Round Rock Falters Late, Drops Game Two in Iowa 4-3
July 1, 2015 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
DES MOINES, IA - A back and forth affair went in favor of the Iowa Cubs (41-37) Wednesday night at Principal Park as the Round Rock Express (46-32) fell in game two, 4-3. The I-Cubs brought the tiebreaking run across the plate in the eighth to claim the victory.
Round Rock RF Ryan Strausborger put the scoreboard operator to work early with a one-out solo home run to deep left center that gave him his eighth homer of the season and put the E-Train up 1-0. Iowa starter Carlos Pimentel shook off the early blemish with a ground out and a fly out to end the top half of the first and bring out Express southpaw Matt Harrison for his fifth rehab start.
Harrison threw a shutout first, but struggled in the second as Iowa began its attack on the Round Rock starter. Cubs 1B Christian Villanueva earned a lead-off walk and was sent to third on a double from RF Junior Lake with no outs. A Chris Valaika sacrifice fly put the first Iowa run on the board as Villanueva came home to tie the game. Harrison issued his second walk of the contest to 2B Jonathan Mota with a wild ball four that brought in Lake to make it a 2-1 game. The lefty recovered with a pickoff attempt that caught Mota trying to steal second for out number two and struck out SS Ryan Dent to end the second.
The rehabber's woes multiplied in the bottom of the third as Iowa LF Arismendy Alcantara led off the bottom of the third with a single up the middle. Harrison then tossed his third walk of the game to put I-Cubs on first and second with no out. The damage was set in motion when Harrison gave up a RBI single to C Kyle Schwarber to extend the Cubs lead to 3-1, but received an outfield assist from LF Jared Hoying that eliminated John Andreoli at third for the first out. A ground out and a fly out sent the game into the fourth inning.
1B Brett Nicholas began the fifth with his eighth double of the year on a line drive to right field. SS Beamer Weems went on to strikeout, but after a passed ball with 2B Tyler Pastornicky at bat, Nicholas made his way to third. Pastornicky then popped a sacrifice fly to right, allowing Nicholas to come in and make it a one-run affair. The brief spurt of momentum came to an end as ML rehabber Delino DeShields struck out to end the inning.
Pimentel's (6-4, 3.01) night came to an end after 6.0 innings pitched with three hits, two runs (one earned), one walk and nine Ks. Harrison (1-3, 5.97) also lasted 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, three runs (three earned), four walks and collected six strikeouts. Fellow rehabber Ross Ohlendorf took the helm from Harrison and started his third rehab appearance with a pop out. Ohlendorf surrendered a single four pitches later, but used two ground outs to close the seventh.
Weems broke his two-game hitless streak with a lead-off single in the eighth and Pastornicky followed with a RBI double to equalize the game at 3-3 with no outs. Iowa reliever Carl Edwards manufactured a pop out and strikeout before intentionally walking Round Rock 3B Joey Gallo. Gallo was optioned to Round Rock after a 25-game spell with the Texas Rangers. Edwards finished the top of the eighth by striking out DH Michael Choice on four pitches.
Ohlendorf found trouble in the bottom of the eighth as Schwarber poked a single to start the bottom half of the inning. He then threw the second wild pitch of his rehabilitation, allowing Schwarber to advance to second. Ohlendorf gathered a strikeout before RHP Roman Mendez took over with one out on the board. Ohlendorf finished with two hits, one run (earned) and one K. Mendez started his night with a wild pitch that sent Schwarber to third and saw him pulled for pinch-runner Rubi Silva. Villanueva sent a ground out to Weems for the second out, but brought Silva in to break the tie and give the I-Cubs a 4-3 lead. Mendez closed the eighth with a strikeout.
Iowa RHP Brian Schlitter smothered any notion of a Round Rock comeback with a shutout ninth to give Iowa the 4-3 win.
DeShields went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his fourth rehab appearance.
The Express and I-Cubs meet for game three tomorrow night as ML rehabber Martin Perez (0-0, 2.25) toes the rubber against Cubs LHP Drake Britton (4-4, 5.40). First pitch is set for 7:08 p.m. at Principal Park.
For tickets and more information on the Express, visit www.RoundRockExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Follow the Express on Facebook and Twitter!
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