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July 14 Game Notes: Iowa at Toledo

July 14, 2021 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (24-34) @ TOLEDO MUD HENS (33-26)

Wednesday - 6:05 PM CT - Fifth Third Field - Toledo, OH

RHP Cory Abbott (1-3, 5.88) vs. RHP Ricardo Pinto (4-1, 1.93)

TONIGHT'S GAME: Iowa will take on Toledo in game two of the six-game series tonight. The I-Cubs look to get back on track after halting their winning streak at three with a 2-1 loss to the Mud Hens last night. Iowa will send Cory Abbott to the mound for his first start back from his third stint with Chicago. The righty has gone 1-3 for the I-Cubs this season in-between trips to Chicago, where he's pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for the Cubs. He holds a 5.88 ERA (27ER/41.1IP) in eight starts for Iowa. Abbott's mound opponent tonight will be Ricardo Pinto, who has been a force for the Mud Hens since being promoted from Double-A Erie in June. Pinto is 4-1 in five starts for Toledo and holds an ERA of just 1.93 (6ER/28.0IP).

DOUBLE DUTY: Cory Abbott will start for the I-Cubs tonight in his first game back from his third stint with Chicago. After spending all of 2019 with Double-A Tennessee, Abbott made both his Triple-A and Major League debuts during the 2021 season, and he has spent the better part of the summer going back and forth between the two teams. Since his first Major League call-up on June 5, Abbott has pitched in five games out of Chicago's bullpen and made three starts for Iowa. He hasn't received a decision for either team during that time, but has pitched to a 6.35 ERA with Chicago (8ER/11.1IP) and a 5.06 ERA with Iowa (9ER/16.0IP). Despite spending half of the last month in the big leagues, Abbott is still tied for fifth in Triple-A baseball and fourth in the Triple-A East with 64 strikeouts. He ranks second on the I-Cubs behind Adrian Sampson in innings (41.1) and will make his ninth start tonight, tying him with Sampson for first on the team.

FRESH FACES: The I-Cubs featured two Iowa debuts last night in Matt Duffy, who started a Major League rehab assignment, and Tony Cingrani, who was assigned to Iowa after signing with Chicago out of independent ball on July 3. Duffy saw action last night for the first time since May 22 after spending the last two months on the 60-day injured list with a lower back strain. He played third base and went 0-for-2 with a walk in his first game for the I-Cubs. Cingrani's appearance was his first for an affiliated team since May 24, 2019. He saw time in the big leagues over six seasons with the Reds and the Dodgers, but had his 2019 cut short after a shoulder injury and elected free agency after that season. He pitched in eight games for the Lexington Legends in 2021 and went 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA (1ER/8.0IP) before having his contract selected by the Cubs. Cingrani pitched a hitless, scoreless seventh inning last night in his I-Cubs debut, striking out two and picking off the only baserunner he allowed.

BACK ON TRACK: After a strong start and a rocky June, Iowa's bullpen has looked more like their early-season selves in the first half of July. The bullpen faced a lot of instability in the second month of the season, with nearly half of the I-Cubs' roster moves in June affecting relievers. The shuffling showed in the performance, as the I-Cubs went from a 3.36 bullpen ERA (36ER/96.1IP) at the end of May to a 4.51 mark (55ER/109.7IP) in June. Over the last two weeks, however, the bullpen has improved again, and through the first 11 games in July, they hold a 3.28 ERA (17ER/46.7IP). The bullpen has allowed more than two runs in just two games so far this month, and they've limited opponents to one run or less in seven games. They've been especially impressive over the last three games, with six relievers combining for 7.1 straight no-hit innings. Iowa's bullpen is 3-1 in July, with their only loss coming on Indianapolis' twelfth-inning walk-off on July 1.

THE BOYS ARE BACK: Taylor Gushue returned to Iowa's roster on Friday after spending a week in Chicago and making his MLB debut with the Cubs. His absence from the lineup was significant for the I-Cubs, as Gushue led the team in RBI and placed second in home runs when he was originally called up. After an 0-for-3 day on Sunday in his first game back with Iowa, Gushue returned to his productive ways in last night's game. He went 2-for-4 with a home run against Toledo, providing the only offense Iowa would get in the series opener. The homer was his sixth of the season for Iowa, bumping him back into sole possession of second place behind Trayce Thompson, who has hit eight. He still leads the I-Cubs with 28 RBI on the season. Alongside Gushue, another familiar face returned to the lineup last week in Andrew Romine, who lost most of June on the injured list before being activated last Thursday. He also had an 0-for-3 night in his first game back, but he's since gone 7-for-14 with three runs scored. Romine's .283 (34-for-120) average on the season ranks second on the active roster behind Michael Hermosillo and his .412 mark (7-for-17) in July leads the team.

HEAT WAVE: Alfonso Rivas went 1-for-4 with a double last night, extending his hitting streak to a season-high five games. The current streak bests his previous high of four games, which he achieved to open the month. The two streaks have boosted Rivas from his slow start to the season, during which he went just 2-for-20 in his first seven games. Since then, he's gone 14-for-40 over his last ten games, good for a .350 average and the team lead in hits this month. He's hit three doubles and three home runs over that span - both team highs for July - helping him to a .650 slugging percentage. He's also driven in a team-best 12 runs and leads the roster with a 1.045 OPS over the last two weeks.

AGAINST TOLEDO: Iowa and Toledo will face off for their second game tonight after the Mud Hens came out on top of the teams' first ever meeting. The I-Cubs' loss last night dropped them to 24-34 on the season - good for sixth place in the Triple-A East Midwest - and 11-13 on the road. With their victory, the Mud Hens now sit just four games out of first place in the division. They hold a 21-9 record at Fifth Third Field and have not lost a series at home since their season-opening set against Nashville.

SHORT HOPS: After last night's loss, Iowa is now 4-7 in series openers this season...Mike Hauschild registered his second quality start of the season last night, tossing six innings and allowing only two runs...starting yesterday, the Triple-A East returned to using smaller bases, going from the 18" bases they had been using for the first half of the season back to the 15" bases they used in the past.

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