PCL1 Iowa Cubs

Cubs Lose Late Lead, Series Finale to Omaha

Published on July 3, 2014 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Iowa Cubs News Release


Des Moines, IA - The Omaha Storm Chasers (45-42) scored two runs in the ninth inning to overcome a late deficit and beat the Iowa Cubs (47-39) 4-3 before 13,006 fans Thursday night at Principal Park. The Cubs' five-game win streak came to an end, and they lost for just the fourth time in the last 17 games. They hold a 6-2 edge against the Storm Chasers this season.

Jimmy Paredes led off the winning rally with a four-pitch walk off LH Tsuyoshi Wada, who was pitching in relief for just the fourth time in 247 career appearances between Japan and the United States. Wada retired the first six hitters before the free pass. He came back to strike out Carlos Peguero on seven pitches, but Paredes eventually moved to third base on a wild pitch and an error. He would score the tying run on a Francisco Pena single. Wada induced a pop out before being removed from the game for LH Zac Rosscup. The southpaw served up a double to Whit Merrifield into the left-center field gap on the first pitch to give Omaha a lead they wouldn't relinquish. RH Louis Coleman worked around a two-out walk in the bottom of the inning to record his third save, and preserve Omaha's only win in the five-game series. The Cubs lost for the first time when leading after eight innings.

Trailing 2-0, the Cubs scored three times in the fourth and fifth innings against RH Aaron Brooks to take their first lead of the game. Javy Baez started the fourth with a sharp single to center field, and would later come around to score when Josh Vitters grounded out shortstop. Matt Szczur led off a fifth-inning rally by hitting a high chopper over third, and into left field, for a hustle double. Brett Jackson followed with an infield single. Arismendy Alcantara then ripped his team-leading 23rd double -- and PCL-leading 44th extra-base hit -- to plate Szczur and tie the game. Jackson would touch home on a wild pitch to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead. Alcantara's double was part of a two-hit effort to extend his career-high hitting streak to 13 games, which is the longest for any I-Cub this year. Alcantara has also hit safely in 17 of his last 18 games and has reached base safely in 28 of his last 29.

Cubs RH Dallas Beeler set down the first seven hitters before giving up back-to-back singles in the third inning to Pena and Logan Davis. A batter later, Brian Bocock lofted a double just in front of a diving Brett Jackson to score the game's first run. Peguero would launch his 12th home run of the season -- and third this series -- into the party deck in right-center field an inning later to give Omaha a 2-0 lead. The long ball was just the fifth Beeler has surrendered in 66.1 innings on the year. Beeler gave up a pair of singles in each of the next two innings without allowing a run to finish his 88-pitch, six-inning outing. He scattered eight hits in total, walked two and struck out four in posting his eighth quality start in 11 outings with Iowa, and the team's 51st of the year.

Chris Valaika was another offensive standout for the Cubs, finishing with a single, double and walk in four plate appearances. His 19 doubles and 26 multi-hit games on the year trail only Alcantara for the team lead in those categories.

The Cubs hit the road for a seven-game swing beginning in Oklahoma City Friday night at 7:05. LH Eric Jokisch (5-8, 4.41) faces off against RH Asher Wojcischowski (0-1, 5.27) in the opener of a three-game set. The action will be b roadcast live on AM 940 and streamed live at iowacubs.com with the On-Deck Circle Pre-Game Show starting at 6:45 p.m. The Cubs return to Principal Park on Friday, July 11 to play four games in three days against the RedHawks. Iowa is in the middle of a stretch of 16 consecutive games against Oklahoma City and Omaha -- the two teams directly below them in the standings -- leading into the All-Star break.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 3, 2014


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