are outscoring the Bats by 10 runs through 15 games this season, at 69-59.

SHORT HOPS: Brandon Williamson walked five people yesterday, tying a season high for walks by an opposing pitcher against Iowa this year...both of Iowa's two quality starts this year have come against Louisville, first on June 21 at Louisville Slugger Field and most recently yesterday at Principal Park...yesterday marked Iowa's seventh loss of the year when leading after eight innings, moving them to 41-7 this year when they bring a lead into the ninth.

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