IL Iowa Cubs

July 27 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs at Memphis Redbirds

July 27, 2023 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (58-38) @ MEMPHIS REDBIRDS (49-49)

Thursday - 7:05 PM - AutoZone Park - Memphis, TN

RHP Adrian Sampson (0-1, 8.85) vs. RHP Grant Black (2-3, 7.09)

TONIGHT'S GAME: The I-Cubs and Redbirds are set to play game three of their six-game series tonight, with Adrian Sampson getting the nod for Iowa. Sampson enters play tonight with an 0-1 record and an 8.85 ERA, allowing 20 earned runs on 22 hits and 13 walks in 20.1 innings pitched. He has fanned 19 batters, allowing opponents to hit .278 against him. The righty has made three starts in six total games with Iowa, missing time on the injured list and having just gotten sent to Iowa outright after clearing waivers earlier this week. Opposite of Sampson will be opener Grant Black taking the ball for Memphis. Black is 2-3 with a 7.09 ERA in 26 games (one start) this year for the Redbirds. The 29-year-old has allowed 37 earned runs on 63 hits and 30 walks, striking out 43 batters in 47.0 innings pitched. In the opener on Tuesday night, the right-hander tossed 0.2 innings, allowing one earned run on one hit and two walks while striking out a batter.

KILIAN KEEPS WINNING: Caleb Kilian was credited with another win this season after his performance against the Redbirds last night. The righty produced another solid start, spinning 5.2 innings with one earned run allowed off five hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Kilian has had himself quite the year and ranks inside the top-10 in several different pitching categories in the International League. The 26-year-old has a record of 7-1 and a 4.15 ERA with his seven wins leading Iowa and tied for third in the league while his ERA is also tied for third in the league. He ranks seventh holding opponents to a .258 hitting clip, fourth with a 1.30 WHIP, and leads the league with a .875 win-percentage. In his last six games, Kilian has gone 4-0 with a 2.61 ERA. He has allowed nine earned runs on 24 hits and nine walks, striking out 24 over his 31.0 innings pitched.

HOLDING ON: Despite winning the first two games of the series against Memphis, the Redbirds have been able to score runs late in the game. In the series opener on Tuesday night, Memphis plated two runs in the ninth to cut it to a one-run game. Last night, Memphis was able to string together one run in the seventh, three runs in the eighth, and two runs in the ninth. Luckily for Iowa, they also scored two runs in the top of the ninth to provide a little bit of breathing room leading to the 10-7 win. When looking at the final three innings of games this season and how Iowa and its opponents have been scoring, Iowa has outscored their opponents by four runs in the seventh, at 59-55, been outscored by 23 in the eighth, at 70-47 and outscored opponents by 13 in the ninth, at 49-36. In the six games Iowa and Memphis have played this year, the Redbirds have plated eight runs in the ninth inning, accounting for 22% of the 36 runs Iowa has allowed in their 96 games played this season.

FOREVER YOUNG: After going 2-for-4 in last night's game, Jared Young now has a 10-game hitting streak with Iowa. The utility-man began the streak back on June 18, prior to getting his contract selected by Chicago. He played 13 games with the Cubs, but went straight back to hitting after getting optioned. Young had a nine-game hitting streak from June 6-14 in which he hit .438 (14-for-32) with a double, four home runs, 12 runs batted in and nine walks compared to eight strikeouts. He went hitless in two consecutive games before starting another streak. Since June 18, Young has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 10 games with Iowa, hitting .395 (17-for-43) with a double, triple, four home runs and 13 runs batted in. His 10-game streak is just one shy of tying Iowa's season-long 11-game streak, set by Christopher Morel from April 8-22. The 28-year-old has recorded at least one hit in 19 of his last 21 games with Iowa, with seven multi-hit performances over that span.

MANNY BEING MANNY: With Memphis making a comeback bid in last night's ballgame, Iowa went to its reliable closer to secure the win. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Manuel Rodriguez came into the game and picked up his league-leading 13th save of the season. It only took Rodríguez one batter and two pitches to end the game, as he was able to get Juan Yepez to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. By recording the save, the hard-throwing right-hander upped his lead in the saves category to three over Andrew Politi from Worcester, who has 10. On the year, Rodríguez has logged 37.2 innings of work for Iowa and has an impressive strikeout to walk ratio. He has totaled 54 strikeouts compared to just 18 walks. His 54 punch outs also have him ranked sixth on Iowa's roster.

STARTS AT THE TOP: All nine starters in Iowa's lineup last night recorded a hit, as each of the top five hitters had multi-hit games. The five combined for 10 of the team's 15 total hits going 10-for-21 (.476) with a double, two home runs, and seven RBI. Leading the RBI production was Matt Mervis and Edwin Ríos. Mervis mashed at the dish, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a home run, and three RBI. Ríos, hitting out of the five-spot, went 2-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI, respectively. Leadoff hitter Yonathan Perlaza hit another double, giving him 28 on the year, which leads the team and ranks second in the International League. Iowa also improved to 17-7 on the year when Perlaza records a double. Meanwhile, Nick Madrigal racked up his 10th multi-hit game when he dons an I-Cub uniform despite playing in just 15 games for Iowa this season.

SPECTACULAR SLAUGHTER: Infielder Jake Slaughter had himself a game at the plate in the win over Memphis last night, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored, a double, home run, and an RBI. With his home run, Slaughter launched his 17th long ball of the year, which leads the I-Cubs and is tied for 14th in the International League. Slaughter also leads Iowa in RBI with 66 on the year, ranking sixth in the International League. Over his past five games, the 26-year-old has been heating up, hitting at a clip of .389 (7-for-18) with three runs scored, two doubles, a home run, three RBI, a .522 on-base percentage, and a .667 slugging percentage.

AGAINST MEMPHIS: Iowa and Memphis continue their six-game series tonight, with Iowa looking to lock in a series split, already up 2-0 through the first two games. With their two wins here this week, the I-Cubs are now 6-2 against Memphis this season after going 4-2 in a six-game set at Principal Park back in June. Iowa's win last night put them 30 games below the .500 mark overall all-time against the Redbirds, at 154-184, while going just 57-109 here at AutoZone Park.

SHORT HOPS: After last night's win, Iowa moved to 14-2 when Caleb Kilian starts on the mound, 6-0 with Alexander Canario in centerfield and 10-1 with Edwin Ríos at designated hitter...Iowa moved to 20 games over the .500 mark with their win last night, marking the first time an I-Cubs team has been over .500 since they were 78-58 on August 31, 2015; the last time an I-Cubs team was 21 games over .500 was on Sept. 5, 2010, when they were 82-61...Iowa has scored first in each of their last five games, going 4-1 over that stretch; the I-Cubs are 40-13 overall this year when scoring first...if the second half ended today, Iowa would be headed to Norfolk as the second half winner of the International League; the I-Cubs hold a 15-8 record for a winning percentage of .652, one game ahead of St. Paul at 14-9 and a half-game ahead of the three-way tie in the IL East with Buffalo, Lehigh Valley and Worcester all at 14-8.

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