May 30 Games Notes: Iowa Cubs at Louisville Bats
May 30, 2024 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release
IOWA CUBS (24-29) at LOUISVILLE BATS (30-22)
Thursday, May 30 - 5:35 PM CT - Louisville Slugger Field - Louisville, KY
RHP Chris Clarke (1-1, 4.58) vs. LHP Brandon Leibrandt (0-0, 3.86)
TONIGHT'S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the Louisville Bats play the third of their six-game series tonight at Louisville Slugger Field...Iowa is scheduled to start right-hander Chris Clarke...opposite of Clarke, Louisville is slated to pitch right-hander Brandon Leibrandt.
EXTRA, EXTRA: Iowa snapped a two-game losing skid last night with a 4-3 win in extra-innings last night over the Louisville Bats...Matt Mervis hit a two-run homer in the first inning to give Iowa a 2-0 lead, but Louisville tied things up in the bottom half of the frame...the I-Cubs took a 3-2 in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk from Darius Hill, but Louisville's Austin Wynns hit a solo home run in the eighth to tie the game at 3-3 which forced extra innings...with the automatic runner on second base in the 10th, Mervis singled to center to give Iowa a 4-3 advantage and Jose Cuas came in to close out the game in the bottom half of the inning.
A ONE-OFF: Last night's extra-innings win improved Iowa's record in one-run games to 9-10 (.474) this season in one-run games...Iowa is tied with Omaha (13-6) for the most one-run games played in the International League this year...last year, the I-Cubs recorded a 25-13 record in one-run contests.
MASH MERVIS: Iowa infielder Matt Mervis accounted for two of Iowa's three hits and drove in three of their four runs, including two with his 11th home run of the season, which ranks tied for eighth in the International League...Mervis has homered in back-to-back games for the third time this season, following April 12-13 at St. Paul and May 11-12 vs. Columbus...since Mervis was optioned on May 4, he is slashing .242/.342/.530 (16-for-66) with 11 runs scored, six home runs and 19 RBI in 17 games.
VS. LOUISVILLE: Iowa and Louisville are facing off for the second time this season and for the first time at Louisville Slugger Field...the two clubs faced off in a six-game series at Principal Park from April 16-21 with the I-Cubs winning four of the six games and outscoring the Bats 34-27...last season, Iowa went 3-3 at Louisville Slugger Field.
PCA TO THE SHOW: Prior to tonight's game, the Chicago Cubs recalled reigning International League Player of the Week Pete Crow-Armstrong...in six games vs. Indianapolis from May 21-26, Crow-Armstrong batted .444 (12-for-27) with 10 runs, four doubles, three home runs, seven RBI and five stolen bases...during that time, he led the league in extra-base hits (7), total bases (25) and hits...Crow-Armstrong ranked among International League leaders in runs (T-1st), stolen bases (T-1st), slugging (3rd, .926), OPS (4th, 1.426) and batting average (T-4th)...the 22-year-old recorded five consecutive multi-hit games from May 21-25 and became the first I-Cub to accomplish the feat since Nick Madrigal on May 27-June 1, 2023...it marked the first time Crow-Armstrong has won IL Player of the Week honors and the first time an I-Cub has won the award since Jared Young for Sept. 4-10, 2023.
PROSPECTING: Right-handed pitcher, and Cubs' No. 9 prospect (MLB.com), Michael Arias joined Iowa's active roster yesterday from Double-A Tennessee...this marks Arias' first stint in Triple-A as he went 3-0 with a 3.75 ERA (10 ER in 24.0 IP) and 26 strikeouts in 16 outings with Tennessee...he is one of five players on the Cubs' Top 30 prospect list on Iowa's active roster, including Cade Horton (No. 1), Owen Caissie (No. 2), BJ Murray Jr. (No. 11) and Brennen Davis (No. 22).
WELL, THAT WAS FAST: The I-Cubs games on Sunday and Tuesday have been their quickest games of the season with Sunday's 6-1 loss to Indianapolis lasting two hours and seven minutes and Tuesday night's 3-2 loss lasting two hours and 18 minutes...Iowa's average game time this season is two hours and 43 minutes which is 19th-fastest in Triple-A, trailing leader Gwinnett (two hours and 33 minutes).
SERIES RECAP: Iowa and Indianapolis faced off for the first time of the season from May 21-26...the two clubs split the six-game series but Indianapolis outscored Iowa 46-41...the I-Cubs went 14-10 vs. the Indians during the 2023 season and 9-3 against the club at Principal Park.
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