IL Iowa Cubs

June 25 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Memphis Redbirds

Published on June 25, 2023 under International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (43-29) vs. MEMPHIS REDBIRDS (38-36)

Sunday, June 25, 2023 - 1:08 PM - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA

RHP Ben Brown (3-4, 3.77) vs. RHP Dakota Hudson (4-4, 5.57)

TODAY'S GAME: The I-Cubs and Redbirds are set to play the series finale today, with Iowa leading the series four games to one after back-to-back walk-off wins. Today's game will be a rematch of game one of the series Tuesday night, with Ben Brown taking the mound for Iowa. The No. 4 ranked prospect in the Cubs system is 3-4 with a 3.77 ERA through nine starts with Iowa this year, allowing 18 earned runs on 37 hits and 25 walks. He has also struck out 63 batters over his 43.0 innings pitched, allowing opponents to hit .231 against him. Brown suffered a loss in game one of the series, allowing three earned runs on five hits and two walks, striking out five batters over 4.2 innings pitched. It was his first career game against the Redbirds, as they hit .231 against him in the outing. Opposite of Brown will be Dakota Hudson getting the ball for Memphis, set to make his 11th start of the year. Through his first 10 games, Hudson is 4-4 with a 5.57 ERA, allowing 26 earned runs on 63 hits and 16 walks. He has struck out 35 batters while opponents are hitting .356 against him in his 42.0 innings pitched. Hudson allowed seven hits and two walks but limited Iowa to just two earned runs, striking out eight batters over his 5.0 innings pitched in the first game of the series.

WHAT A TIME FOR WINDHAM: Catcher Bryce Windham has quietly been having a nice season for Iowa through his first 20 games. Earlier in the season, Windham suffered a hand injury that forced him to spend some significant time on the injured list. When Windham has been healthy and in the lineup he has produced. On the year, the 26-year-old is hitting at a clip of .353 with four doubles, a triple, 13 RBI, and 10 walks drawn to only four strikeouts. He also has marks of a .444 on-base percentage, a .471 slugging percentage, and an OPS of .915. Windham has played in three games in this current series versus Memphis and is slashing an impressive .556/.636/1.111 with three doubles, a triple, and four RBI. Windham has also come through in the clutch over the past two games to help Iowa win in walk-off fashion. On Friday night he recorded a RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to cut Iowa's deficit down to one and on Saturday he laced a RBI double to bring Iowa within one run again in the bottom of the ninth. Since June 7, Windham has recorded five multi-hit performances as well.

GOING BACK-TO-BACK: For the second consecutive game the I-Cubs used some late inning magic to pull off a victory. After giving up three runs in the top of the ninth to break a 2-2 tie, Iowa rallied in the bottom of the frame by scoring five runs of their own. Jake Slaughter started the rally off by hitting a solo home run. Following a strikeout and a walk, Bryce Windham roped a double into the right-center field gap to make it a one-run ballgame at 5-4. After a flyout, which brought Iowa down to its last out, Darius Hill sent a single back up the middle to tie the game at 5-5. Jared Young then made sure the game didn't go into extra innings as the Canadian national cranked a two-run walk-off home run over the fence in center field. It marked the second night in a row in which Iowa won in walk-off fashion with the final score being 7-5. In Friday night's contest, the I-Cubs rallied to score four runs in the bottom of the ninth capped off by Yonathan Perlaza hitting a three-run walk-off homer. The I-Cubs now have five walk-off wins on the season after the back-to-back performances on Friday and Saturday. The three previous walk-off winners by Iowa came on two sacrifice flies and a fielder's choice. The last time Iowa won consecutive games by walk-off happened on July 11, 2021, in a doubleheader versus the St. Paul Saints by scores of 1-0 and 3-2. Trent Giambrone won the first game with a sacrifice fly and Abiatal Avelino singled up the middle to win the second game.

TWO FOR SLAUGHTER: It was another multi-hit performance for infielder Jake Slaughter in last night's victory over Memphis. Slaughter went 2-for-4 at the dish with a run scored, a home run, and an RBI. It marked the 17th time this season in which Slaughter has recorded multiple hits in a game, which leads the I-Cubs. His home run in last night's contest also started the ninth inning rally for the I-Cubs to win in walk-off fashion and he is tied for the team lead with 13 on the year. The notable thing about Slaughter and his multi-hit performances this season is that he has yet to record more than two hits in those multi-hit games. Meanwhile, 12 players have recorded at least one three-hit game for Iowa and four players have recorded a four-hit outing. There has yet to be anybody with a five-hit performance this season for the I-Cubs.

MARTIN FOR THE WIN: Riley Martin made his Triple-A debut earlier this homestand and it didn't go as planned. The southpaw allowed three earned runs on four hits, striking out one in his lone inning of work. Since that outing, he has yet to allow a run in his last three, including last night. Martin entered the game in the ninth inning with Iowa already trailing by three runs. The bases were loaded and just one out had been recorded. He recorded a strikeout and ground out, keeping the game in striking distance and allowing Iowa to comeback for the second consecutive night. The outing earned Martin his first career Triple-A win, moving to 1-0 with an 8.10 ERA through four outings.

NICE FROM NEIDERT: Iowa had another solid pitching performance from its starter last night in Nick Neidert. The right-hander had arguably his best outing of the season, tossing 6.0 innings and only allowing one run. Neidert allowed just three hits and one walk to go along with four strikeouts. Even though he was credited with a no decision, Neidert's outing was good for a quality start. It was the sixth quality start by an I-Cub pitcher this season and the first of the year for Neidert. It's also the second time in this series versus Memphis where Iowa has gotten a quality start with the other occurrence coming from Caleb Kilian in game two after he tossed six scoreless innings, allowed three hits, one walk, and struck out four.

AGAINST MEMPHIS: Iowa and Memphis are scheduled to play the sixth and final game of their series today, with the I-Cubs having already clinched the series win after four straight victories. With their second straight 7-5 walk-off victory last night, Iowa is now outscoring Memphis by 13 runs through the first five games of the series, at 36-23. With four consecutive wins, they are now 23 games over the .500 mark at home all-time against Memphis, at 97-74. They also moved to 152-183 all-time overall against the Redbirds with the win last night.

SHORT HOPS: Yonathan Perlaza's double extended his on-base streak to 32 games, good for the second-longest streak in the International League this year, three behind the leader; the double gave him 22 on the year, good for the team lead...Daniel Palencia allowed three earned runs on three hits, a walk and two hit batters; it marked the first outing he has allowed a run since June 11 when he gave up four runs at St. Paul...Iowa's top three hitters drove in five of their seven runs last night, combining to go 4-for-13 with a double, a home run and two walks...Iowa could tie their series-long five game winning streak set last homestand with a win today.

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