Salt Lake City Rallies to Top Iowa 12-8 in Slugfest
Published on August 21, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Iowa Cubs News Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The Iowa Cubs jumped out to a 7-3 lead after two innings but the Salt Lake City Bees (51-76) rallied to score nine more times as they upended the I-Cubs (69-57) 12-8 behind 16 hits in Pacific Coast League action at Smith's Ballpark on Friday evening.
Iowa exploded to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning with the help of back-to-back home runs. Christian Villanueva belted a two-run homer to left center field before Mike Olt hit a solo home run one batter later. Javy Baez added an RBI groundout earlier in the frame.
Salt Lake responded with four straight singles to start the bottom half of the first as an RBI single from Efren Navarro and a Jett Bandy sacrifice fly cut Iowa's lead to 4-2.
Back-to-back singles from Taylor Teagarden and Chris Valaika respectively set up Baez's three-run home run to right field in the top of the second, extending Iowa's lead to 7-2.
The Bees would score in each of the next four innings to overcome the five-run deficit. Grant Green cut the lead to 7-3 with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second inning.
Bandy blasted a two-run home run in the third inning, bringing the Bees closer at 7-5. Iowa's starter Tsuyoshi Wada was lifted from the game following the third before righty Armando Rivero came on in relief.
With two-outs, Rivero coaxed a potential inning-ending ground ball but it was misplayed by Villanueva as Gary Brown scored. The error extended the inning for Alfredo Marte who hit the eventual game-winning three-run home run, putting Salt Lake City up 9-7 in the bottom of the fourth. Matt Joyce made it 10-7 with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, completing the stretch of five straight innings in which the Bees scored.
Iowa scored once more in the top of the seventh coming on Tommy La Stella's RBI fielder's choice, but Green ripped a two-run homer off Yoervis Medina in the bottom of the seventh to put the game out of reach at 12-8.
Vinnie Pestano worked the last 1.1 innings of the game while striking out three to earn the save, his sixth of the season.
Salt Lake starter Nate Smith (1-3) allowed seven earned runs on eight hits and one walk in 5.0 innings but was able to earn the win. The left-hander settled in to allow only two baserunners across his final 3.0 innings of work, including a fourth inning in which he fanned the side.
Wada was roughed up for five earned runs on nine hits and one walk in a season-low 3.0 innings of work in a no-decision. Rivero (2-2) suffered the loss, allowing five runs, only one of which was earned, on three hits and three walks across 2.0 innings of relief. Brian Schlitter was the only I-Cub hurler to have a scoreless outing, working a perfect eighth inning.
Five Iowa players had multi-hit nights, led by Teagarden who went 3-for-4 with a run and a walk. Baez had a game-high four RBI while going 2-for-5. Villanueva, Olt and John Andreoli all finished with two hits as the I-Cubs pounded out 15 hits.
Baez is now 7-for-15 with a double, a home run, seven RBI and four runs in the series. Villanueva now has a combined 19 home runs between Iowa and Double-A Tennessee, tying a career-high.
Brown paced all players with a 4-for-5 night that included two doubles and two runs. Green, Joyce, Navarro, Marte and Alex Yarbrough all had two-hits. Green, Bandy and Marte all put up three RBI nights.
Iowa drops to 7.0 games back of the American Northern Division leading Oklahoma City Dodgers who beat Reno 2-1 on Friday night.
Iowa will look to win the series and go over .500 on their eight-game road trip as they take on the Bees in the final game of a four-game set on Saturday night at Smith's Ballpark. First pitch is set for 8:05 CT. Righty Dallas Beeler (5-5, 4.85) will go up against right-hander Matt Shoemaker (0-0, -.--). The game can be heard live on AM 940, 104.5 FM, and live-streamed at Iowacubs.com. The On-Deck Circle Pre-game Show will begin 7:40 p.m. CT.
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