May 4 Game Notes
May 4, 2021 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release
IOWA CUBS (0-0) VS. INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (0-0)
Tuesday - 6:38 PM - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA
RHP Joe Biagini (0-0. -.--) vs. RHP Chase De Jong (0-0, -.--)
TONIGHT'S GAME: Iowa welcomes the Indianapolis Indians for game one of a six- game set Tuesday night. Joe Biagini will get the ball for the I-Cubs and he will square off against Indy starter Chase De Jong Chase De Jong. First pitch of the 2021 season is set for 6:38 pm.
BASEBALL IS BACK: Tonight marks the first game the Iowa Cubs will play at Principal Park in 604 days. Their last game at home dates back to September 8, 2019 against the Round Rock Express. The Express beat the I-Cubs 10-5 in game five of the Pacific Coast League semifinal. Due to COVID-19 cancelling the 2020 season and first month of the 2021 season, Iowa is set to play for the first time in nearly 20 months.
TURN IT AROUND: Neither Iowa nor Indianapolis have had much success on Opening Day in the last 10 seasons. The I-Cubs are 4-6 in season openers. Over that same span, Indianapolis is 3-7 in season openers. The Indians have played the Columbus Clippers in every opener those 10 seasons except for two, 2012 and 2017 when they faced the Toledo Mud Hens.
THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM: Although he's seen 221 games of Major League action, Joe Biagini has pitched in only 10 games at the Triple-A level. He has a career 1-4 record, tallying 40.2 total innings between Double-A Buffalo and Triple-A Round Rock. Tonight marks Biagini's ninth career start at Triple-A, and his third against Indianapolis. The Indians are one of only two Triple-A teams Biagaini has seen more than once, and he'll take an 0-1 record against them into tonight's game.
AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS: Although the two teams haven't met since 1997, the Indianapolis Indians have had the I-Cubs' number. Since 1988, the Indians have held a series record of 91-65 over Iowa. At home, Iowa is just three games under the .500 mark with a 38-41 record. On the road, however, the series drastically leans in the favor of Indianapolis. The Indians are 50-27, good for a winning percentage of .649 over Iowa in the ten-year span the teams played each other. Since 1970, Iowa is 1-5 in season openers and 3-4 in home openers against Indianapolis. The I-Cubs only win in a season opener against Indy came on April 12, 1980 when Iowa beat the Indians by a score of 8-0. Nardi Contreras was Iowa's starting pitcher that game.
SHORT HOPS: The father-in-law of Indianapolis' starting pitcher Chase De Jong is Bernard Langer, a two-time Masters champion and golf's first official number one ranked player...the last time Iowa opened a season at home against Indianapolis was in 1990. That year, Gary Varsho was hitting third and playing right field for Iowa. Varsho was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for outfielder Steve Carter on March 29, 1991. He is now a pro scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates - the Indianapolis Indians
International League Stories from May 4, 2021
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- Jeffers Homers, But Saints First Game as a Triple-A Affiliate Doesn'T Go as Planned in 8-2 Loss - St. Paul Saints
- Baseball in Syracuse Returns with Opening Day Mets Victory over RailRiders, 5-2, on Tuesday Night - Syracuse Mets
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- Sounds Fall in Season Opener Despite Four Home Runs - Nashville Sounds
- Mud Hens Prevail in 8-7 Victory over Sounds - Toledo Mud Hens
- RailRiders Drop Season Debut - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (0-0) at Iowa Cubs (0-0) - Indianapolis Indians
- May 4 Game Notes - Iowa Cubs
- SWB RailRiders Game Notes - May 4, 2021 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Memphis Redbirds Game Notes: May 4, 2021 - Memphis Redbirds
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- Gwinnett Stripers Announce 2021 Opening Night Roster - Gwinnett Stripers
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