August 28 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Memphis Redbirds
August 28, 2024 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release
IOWA CUBS (56-71) vs. MEMPHIS REDBIRDS (62-65)
Wednesday, August 28 - 12:08 PM CT - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA
RHP Brandon Birdsell (2-4, 4.14) vs. LHP Zack Thompson (3-3, 4.50)
TODAY'S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and Memphis Redbirds play the second of a six-game series today at Principal Park...it marks the penultimate homestand of the season before the finale vs. Louisville Sept. 10-15...right-hander Brandon Birdsell is scheduled to make his eighth start with Iowa...Birdsell went 4-4 with a 3.63 ERA (30 ER in 74.1 IP) in 15 outings with Tennessee before being promoted to Iowa...left-hander Zack Thompson is slated to make his 17th appearance (16th start) for Memphis today.
IOWA TAKES GAME ONE: The I-Cubs won the first game of the series vs. Memphis by a 4-3 score last night vs. Memphis... Owen Caissie led the Iowa offense as he went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI...starter Caleb Kilian worked 5.1 innings and allowed two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and earned his first win... Trey Wingenter tossed a scoreless ninth to pick up his third save of the season.
COOL JAMES: Infielder and Cubs No. 5 prospect James Triantos tallied his first three-hit game at the Triple level Thursday night and stole two bases last night...Triantos started his stint with Iowa going 0-for-8 but is batting .333 (20-for-60) since Aug. 8 and has hit in 14 of his 15 starts with Iowa...James is one of three players in the minor leagues with at least 120 hits and 40 stolen bases...he stole his 44th base of the season last night which is the most by a Cubs minor leaguer since Delvin Zinn stole 44 in 2021...the last Cubs farmhand to steal 45 in a season was Rochest Cruz (DSL) who swiped 56 bags in 2018.
SERIES RECAP: Iowa took the six-game series over Toledo winning four of the six games and outscoring the Mud Hens 25-21 (+4)...the I-Cubs haven't lost a series since they lost four of the six against St. Paul from July 30-Aug. 4...Iowa split at Omaha and Columbus and then defeated Toledo.
THE BIG O: Cubs No. 3 prospect Owen Caissie tallied his first multi-homer game of the season Sunday at Toledo as part of a three-hit effort...marked his first such game since Aug. 1, 2023 vs. Chattanooga with Tennessee and the fifth of his career.
ALL THE SMALL THINGS: Iowa improved to 26-18 in one-run games this season with their 4-3 win last night...the I-Cubs have played the most one-run games in the International League this season (44) ahead of next-closest Jacksonville (42).
VS. MEMPHIS: Iowa and Memphis are matching up for the second series of the season as the Triple-A version of Cardinals vs. Cubs...the two teams played a three-game set immediately following the all-star break in which the I-Cubs won two of the three game and outscored the Redbirds by a score of 9-8 (+1) with all three contests being a one-run game.
KILIAN ROLLING: Last night's starter Caleb Kilian picked up his first win of the season last night...in his last six outings dating back to July 28, Caleb has posted a1.67ERA(5ER in 27.0IP) with 21 strikeouts vs. just six walks.
UPHILL: After recording the longest losing streak of the season from July 23-Aug. 1 (nine games), Iowa has gone 13-9 in their last 22 games dating back to Aug. 2...the I-Cubs last three series have been six-game splits with First Half Champions Omaha (Kansas City) and Columbus (Cleveland) and a win over Toledo (Detroit).
BIRDSELL STRIKEOUTS: Today's starter Brandon Birdsell tallied his third game with at least nine strikeouts this season in his last start on Thursday at Toledo...on Aug. 8 at Omaha Brandon punched out nine batters which was the most by an I-Cub since Ben Brown sat 11 on July 19, 2023...Birdsell has struck out at least five batters in four straight games, the longest such streak by an Iowa pitcher since Caleb Kilian did so in seven straight game from July 14-Aug. 23, 2022.
DOWN ON THE FARM: Cubs 2024 first round draft pick Cam Smith has homered snapped his home run streak at six games last night after playing his first game with Advanced-A Myrtle Beach...the six-game streak is tied for the longest such streak in all of baseball this season with Blue Jays prospect Cutter Coffey and Boston's Rafael Devers.
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