Former Cub Leads Express to Victory
July 20, 2013 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Iowa Cubs News Release
Round Rock, TX - Jim Adduci homered and drove in four to lead the Round Rock Express (55-45) to a 10-4 victory over the Iowa Cubs (49-51) at Dell Diamond tonight. Adduci played for Iowa in 2010 and 2012 and now has two homers and 11 RBI in 13 games against the Cubs this season. This series is tied 1-1 and the Express lead the season series 8-6.
The Cubs took the early lead with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second. The Cubs had the bases loaded with no outs thanks to a pair of singles and an error. Jae-Hoon Ha followed with a base hit to drive in one run and with two outs, Edgar Gonzalez scored on a passed ball for the second run against Express' starter Scott Richmond.
Cubs' starter Brooks Raley was in charge through the first four innings. After an infield hit by Aaron Cunningham in the bottom of the first inning, Raley retired the next 11 in a row to get through the fourth. Things unraveled for Raley and the Cubs in the fifth. The lefty walked Mike Bianucci and Mike Olt to start the inning. Joey Butler and Robinson Chirinos followed with RBI singles to tie the game before Adduci lined a two-run double that gave the Express their first lead at 4-2. Yangervis Solarte added another RBI single in the inning and Raley came out after walking Bianucci for the second time in the frame. Nick Struck came in and struck out Olt on a 3-2 pitch to end the treat. It was Struck's first relief appearance of the season after 17 consecutive starts.
The Cubs cut the Express' lead back to one in the top of the sixth inning when Gonzalez doubled and Josh Vitters connected on his fourth home run of the season. Vitters, just activated from the disabled list today, also homered in his last game with the I-Cubs on May 24 against Oklahoma City.
The Express responded right back in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Chirinos doubled and Adduci popped his home run down the left field line off Struck to push Round Rock's lead to 7-4. Leury Garcia followed with a double down the right field line. He then took off to steal third, and when the throw got through Vitters into left field, came in to score. The error was charged to catcher Luis Flores on the throw and was an unearned run against Struck.
The Express reached double digits when Bianucci belted a two-run homer in the seventh off Jeff Antigua. Bianucci has seven home runs against the Cubs in the last two seasons. The Cubs have now allowed 10 or more runs in a game 12 times this year.
Richmond (3-3) earned the win while Raley (6-7) suffered the loss. Johan Yan, Ryan Rodebaugh, and Nate Robertson each pitched a scoreless inning in relief for Round Rock. Casey Coleman finished the game on the mound for Iowa with a perfect eighth.
Memphis split a double-header against Oklahoma City tonight, so the Cubs and Redbirds are back into a first place tie in the American Northern Division.
The Cubs and Express continue this series tomorrow night at 6:05. RH Jake Arrieta (0-1, 4.22) will start for the Cubs against RH Jake Brigham (3-1, 3.98) for the Express. 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 5:45.
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