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May 4 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs at Columbus Clippers

May 4, 2023 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (16-9) @ COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (13-14)

Thursday - 5:15 PM CT - Huntington Park - Columbus, OH

RHP Ben Brown (0-0, -.--) vs. RHP Gavin Williams (1-0, 0.00)

TONIGHT'S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and Columbus Clippers are set to play game two of their six-game series tonight. Ben Brown will make his Triple-A debut on the bump tonight for the I-Cubs. After starting the season with Double-A Tennessee, Brown enters tonight with a 2-0 record and an impressive 0.45 ERA in four starts. He's totaled 30 strikeouts and just six walks in his 20.0 innings. Brown has not suffered a loss in his last 15 outings dating back to June 25, 2022, and looks to earn his first Triple-A win tonight. Gavin Williams earns the starting nod for Columbus. Like Brown, Williams started the season at Double-A. He earned his promotion April 27 where he made his first Triple-A start and earned his first win. He tossed 5.1 innings, struck out six and allowed no runs on three hits. In four starts combined this year, Williams holds a 0.46 ERA with 26 punchouts and six walks.

YOUNG GUNS: Tonight's starting pitching matchup includes a Top-10 prospect from each organization. For the I-Cubs, Ben Brown ranks as Chicago's No. 7 prospect and for the Clippers, Gavin Williams is Cleveland's No. 2 prospect. As each player is just 23 years old, tonight could be the first of many games with these two facing off. Brown was selected in the 33rd round of the 2017 draft out of high school by the Philadelphia Phillies. He played four seasons in their minor league system before being traded to Chicago on Aug. 2, 2022. Brown has appeared in just 11 games as a member of the Cubs' system. Williams was also selected out of high school in the 30th round of the 2017 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. He instead opted to attend East Carolina where he pitched for four seasons. In 2021, he was selected as the 23rd overall pick by the Cleveland Indians. 2023 is Williams' second season playing in the minors. The similarities between these two pitchers don't end in their age, prospect status and draft picks. Both hurlers stand at six-feet, six-inches tall and their 2023 ERA's are almost identical. Brown's ERA holds at 0.45 and Williams' is 0.46. Tonight is a must-watch game with these two on the mound.

JAKE KEEPS SLAUGHTERING: The I-Cubs offense has been nothing short of impressive and Jake Slaughter has been a huge piece of that. He's slashed .311/.397/.508 with 12 runs, six doubles, two homers, and 20 RBI. His best stretch of the season comes in his last seven games. Slaughter has gone 11-for-25 (.440) with eight runs, three doubles, two home runs, and 12 RBI. The infielder is on a seven-game hitting streak heading into tonight, just four games away from Christopher Morel's season-long 11-game streak. On his streak, Slaughter has four multi-hit games and four multi-RBI games.

TOP APRIL HONORS: Minor League Baseball named Iowa Cubs utility-man Christopher Morel International League Player of the Month for the month of April. Morel slashed .356/.456/.828 and led all minor league hitters in home runs (11). He led the IL in RBI (26), runs scored (25), total bases (72), slugging percentage (.828) and OPS (1.284). In the month of April, Morel also ranked fourth in doubles (8) and sixth in average (.356), hits (31) and on-base percentage (.456). The 23-year-old had an 11-game hitting streak from April 8 - 22, hitting .364 (16-for-44) with five doubles, six home runs and 12 runs batted in over that span. In his 22 games played in April, Morel recorded two or more hits in nine of those games, including a four-hit game on April 27.

MERVIS GETS THE CALL: According to reports, the Chicago Cubs are calling up top first base prospect Matt Mervis. The slugger is Chicago's No. 6 prospect and MLB's No. 3 first-base prospect. In 24 games with Iowa, Mervis slashed .286/.402/.560 with 27 runs, seven doubles, six homers and 27 RBI. Mervis' call-up has been long-awaited for Cubs fans after his progression through the minors in 2022 and success this season.

WALK THIS WAY: Iowa and Columbus combined for 16 walks last night. For the I-Cubs, Kyle Hendricks walked three, Riley Thompson walked two and Rowan Wick and Nick Burdi each walked one for Iowa's seven walks total. The Clippers walked nine with Adam Scott walking a game-high six hitters. Thomas Ponticelli, Sam Hentges and Daniel Norris had one walk apiece. The nine walks from the Clippers matched the season high for Iowa's hitters. The I-Cubs have now walked 132 hitters in 2023 which ranks as the fourth most in the International League. They average 5.28 walks per game and 0.62 walks per inning.

AGAINST COLUMBUS: The Clippers lead this series 1-0 after their 10-2 win last night. Iowa still leads the season series 3-1 despite the loss. The I-Cubs and Clippers are scheduled to face off in 18 games this season. Iowa trails the all-time series 14-20. The I-Cubs trail when playing in Columbus as well, 6-7. Last night's loss ended Iowa's three-game win streak versus the Clippers

SHORT HOPS: Iowa fell to 11-5 when scoring first with their loss last night...last night was Iowa's first start against a left-handed pitcher on the road...May marked Iowa's first month starting with a loss, as they went 1-0 in March and started April 3-0...this series against Columbus is Iowa's third road trip of the year and they have yet to play a Tuesday road game, with all three getting postponed.

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