July 20 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs at Memphis Redbirds
July 20, 2024 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release
IOWA CUBS (42-52) at MEMPHIS REDBIRDS (47-47)
Saturday, July 20 - 6:35 PM CT - AutoZone Park - Memphis, TN
RHP Brandon Birdsell (0-1, 10.38) vs. RHP Ian Bedell (1-1, 2.78)
TONIGHT'S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and Memphis Redbirds are set to play the second of a three-game series beginning tonight following the All-Star break...right-hander Brandon Birdsell is set to make his second Triple-A start and his 16th of the season...Birdsell went 4-4 with a 3.63 ERA (30 ER in 74.1 IP) in 15 outings (14 starts) with Double-A Tennessee before being promoted to Iowa on July 10...Memphis is scheduled to start right-hander Ian Bedell, who will make his 17th appearance (15th start) of the year and his fifth with Memphis...Bedell went 1-2 with a 4.73 ERA (34 ER in 64.2 IP) in 12 outings (10 starts) with Double-A Springfield.
A GOOD START IN MEMPHIS: The I-Cubs scored a 4-3 win over the Memphis Redbirds last night in the first game of the series, despite being outhit by a 9-7 margin...Moises Ballesteros hit his third Triple-A home run and Darius Hill tallied his third three-hit game of the season to lead the Iowa offense...starter Riley Thompson did not factor in the decision but pitched 5.0 innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts...Julian Merryweather worked 1.2 scoreless inning on Major League rehab assignment to earn the win and Riley Martin retired the four batters he faced to pick up his second save.
WINDY CITY: Iowa utility player Bryce Windham filled up the stat sheet on July 12 at Nashville as he went 2-for-3 with a run, a double, a home run and a walk...it marked the second home run of the 2024 campaign for Windy and his first since June 11 at Columbus...additionally, it marked the first time Windham had tallied a double and a home run in the same game since Aug. 17, 2022 at Birmingham with Double-A Tennessee.
ALL THE SMALL THINGS: Iowa's 4-3 win last night improved them to 20-13 in one-run games this season...the I-Cubs have played 33 one-run games this season which is the most such games in the International League ahead of the Omaha Storm Chasers who are 18-12...Iowa went 25-13 in one-run games during the 2023 campaign.
BALLY GOES DEEP: Cubs No.5 prospect Moises Ballesteros went 2-for-5 and hit his third home run at the Triple-A level (12th overall) last night...Bally has homered in back-to-back games for the first time this season and the fourth time in his career with the last coming on Aug. 13-15, 2023 with Advanced-A South Bend...he is batting .308 (24-for-78) in 19 games with Iowa and has tallied eight multi-hit efforts.
VS. MEMPHIS: Iowa and Memphis are meeting for the first time this season and will meet again for a six-game set from Aug. 27-Sept. 1 at Principal Park...the last time the two clubs met was July 25-30, 2023 in a six-game series...the I-Cubs and Redbirds split the set with Iowa outscoring Memphis 37-35.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CONNOR!: Iowa Cubs pitcher Connor Noland celebrates his 25th birthday today...Connor shares this date of birth with 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg and 1964 Hall of Fame inductee Heine Manush...in addition he shares a birthday with actor Omar Epps and musician Carlos Santana...Noland is scheduled to make his first Triple-A start tomorrow after joining Iowa on Friday from Double-A Tennessee.
MURRAY, MURRAY: Iowa Cubs infielder BJ Murray Jr. has reached base safely in 10 of his 12 games in July in which he is slashing .325/.449/.550 (13-for-40) with nine runs scored, three doubles, two home runs, five RBI and eight walks...in addition, BJ has stolen four bases during the month which ranks tied for ninthmost in the International League during that span.
COUNTRY ROADS: Iowa is back on the road for a three-game series at Memphis...Iowa has gone 18-31 on the road this season vs. 24-21 at Principal Park...the I-Cubs went 1-5 on their trip to Nashville from July 9-14 and have lost six of their last eight games away from the friendly confines.
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