PCL1 Round Rock Express

Perez Stymie Cubs 6-2

Published on June 21, 2012 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK, Texas - Martin Perez tossed his first career complete game, and Joey Butler was 3-for-3 with a double as the Round Rock Express defeated the Iowa Cubs 6-2 in Thursday night's Pacific Coast League action at The Dell Diamond. The Express (33-41) have won six of their last nine, including two of three in the series against the Cubs (31-43).

Perez (5-5) limited Iowa to two runs on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts. He did not allow a hit until Josh Vitters' two-out homer in the fourth. That ended an eight-and-two-thirds-innings hitless stretch for Perez, dating back to Brandon Barnes third-inning leadoff double in his last start June 15 against Oklahoma City. Opposing batters were 0-for-25 with two walks during that time. Perez won consecutive starts for the first time since July 31-Aug. 5, 2011.

It was only the second time Perez went past the seventh inning in his professional career. He worked seven and two-thirds innings May 16, 2011, with Double-A Frisco. Perez retired the final seven batters he faced after Ty Wright's seventh-inning, two-out RBI double. He used only 90 pitches (65 strikes) to get through the complete game, Round Rock's first since Zach Jackson's in last year's regular-season finale. Perez did not use more than 14 pitches in any inning and used fewer than 10 pitches four times.

Meanwhile, the Express took advantage of early Iowa miscues and a few hits to provide Perez more than ample run support. Luis Hernandez singled with one out in the first and later scored on Brad Nelson's sacrifice fly. A leadoff error led to a pair of unearned runs in the second; the first scored on Yangervis Solarte's single, and Hernandez added a sacrifice fly.

Brad Nelson opened the fifth with a homer, his ninth of the season and fourth to leadoff an inning. Two batters later, Butler doubled and later scored on a two-out, strikeout-wild pitch. Matt Kata was hit by a pitch to open the seventh and later scored on Solarte's two-out single.

Iowa starter Frankie De La Cruz (1-2) shouldered the loss. He allowed five runs - two earned - on eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts over four and two-thirds innings.

Butler and Solarte both enjoyed three-hit nights. Butler, who also scored twice, robbed Anthony Rizzo of a home run on the second inning's first pitch. It was Butler's seventh three-hit game this season. Solarte enjoyed his first three-hit game since he strung together three straight three-hit outings April 20-22 - the second, third and fourth games of his franchise-record 22-game hitting streak. Hernandez added a pair of singles, and Luis Martinez (1-for-4) stretched his hitting streak to seven games.

Brett Jackson had the only other Iowa hit - a sixth-inning, two-out double off the base of the wall in left-center.

Round Rock and Iowa conclude their four-game series Thursday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch at The Dell Diamond. Right-hander Derek Hankins (2-3, 3.21 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Express, while left-hander Chris Rusin (5-5, 4.56 ERA) is slated to start for the Cubs.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 21, 2012


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