Errors Costly as Cubs Drop Third Straight
Published on July 30, 2012 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Iowa Cubs News Release
Metairie, LA - The New Orleans Zephyrs (59-51) turned a pair of Iowa Cubs (42-68) errors into four unearned runs and rode them to a 5-3 victory at Zephyr Field tonight. The Zephyrs have won the first three games in this series and lead the season series 8-3. The Cubs are 1-10 on this road trip with one game left to play.
The Zephyrs scored their only earned run in the bottom of the first against Cubs' starter Chris Rusin. Kevin Mattison led off with a bunt single and scored on an double down the left field line by Gil Velazquez. It was Mattison's third bunt hit of the series.
In the bottom of the third, Velazquez led off with a ground ball to shortstop that Alfredo Amezaga fielded and then dropped, but Velazquez was credited with a hit. Rusin then picked off Velazquez at first and the Cubs had him in a rundown between first and second. Velazquez ducked to elude the first tag attempt by Amezaga and then beat him to second base. It was Rusin's 10th pickoff of the year, but Amezaga was charged with an error, allowing Velazquez to get to second. Chris Coghlan followed that up with a double to deep left-center, driving in Velazquez to extend the Zephyrs' lead to 2-0.
The Cubs got on the board against Zephyrs' starter Elih Villanueva when Jim Adduci led off the top of the sixth inning with an opposite field homer to left. It was his second home run with Iowa this year and it ended a streak of seven in a row retired by Villanueva, who allowed four hits and struck out two in six innings.
The Zephyrs extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth. Chris Aguila led off with a double, but was still at second with two outs when Chase Lambin hit a bouncing ball to third base. Josh Vitters fielded the ball right behind the third base bag, but his throw to first skipped in the dirt for an error and Aguila came in to score. Pinch-hitter Jose Duarte followed with a two-run homer to left and the Zephyrs led 5-1. Rusin gave way to Alberto Cabrera, and the right-hander retired all seven batters he faced, including four strikeouts, to finish the game.
J.D. Martin followed Villanueva with two scoreless innings, but ran into trouble in the ninth. With one out, Dave Sappelt and Brian Esposito singled and Matt Tolbert reached on an error to load the bases. Adduci followed with a long double off the base of the wall in right-center field that drove in two, pulling the Cubs to within 5-3. With the potential tying runs in scoring position, the Zephyrs brought in closer Chris Hatcher. Hatcher struck out Amezaga and, after an intentional walk to Adrian Cardenas, got Vitters to flyout to end the game and earn his 10th save of the season.
Villanueva (8-5) picked up his second win against the Cubs this season. Rusin (7-8) was charged with the loss. Cardenas finished 0-for-4, ending his 12-game hitting streak.
The Cubs and Zephyrs wrap up this series tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m. The game will be broadcast live on AM 940 with the Pre-Game Show starting at 6:40.
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