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June 4 Game Notes: Iowa vs. St. Paul

June 4, 2022 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (24-27) VS. ST. PAUL SAINTS (23-28)

Saturday - 6:08 - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA

RHP Luke Farrell (2-1, 3.79) vs. RHP Dereck Rodriguez (2-0, 3.91)

TONIGHT'S GAME: After back-to-back extra-inning losses, Iowa will look to get back on the winning side of things tonight, handing the ball to Luke Farrell. Farrell is 2-1 with a 3.79 ERA through five games with the I-Cubs this year, set to make his fourth start of the season tonight. The righty will face his old team for the second time this season, after allowing two earned runs over two innings of relief in his first outing of the year. Last year with St. Paul, Farrell went 0-1 with a 4.00 ERA in seven relief appearances. Opposite of Farrell will by right-hander Dereck Rodríguez set to make his seventh appearance and sixth start for the Saints this year. The 29-year-old has not faced Iowa this year, coming off his worst start of the season when he allowed six earned runs on five hits including two home runs over just 2.1 innings.

BRING IT ON: Levi Jordan rejoined the I-Cubs yesterday and will start at third base tonight after dominating the last month in Double-A Tennessee. Jordan was on Iowa's announced opening day roster and appeared in six games for the I-Cubs between April 6 and April 23 before being optioned to the Smokies. In his first stint at Triple-A this year, the infielder went 4-for-18 with two home runs and three RBI. Once he arrived in Tennessee, however, he hit another level. Jordan hit .353 (30-for-85) in 24 games with the Smokies and notched a 1.117 OPS. He collected seven doubles, a triple, and six home runs en route to 24 RBI. Including his two with the I-Cubs, Jordan has now hit as many home runs this season as he did in all of 2021, during which he played 77 games. On top of the power surge, Jordan was also disciplined at the plate, walking 12 times compared to just 11 strikeouts. Overall, Jordan returns to Des Moines with a .330 combined average in 30 total games.

KEEP IT GOING: Greg Deichmann hit his third home run in as many games last night, clubbing a solo shot in the fourth inning. The long ball marked not only his third consecutive game with a home run, but also his fourth home run in five games. Before this stretch of four home runs in five games, Deichmann didn't have one home run this year, with his most recent home run coming on September 10, 2021, against Toledo. He is the second player to have hit a home run in three straight games this year joining Robel Garcia, while nobody on Iowa's roster in 2021 accomplished the feat. The last player to do it was Trent Giambrone for Iowa in 2019, hitting a home run in four straight games from June 14-17. Before Deichmann's home run in the fourth inning, he had already extended his hitting streak to a season-long five games with his single in the second inning. Over his five-game stretch, the outfielder is hitting .400 (8-for-20) with four home runs and 10 runs batted in. Last night was his second multi-hit game of the streak, as he got two hits to start it. His 3-for-5 night marked his third three-hit game of the year for Iowa.

NICE TO SEE: Despite losing the game yesterday with the 10th blown save of the season, the game was an overall successful night for the bullpen. Iowa's starter Brandon Leibrandt allowed six earned runs, the most any starter for Iowa has allowed this year. He also got tagged for eight hits which is tied for the most allowed by a starter, marking just the third time it has happened. Three of those hits were home runs, the most any starter has allowed for the I-Cubs. Despite all of this, the first three relievers came into the game and didn't allow a run over 3.2 innings, surrendering just one hit while striking out four. They did combine to walk five batters, each walking at least one, but worked around those free passes to keep the Saints off the board and give the I-Cubs offense a chance to take the lead.

ONE OUT AWAY: With two outs in the top of the ninth inning last night, Iowa held a 7-6 lead. They were one out away from evening the series at two wins apiece and moving to just a game below .500 on the season. Instead, Roy Morales hit a double to bring in Alex Kirilloff and tie the game at seven. The Saints would go on to score again in the 10th and win their second straight extra-inning game over the I-Cubs, moving to 12-4 against Iowa in games at Principal Park over the last two seasons.

IT'S CONTAGIOUS: The I-Cubs collected 15 hits in their loss last night with the help of multi-hit games from five players. Five is the most multi-hit efforts the team has recorded in one game this season. It bested their previous high of four, which they accomplished six times, most recently in game two of this series.

THE HICKS IS IN: John Hicks enters tonight's game on a six-game hitting streak, which is his longest of the season and just one game shy of the team high for the season. In Hicks' first 24 games this season, he hit just .163 (15-for-92) with three home runs, five runs scored and six RBI. He struck out 28 times over the 24 games, which was good for a K rate of 29%, and walked just once. In his last six games, Hicks has turned it on, hitting .409 (9-for-22) with a .955 slugging percentage and a 1.455 OPS. He has doubled his home run total and his RBI total and scored five times. While he has continued to strike out, he has balanced it with four walks in his 26 plate appearances. With his sixth home run of the season last night, Hicks collected his first three-RBI game and moved into second on the team in home runs behind Jared Young (9).

AGAINST ST. PAUL: After last night's victory, St. Paul will go for the series win today, currently holding a 3-1 series lead over the I-Cubs. The Saints have crushed Iowa pitching over the 10 games they have played, averaging 6.7 runs per game over that stretch. They are outscoring Iowa by 10 runs through the 10 games played, at 67-57. Last night was the closest game the two teams have played all year, with six of the 10 games being decided by seven or more runs including two 10-run games here at Principal Park. Last night, St. Paul hit three home runs against Iowa's pitching, marking the first time that has happened all season. They also registered two triples against the I-Cubs, marking just the second time Iowa has allowed two triples in a game this season, both to St. Paul with the last coming on May 5. With the win, the Saints moved to 12-4 against Iowa at Principal Park and 29-16 all-time against the I-Cubs.

SHORT HOPS: With the loss last night, the only day of the week Iowa has a winning record is Wednesday, a day they are 7-2 so far this season...Iowa has now blown 10 saves this year after last night, with Erich Uelmen accounting for three of those; he is now 2-for-5 while the team is 9-for-19 this season...the I-Cubs dropped to 18-5 when holding a lead after seven innings and 20-4 when holding a lead after eight innings with last night's loss...Iowa lost just their fifth game of the year when out-hitting their opponent this year, moving to 19-5...Brandon Leibrandt and John Hicks combined to pickoff two runners last night, matching the number of successful pickoffs the I-Cubs had entering the game...through the first 10 games between Iowa and St. Paul, Iowa has had 415 plate appearances compared to St. Paul's 416, while Iowa's hitters have struck out 99 times compared to 100 strikeouts from Saints hitters.

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