Iowa Offense Asleep against Zs
Published on July 16, 2012 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Iowa Cubs News Release
Des Moines, IA - A quiet Cubs offense dropped the first game of the four-game set with the Zephyrs 6-1, Monday night at Principal Park. Rodrigo Lopez tossed five innings of four-run ball, but surrendered 12 hits and one walk and struck out three. New Orleans (50-46) outhit Iowa (40-56) 16 to 4 in the loss.
The Zs got on the board first with a run in the third inning. Gil Velazquez (3-for-3) doubled and scored on an errant throw by Alfredo Amezaga on a double play attempt. Donnie Murphy then doubled the New Orleans lead in the fourth with an opposite field home run in the fourth.
Iowa scratched back with a run in their half of the fourth to cut New Orleans lead in half. Brett Jackson knocked his league-leading 11th triple to lead off the inning. Adrian Cardenas did not leave him at third for long, driving the centerfielder in with an RBI groundout, his 28th on the year. Jackson was the only Cub to advance past second base on the night.
Rodrigo Lopez was victimized by the long ball bug in the fifth. The righty surrendered two solo blasts in the inning, with Murphy ripping his second shot in as many at bats to put the Zephyrs up 4-1.
Josh Vitters wasted no time extending his season-high hitting streak to 15 games with a first inning single. The streak is the best by an I-Cub this year. The Cubs offense struggled to start anything monumental against J.D. Martin, who earned his fifth win. The NOLA starter held Iowa to one run on four hits in seven innings of work and fanned four.
The Iowa pen continued its dominance, allowing just two hits over four innings of work. Ryan Rowland-Smith surrendered two runs in 2.2 innings of relief. Alberto Cabrera and Michael Bowden combined to toss 1.2 scoreless innings to complete the game for Iowa. Lopez suffered the loss, falling to 2-5 on the year.
The Iowa Cubs and New Orleans Zephyrs will play game two of the four-game series tomorrow night at Principal Park with the first game scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on AM 940 with the On-Dec Circle Pre-Game Show beginning at 6:35 p.m.
Pacific Coast League Stories from July 16, 2012
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