September 15 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Louisville Bats

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September 15 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Louisville Bats

September 15, 2024 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (65-78) vs. LOUISVILLE BATS (63-79)

Sunday, September 15 - 1:08 PM CT - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA

RHP Brandon Birdsell (3-5, 4.26) vs. RHP David Buchanan (9-3, 5.13)

TODAY'S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and Louisville Bats play the finale of a six-game series today at Principal Park...it marks the final home game of the 2024 season for the I-Cubs...right-hander Brandon Birdsell is scheduled to make his 11th start for Iowa this season...he posted a 3.63 ERA (30 ER in 74.1 IP) in 15 outings with Double-A Tennessee...right-hander David Buchanan is slated to start for Louisville...Buchanan will make his second start with the Bats.

WINNING WAYS: The Iowa Cubs won their fourth straight game by a 7-2 score over the Louisville Bats last night at Principal Park... Matt Shaw homered in the fourth inning to give him his 20th of the season and Hayden Cantrelle tallied a two-hit game... Riley Thompson earned his sixth win of the season as he pitched 5.0 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with three strikeouts.

20-20 VISION: Last night, Matt Shaw hit his 20th home run of the year...the home run gave Shaw a 20-20 season as he has 28 stolen bases...he is one of 10 players in the minor leagues to accomplish the feat this season and the first Cubs' farmhand to do since Pete Crow-Armstrong in 2023.

FOUR IS A STREAK: Iowa has won four straight games, matching the longest win streak of the season following April 6-10...with a win today, the I-Cubs will have tallied their longest win streak since they won eight consecutive contests from Sept. 13-21, 2023 vs. St. Paul and at Louisville.

THROWING HEAT: Friday night, Daniel Palencia threw four pitches over 100 MPH in 1.0 scoreless inning in which he earned his fifth save...he has thrown the second-most pitches over 100 MPH (115) in the minor leagues this year trailing leader Zach Maxwell (133).

EXTRA, EXTRA: Iowa improved to 8-6 in extra-innings this season in their win Thursday night...it marked the fifth time Iowa has played at least 11 innings...the I-Cubs have played more than 11 just once in a 4-3 loss at Omaha in which they played 12 frames.

VS. LOUISVILLE: Iowa and Louisville are matching up in a six-game series for the third time this season...the I-Cubs have gone 11-6 against the Bats including a series win from April 16-21 at Principal Park (4-2) and a series split at Louisville from May 28-June 2.

MO BALLER: Catcher and Cubs' No. 4 prospect Moises Ballesteros is batting .318 (14-for-44) with extra-base hits with 10 RBI and has hit safely in nine of 11 games in September...Ballesteros is one of three minor leaguers aged 20-or-younger to have at least 10 hits and 10 home runs along with Jackson Holliday and Junior Caminero.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALEX!: Iowa Cubs broadcaster Alex Cohen celebrates his 36th birthday today...he shares this date of birth with Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry, actor Tommy Lee Jones and NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino ...Alex has called over 1,500 minor league games and made his Major League debut on July 14 calling Cubs at Cardinals on July 14.

STRUMPF ON BASE: Infielder Chase Strumpf has reached base in 15 straight games dating back to Aug. 28...during the streak, Strumpf is batting .294 (13-for-46) with four extra-base hits...it is tied for eighth-longest active streak in the International League and is Strumpf's second-longest of the season following a 16-game run from June 21-July 11.

BRIGHTER DAYS: After recording the longest losing streak of the season from July 23-Aug. 1 (nine games), Iowa has gone 22-16 in their last 38 games dating back to Aug. 2...the I-Cubs last five series have been a split with First Half Champions Omaha (Kansas City) and Columbus (Cleveland) and a win over Toledo (Detroit) and Memphis (St. Louis) and a series loss at St. Paul in which they won two of the six games.

ALL THE SMALL THINGS: Iowa improved to 28-21 in one-run games this season with their 5-4 win Thursday night...the I-Cubs have played the third-most one-run games in the International League, trailing Jacksonville (Miami) and Louisville (Cincinnati) who have each played 51 such games.

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