IL Iowa Cubs

July 8 Game Notes: Iowa vs. St. Paul

Published on July 8, 2021 under International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (21-32) vs. ST. PAUL SAINTS (27-28

Thursday - 7:08 PM - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA

RHP Joe Biagini (1-3, 5.48) vs. LHP Charlie Barnes (4-2, 3.76)

TONIGHT'S GAME: Iowa will take on St. Paul for game three of their six-game set tonight, still in search of their first victory over the Saints at Principal Park. The I-Cubs will send out Joe Biagini in hopes of halting the Saints' eight-game winning streak in Des Moines. Biagini has been limited in his last few starts as he works back from an injury that cost him the first half of June, throwing just six combined innings in his last four starts. He'll face the Saints tonight for the fifth time this season, hoping to continue the success he's had against them in the past. Biagini has allowed just three runs on three hits in eleven innings pitched against St. Paul. The Saints will counter with lefty Charlie Barnes, who has already logged two wins in three starts against the I-Cubs this year. The southpaw has allowed just two runs in 16 innings against Iowa, including a five-inning shutout performance last time the teams met in St. Paul.

MISTER CONSISTENT: A little over a month into his I-Cubs tenure, Michael Hermosillo continues to impress at the plate. The outfielder is hitting for a team-leading .344 average (32-for-93) and has registered a hit in 19 out of 26 games he's played for Iowa this season. He's been one of Iowa's most dependable batters since joining the team, and has been hitting above .300 since June 9. He not only hits for average, however; Hermosillo leads the active roster in slugging percentage with a .581 mark and ranks second in home runs (5) and is tied for second in doubles (7). Even when he's not hitting, Hermosillo usually finds a way on. He currently holds a 13-game on-base streak and has reached base safely in 24 out of 26 games for Iowa this season.

CLOSING IN: Tony Wolters went 2-for-5 last night with two singles, extending his hitting streak to a season-high seven games. The streak began on June 24, when Wolters went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI against Omaha, and the catcher has provided Iowa with non-stop offense since. Over the seven-game stretch, the catcher is hitting .423 (11-for-26) with two doubles, two home runs and seven runs batted in. He has also added five walks compared to just seven strikeouts, good for an on-base percentage of .516. With the streak now at seven games, Wolters is just one game away from tying the I-Cubs season-high of an eight-game hitting streak and would be the third player to do so. Abiatal Avelino was the first, from May 5-14 and the next day, Sergio Alcántara started his eight-game stretch, from May 15-26.

STRETCHING HIM OUT: Last night, major league rehabber Justin Steele spun 2.2 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits while walking two and striking out one. Steele had a clean first two innings, allowing just one base runner on a two-out walk. He got touched-up in his third inning of work after recording the first out via a ground ball. He walked one and allowed back-to-back singles before striking out the final batter he faced. Steele induced four ground balls and three fly-outs as well as his one strikeout to record his eight outs. His 2.2 innings marked the longest outing for the lefty since June 21, 2019, when he spun three innings. He started in all 11 games he pitched with Double-A Tennessee in 2019, going 0-6 with a 5.59 ERA (24ER/38.2IP), throwing 5.0 or more innings just twice. Before last night, Steele's longest outing this year was 2.0 innings, a length he had gone three times; twice with Chicago on April 30 and May 9 with Chicago and once on his major league rehab with Iowa on July 3.

QUICK WORK: Scott Effross entered the game last night in the seventh inning with runners on first and third and the I-Cubs down by two, 4-2. Effross proceeded to throw three straight strikes, setting Drew Maggi down swinging to get Iowa out of the threat. He came back out for the eighth inning and, in five pitches, recorded two ground outs and a fly out to end the inning. The reliever threw eight pitches, every single one of them for strikes, and recorded four outs including a strikeout in the process.

FORGETTING THE THIRD PART: Iowa has scored just three runs over the first 18 innings of the series, but it hasn't been due to lack of opportunity. In the first game, an 11-1 loss for the I-Cubs, they totaled nine hits and six walks as a team. Last night, a 4-2 Saints win, Iowa registered six hits and six more walks. Iowa is getting runners on, leaving 25 men on-base through two games. They are also getting them over into scoring position, but are struggling to get the runners in and turn it into runs. The I-Cubs have gone just 2-for-23 with runners in scoring position, translating into just three total runs.

AGAINST ST. PAUL: St. Paul's victory last night extended their winning streak at Principal Park to eight straight games. The I-Cubs, on the other hand, are still in search of their first victory at home against the Saints. The season series is tipping further in St. Paul's favor, and they now lead by a 13-6 margin. They've outscored the I-Cubs 94-75 overall, including a 57-22 advantage in Des Moines.

WELCOME BACK: Andrew Romine returns to Iowa's lineup tonight after nearly a month of not playing due to an injury. Romine's last game with Iowa was on June 10 and he was placed on the injured list on June 21. Before his injury, the infielder was on fire, hitting .436 (17-for-39) over his last 11 games from May 29 to June 10. He doubled three times, tripled once and hit one home run while driving in four runners over that span. He also walked seven times compared to just four strikeouts, bumping his on-base percentage to .532. Romine was also in the midst of a four-game hitting streak before the injury, with three of those four games being multi-hit games.

SHORT HOPS: Kyle Ryan lowered his ERA to 1.59 on the year after throwing a scoreless ninth inning in his first game since July 1...Iowa is the only team in the Triple-A East Midwest division with a winning percentage below .400, at .396... Iowa holds the best record (21-32) of any last-place team in the Triple-A East.

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