PCL1 Iowa Cubs

Hoffpauir Powers I-Cubs

Published on August 11, 2009 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Iowa Cubs News Release


Micah Hoffpauir hit his first PCL home run of the season to lift the Iowa Cubs (59-58) over the Las Vegas 51s (58-60) by a 4-2 score Tuesday night at Principal Park.

With first base open and So Taguchi on second base with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Hoffpauir deposited a 2-0 offering from Las Vegas reliever Dirk Hayhurst (4-5) over the right field wall to break a 2-2 tie.

The home run was the first of the season for Hoffpauir as an I-Cub. The left-handed slugger had eight major-league home runs with Chicago before being optioned to Iowa on Saturday.

Following Hoffpauir's go-ahead homer, Vince Perkins (6-2) kept the 51s' bats quiet in the ninth inning to preserve the Iowa victory.

Las Vegas had rallied to tie the game in the top half of the eighth on a bases-loaded walk. Perkins entered the inning with one out and no runners on base, but walked three batters and hit another to help Las Vegas tie the game 2-2.

Iowa reliever John Gaub helped the Cubs preserve a 2-1 lead. He pitched 2.2 hitless innings in relief of starter James Russell, striking out four.

Gaub has not allowed a run since he came off the disabled list on July 16, a span of 17.2 innings over 12 appearances. During that time, he has struck out 23 and walked just four.

Luis Rivas also had a solid night for Iowa, recording two of the Cubs' four hits. He finished 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and a run scored.

Rivas' triple came leading off the Cubs' two-run fourth. Hoffpauir and John-Ford Griffin then drew consecutive walks off Castro to load the bases. Two batters later, Bobby Scales dropped a single into left field to plate Rivas and Hoffpauir to give Iowa a 2-0 advantage.

The 51s responded immediately by cutting the deficit to 2-1 with a run in the fifth. After Russell retired the first two batters of the inning, Howie Clark singled and scored one batter later on a double by Aaron Mathews. Travis Snider's infield single put runners on the corners and chased Russell, but Gaub struck out Brian Dopirak to end the threat.

The Cubs and 51s meet tomorrow at Principal Park in the final game of their four-game series. Left-hander Casey Fossum (3-4, 4.54) will start for Iowa and oppose Las Vegas southpaw Davis Romero (3-3, 6.06). First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 p.m.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 11, 2009


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