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May 31 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. St. Paul Saints

May 31, 2022 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (23-24) VS. ST. PAUL SAINTS (20-27)

Tuesday - 6:38 - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA

LHP Matt Dermody (2-2, 4.11) vs. RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-2, 9.69)

TONIGHT'S GAME: After dropping the series in Memphis five games to one, Iowa will look to get back on track as they welcome the Saints to Principal Park for a six-game set. In game one, Iowa will send out Matt Dermody to face off with Jordan Balazovic for St. Paul. Dermody will make his second start of the season against St. Paul after winning his first on May 6. The southpaw is 2-2 overall in five starts and four relief appearances and holds a 4.11 ERA entering tonight's contest. Balazovic, the Twins' No. 4 prospect, comes into the game with an 0-2 record and a 9.69 ERA (14ER/13.0IP) in four starts for the Saints. He'll match up with the I-Cubs for the second time this season as well, as he threw 3.2 shutout innings against them in his Triple-A debut on May 7.

NO RELIEF: Prior to the series in Memphis, the I-Cubs' bullpen had gone 14-8 while pitching to an ERA of 3.57 (76ER/191.2IP) through their first 41 games. In the last home series, against Columbus, the group submitted scoreless performances in four of six games and finished with an even 3.00 ERA (9ER/27.1IP) on the week. After hitting the road, however, they faltered. The bullpen allowed a season-high 23 earned runs in the six-game series in Memphis and was credited with three of the team's five losses. They allowed five home runs, which was also a season high, and walked 21 batters. All said, the bullpen departed Memphis with a 7.31 ERA for the series, and a 4.05 mark on the season.

NEXT LEVEL: Matt Swarmer and Nelson Velazquez both traded Memphis for Chicago yesterday, as they were called up to make their Major League debuts in the Cubs' doubleheader against Milwaukee. Swarmer, who was named Chicago's Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2018, has spent parts of the last three Minor League seasons in Iowa. He'd compiled an impressive resume through the first two months of this season, earning a 2.08 ERA and a .167 opponent average, both of which ranked in the top five in the International League. Velazquez made his Iowa debut earlier this season and hit .214 (15-for-70) with five doubles and three home runs in his first 19 games with the club. Both players debuted in game one yesterday, Swarmer as the starting pitcher and Velazquez in right field. Swarmer pitched 6.0 innings against the Brewers, allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits, including two home runs. Velazquez went 2-for-7 between both halves of the doubleheader. The pair are the second and third players to be promoted from Iowa for their Major League debuts this season after Brandon Hughes got the call on May 17.

SCORELESS MACHINE: Brendon Little threw 1.2 more scoreless innings on Sunday against Memphis, making it now 9.2 scoreless frames to start the year for the lefty. On Sunday, Little's 1.2 innings were perfect, not allowing a single base runner while striking out one. He also stranded the runner he inherited, making him now 1-for-2 in stranding inherited runners. It marked the first outing this year that the southpaw didn't surrender a walk, walking at least one batter in each of his previous six outings. Over his seven-game scoreless streak, the 25-year-old has allowed just three hits, while walking eight and striking out nine in 9.2 innings. He is holding batters to just a .100 batting average against him.

MORE THAN JUST A BASE STEALER: Over his last seven games, Zach Davis has heated up at the plate, hitting .412 (7-for-17) with three multi-hit performances. In those seven games, he has one double and five walks compared to just three strikeouts. Something clicked on May 13 for the outfielder, as he went 2-for-4 with a run and a double in his 18th game of the season. In his first 17 games with Iowa this year, Davis hit just .086 (3-for-35) with five runs scored, one double and two runs driven in. Over that stretch, he walked twice and struck out nine times, moving his on-base percentage to .175. He didn't have any multi-hit games over his first 17 games, with just one hit in three separate games. The 27-year-old also leads the team with 10 stolen bases, going a perfect 10-for-10 this year.

ROSTER ROTATION: Iowa has made a flurry of roster moves over the last few days leading up to tonight's game, adding eight players while losing four. On Friday, they added pitchers Brandon Leibrandt and Samuel Reyes to the mix, both from Double-A Tennessee. Leibrandt pitched in 10 games for the Smokies before getting assigned to Iowa on Friday, making his first start for the I-Cubs on Saturday. Saturday night with Iowa marked Reyes' first game of the season after starting the season on Tennessee's injured list. The righty went 2-1 with a 4.11 ERA in nine games with the Smokies last year. Nick Madrigal and Michael Rucker each began Major League rehab assignments on Saturday with Iowa, putting five Major League rehabbers on Iowa's current roster. Madrigal was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 10 with a low back strain. He was hitting .203 (16-for-79) with three doubles in 23 games with the Cubs. Rucker hit the 15-day injured list on May 19 with left turf toe after pitching in eight games with Chicago. In those eight games, the righty had a 4.20 ERA, allowing seven earned runs on 13 hits including two home runs over 15.0 innings. Today, they added pitchers Adrian Sampson, Conner Menez and Eury Ramos, while also adding outfielder Darius Hill. Sampson and Menez started the season with Iowa, while Ramos and Hill were both with Double- A Tennessee. Sampson was 0-3 with a 5.66 ERA through five starts with the I-Cubs, allowing eight earned runs on 20 hits over 19.2 innings pitched. The righty had his contract selected by Chicago on May 8, pitched one inning of relief and was designated for assignment on May 10. He was claimed by Seattle on May 13 and designated for assignment by Seattle on the 21, electing free agency on May 25. Menez went 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA in seven games (one start) for Iowa, allowing just four earned runs over 16.2 innings. The southpaw had his contract selected on May 9 and threw a scoreless inning of relief before being optioned and hitting the injured list. Ramos is from Double-A Tennessee, set to make his Triple-A debut whenever he pitches for Iowa. The righty is 1-1 with a 0.56 ERA in 12 relief appearances with the Smokies this year, allowing just one earned run on 11 hits in 16.0 innings. He has walked seven batters while striking out 19, allowing opponents to hit .216 against him. In 44 games with the Smokies this year, Hill hit .308 (57-for-185) with 13 doubles, a triple, six home runs and 18 runs batted in. He is set to make his Triple-A debut tonight as well. On the other side, Clint Frazier ended his Major League rehab with Iowa Saturday, rejoining Chicago's roster after being placed on the 10-day injured list on April 22 with an appendicitis. Mark Leiter Jr. also got recalled by Chicago on Sunday, taking the place of Wade Miley, who hit the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder strain. Matt Swarmer and Nelson Velazquez left Iowa's roster yesterday, each making their Major League debut's with Chicago. Swarmer was 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA, striking out 42 batters over 39.0 innings pitched while Velazquez was hitting .214 (15-for-70) with five doubles and three home runs in 19 games prior to his promotion.

AGAINST ST. PAUL: Iowa and St. Paul are set to meet for the second time this year, the first meeting between the two teams at Principal Park. In their first six-game set at CHS Field, the two teams split the series, while the Saints outscored Iowa 31-29. Although it was an even split, no game was closer than three runs, with three of the six games being decided by seven runs. The I-Cubs welcome St. Paul to Principal Park for the first time this year after going 3-9 last year at home. They went 9-14 at CHS Field last year and started 3-3 this year, for a 15-26 overall all-time record against the Saints in the two seasons the two teams have played.

SHORT HOPS: Iowa has lost a season-long four straight games, and have lost seven of their last eight games...after losing 4-2 on Sunday, the I-Cubs moved to 0-15 when scoring less than three runs this season.

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