PCL1 Iowa Cubs

Cubs Clean up Sloppy Z's in Extras

Published on July 18, 2012 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Iowa Cubs News Release


Des Moines, IA - The Cubs snapped their two-game losing streak, defeating the Zephyrs 2-1 in 11 innings behind a stellar Brooks Raley Wednesday night at Principal Park. The southpaw tossed seven shutout innings for the second time this season for Iowa (41-57). Raley quieted the Zs (51-47) offense, surrendering five hits, while fanning and walking four for his fifth quality start of the season. The Cubs took advantage of five New Orleans errors to score two unearned runs in the win.

Brett Jackson led off the game for Iowa with his 20th double of the season with a rip off the wall in right. Adrian Cardenas reached on a fielding error by the shortstop on a slow roller to put runners on the corners. Iowa failed to take advantage of the rally, stranding both Cubs.

Cardenas dropped down a perfectly place bunt and advanced to second on a throwing error by Luke Montz behind the plate with two down in the third. The second baseman would be left at second though. He reached base safely in five of his six at bats, taking three walks.

The Cubs finally made good on their threats in the fourth, taking advantage of the Zephyrs' fourth error of the evening. With two out Blake Lalli walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. Matt Tolbert was then dealt an intentional free pass to face Brooks Raley's bat. After narrowly missing a two-run double down the line in left, Raley knocked a lazy ground ball to first. Gaby Sanchez did his best Billy Buckner, allowing Lalli to score the game's first run.

West Des Moines Valley graduate, Dan Jennings pitched a scoreless seventh for New Orleans in relief of Omar Poveda. Poveda allowed just one unearned run on four hits. The first pitch Jay Jackson served to Nick Green in relief landed over the wall in left to knot the score at one.

Michael Bowden tossed two perfect frames, fanning half the batters he faced. Dave Sappelt (2-for-5) knocked a two-out single and swiped second to put himself in scoring position for Adrian Cardenas, but the Cubs could not walk-off in the ninth.

Blake DeWitt launched a one-out single to right center in the tenth and moved to second on a Welington Castillo walk. The Cubs stranded the potential winning run at second for the second straight inning. Jeff Beliveau struck out the side in the eleventh.

Jim Adduci lead off the Cubs half of the eleventh with a double. Gary Glover then intentionally walked Jackson. Dave Sappelt laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring postion, but Cardenas was intentionally put aboard to load the bases for the hitless Josh Vitters. The Cubs took advantage of the Zephyrs fifth error of the night to win the game on their second unearned run. Glover bounced a soft comebacker in front of the mound through the legs of Montz allowing Adduci to score the game winner.

Glover suffered the loss and Beliveau picked up the win in relief. Vitters snapped his team-high 16-game hitting streak, going 0-for-6 with four strikeouts on the evening. Twenty-five batters struck out in the 11-inning contest.

Iowa will look to make it two straight in the final game of the series and home stand tomorrow with a 7:05 p.m. start. RHP Casey Coleman (2-3) will toe the rubber for Iowa against RHP Elih Villanueva (5-4) before the Cubs hit the road for 12 games during the High School State tournament.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 18, 2012


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