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September 10 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Omaha Storm Chasers

September 10, 2023 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (73-61) vs. OMAHA STORM CHASERS (62-70)

Sunday, September 10 - 1:08 PM - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA

RHP Caleb Kilian (7-2, 4.66) vs. RHP Jonathan Bowlan (5-5, 5.24)

TODAY'S GAME: Iowa and Omaha will play the series finale today, with Caleb Kilian getting a chance of redemption against the Storm Chasers. On the year, Kilian has been great, going 7-2 with a 4.66 ERA in 22 games (21 starts). The right-hander has allowed 54 earned runs on 109 hits and 32 walks, striking out 81 batters over his 104.1 innings pitched. In his last start on Wednesday, however, Omaha got to him. He allowed six earned runs on five hits and two walks, lasting just one inning before getting taken out of the game. The outing handed Kilian just his second loss of the year and first since June 3. On the other side, Omaha will send Jonathan Bowlan to the mound, set to make his second start of the series as well. Bowlan is 5-5 with a 5.24 ERA in 12 games with Omaha this year, allowing 33 earned runs on 60 hits and 30 walks. The righty has struck out 50 batters over his 56.2 innings pitched, allowing opponents to hit .273 against him. Back in the series opener on Tuesday Bowlan got the win, limiting Iowa to just two earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two batters over 6.0 quality innings.

BOMBS AWAY: The I-Cubs were finally able to snap their losing streak with a win over Omaha last night and they used their big bats to do it. Iowa got home runs from David Bote, Matt Mervis and Yonathan Perlaza en route to scoring eight runs on the night. All three homers hit from the trio were two-run shots. Those three players are no strangers when it comes to hitting home runs for Iowa this season, as all three rank in the top-five on the team. Perlaza has the most out of those three with 20 and he is tied for second out of the entire squad with Jared Young. Mervis is right behind in fourth with 19 long balls this season and Bote is in fifth with 14 dingers. As a whole, Iowa has launched 193 home runs this season, which is the seventh most in the International League but is the second most among teams in the West division. The I-Cubs have well surpassed their home run total of 149 from a season ago on they have currently hit the second most homers in a season in franchise history. In order to set a new franchise record for home runs in a season, this squad will need to pass the mark set by the 1998 team, who collected 216.

BIG TIME BOTE: Despite Iowa not playing its best baseball lately, one hot bat for the team has come from utility man, David Bote. In last night's contest versus the Storm Chasers, he went 1-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored, a home run, and two RBI. Bote has fared well against Omaha's pitching in the four games that he has played this series as he is hitting at a clip of .294 (5-for-17) with a pair of homers, five RBI, a slugging percentage of .647, and an on-base percentage of .368. Bote is also on a six-game hitting streak, which is the longest active streak by an I-Cub currently. The 30-year-old has been a mainstay for the I-Cubs this season as he has been with the team since Opening Day. On the year, Bote has a batting average of .268 (89-for-332), 27 doubles, 14 home runs, 59 RBI, an on-base percentage of .372 and a slugging percentage of .476.

GOOD LOOKS FROM LITTLE: Another player who has been with Iowa throughout the entirety of the 2023 season has been pitcher Brendon Little. He made an appearance in last night's game versus Omaha out of the bullpen and was effective against the Storm Chasers lineup. The first-round draft pick from 2017 spun 2.1 scoreless innings last night and allowed just one hit, a walk, and picked up a strikeout. Little has been one of the more solid arms in relief for the I-Cubs lately as he has not allowed a run in his four appearances this month. So far in September, the left-hander has logged 7.1 innings of work with just three hits allowed, three walks, has tallied five strikeouts, and has held opponents to a hitting clip of .136.

LEADING THE WAY: The top half of Iowa's lineup led the charge in last night's victory over Omaha with the No.1-5 hitters collecting nine of the team's 12 hits. They also drove in all eight runs and hit all three homers. Combined, the 1-5 hitters went an impressive 9-for-20 (.450) against Omaha's pitching. Hitting out of the leadoff spot was Pete Crow-Armstrong, who had the most hits out of any I-Cub last night going 3-for-5 at the dish with a run scored, one RBI, and a stolen base. It marked the ninth multi-hit game for the young phenom since he joined Iowa's roster, and it was his first three-hit performance as an I-Cub.

AGAINST OMAHA: The I-Cubs and Storm Chasers are set to play the series finale today, with Omaha already having won the series starting with four straight victories. Iowa snapped their four-game skid to the Storm Chasers with a victory last night, moving to 12-8 on the season against Omaha. The season series wraps up today and it has been a strange one between the two teams, with each side playing better away from home. Iowa this year is just 3-6 at home against Omaha while going 9-2 on the road against the Storm Chasers. This is opposite of the deep history in the I-80 rivalry, as Iowa is 180-141 all-time at home and 155-162 all-time on the road, going 335-303 all-time overall against Omaha.

SHORT HOPS: With a win today, it would mark the third straight series in which Iowa went 2-4, this was just their third series loss at home all year and their first overall series loss to Omaha this season...last night's win broke Iowa's season-long seven-game losing streak that spanned from September 1-8, tying their season-long winning streak that took place from August 8-16...the I-Cubs 8-3 victory last night marked their first win in the month of September, moving to 1-7 on the month; prior to September, Iowa's worst month of the season was August, when they went 13-13...Omaha has scored six runs in the ninth inning over the last three games, accounting for 10% (6-of-59) of the ninth inning runs Iowa has allowed all season.

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