PCL1 Iowa Cubs

Bantz Breaks Cubs Hearts in Tacoma

August 6, 2013 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Iowa Cubs News Release


Tacoma, WA - Brad Bantz belted a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Tacoma Rainiers (62-55) a 6-5 walk-off win over the Iowa Cubs (52-65) at Cheney Stadium tonight. The Cubs fall to 1-10 on this road trip with five of the 10 losses coming by one run.

The Cubs got off to a great start with two runs in the top of the first inning. Darnell McDonald led off the game with a home run against Rainiers' starter Blake Beavan. Jae-Hoon Ha followed with a double, extending his hitting streak to eight games. Ty Wright connected on a fly ball to deep left-center. Ha tagged, advanced to third, and scored when the relay throw skipped past third and rattled around at the screen for an error.

The Rainiers answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. The rally started with four straight singles against Cubs' starter Justin Grimm. Franklin Gutierrez and Carlos Peguero picked up RBI and then both took off on a double steal. The throw went to second base to try to catch Peguero on the back end, but skipped into center field for an error, allowing Gutierrez to score.

The Cubs got one run back to tie the game in the top of the second on an RBI single by Luis Flores, but the Rainiers scored twice in the bottom of the second on a two-run single by Ty Kelly to go back on top at 5-3.

After the early flurry of runs, both starting pitchers settled in. Grimm didn't allow another run while working through six innings and finished with eight strikeouts. Beavan gave up a solo homer to Brad Nelson in the fifth that pulled the Cubs to within one. It was Nelson's 16th homer of the season, but his first since July 3.

In the bottom of the seventh, Edwin Maysonet - who came into the game at catcher after Flores was hit in the back of the head on the follow through of a Peguero swing in the fifth inning - led off with a bunt. Bantz came out from behind the plate to field the ball, but slipped as he threw to first. The throw bounced down the right field line for an error, allowing Maysonet to get all the way to second base. After a pair of strikeouts, Wright ripped a single off the glove of a diving Nate Tenbrink at third base. Maysonet scored to tie the game and Beavan gave way to the bullpen. Bobby LaFrambiose finished the seventh and worked a scoreless eighth.

Daniel Lockhart led off the top of the ninth with a base hit and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Maysonet. McDonald singled for his fourth hit of the game, but Lockhart was held at third. With Ha at the plate, Lockhart broke from third on an apparent squeeze attempt, but Ha didn't bunt. Lockhart was caught in a rundown for the second out of the inning. After a walk to Ha, Logan Bawcom got out of the jam with a strikeout.

Casey Coleman went back to the mound for the bottom of the ninth inning. He had retired all six batters he faced in the seventh and eighth innings after taking over for Grimm. Coleman caught Tenbrink looking for a strikeout to begin the inning before Bantz connected on his second home run of the season to end the game. Coleman (2-3) was charged with the loss and Bawcom (1-4) was credited with the win.

The Cubs and Rainiers wrap up this series tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. Central time. RH Yoanner Negrin (3-5, 4.95) will start for the Cubs against LH James Paxton (7-9, 4.29) for the Rainiers. The game will be broadcast live on AM 940, and streamed live at iowacubs.com, with the On-Deck Circle Pre-Game Show starting at 1:10.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 6, 2013


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