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September 23 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs at Louisville Bats

September 23, 2023 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (82-63) @ LOUISVILLE BATS (73-73)

Saturday, September 23 - 6:15 PM CT - Louisville Slugger Field - Louisville, KY

RHP Shane Greene (2-1, 1.99) vs. RHP Lyon Richardson (0-1, 11.91)

TONIGHT'S GAME: With last night's loss snapping Iowa's season-long eight game winning streak, they will look to get back to their winning ways tonight. They will send Shane Greene to the mound, entering tonight's game with a 2-1 record and a 1.99 ERA in eight games (six starts) this year with Iowa. The righty has allowed just five earned runs on 19 hits and 10 walks over his 22.2 innings pitched, striking out 25 batters over that span. He spun three scoreless frames in his last start on Sept. 17 against St. Paul. On the other side, Lyon Richardson will toe the rubber for Louisville, set to make his sixth start of the season for the Bats. Through his first five starts, Richardson is 0-1 with an 11.91 ERA, having allowed 15 earned runs on 11 hits and 13 walks. He has struck out 19 batters over 11.1 innings pitched, while opponents are hitting .256 against him. In his lone start against Iowa this year back on August 17, the righty allowed three earned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out seven over 3.2 innings pitched.

GIVING UP THE LONG BALL: Louisville put up five of their nine runs with home runs in last night's victory. Three Iowa pitchers each allowed one homer last night. Caleb Kilian allowed the first of the game, a solo shot from Matt Reynolds in the second. Jeremiah Estrada gave up a two-run shot from Chuckie Robinson and Brandon Hughes gave up the third of the game to Jose Barrero, another two-run blast. The I-Cubs previously allowed just one home run in each of the first three games of the series against the Bats. On the season, Iowa's pitching staff has allowed 173 homers, averaging 1.19 per game this season. They rank eighth in home runs allowed among International League teams this season.

QUIET OFFENSE: After collecting 30 hits through the first three games of the series, Iowa was limited to just four hits last night. Darius Hill, P.J. Higgins, Cole Roederer and Levi Jordan were the only I-Cubs with a hit to their name. Iowa collected their lone run as Roederer and Jordan hit their way on base and were plated on a groundout from Higgins. In the first half of the series, Iowa was able to score 19 runs while last night looked a lot different. The I-Cubs' one-run performance was just the 16th time this season that they've scored one run or less. With the loss last night, they are now 3-13 in those games. While Iowa's four-hit, one-run performance wasn't ideal, it wasn't the lowest of the season. The I-Cubs were limited to two hits on July 6 in St. Paul which set the season low.

REHAB TROUBLES: Brandon Hughes joined Iowa on major league rehab assignment on September 3 and has made eight rehab appearances out of the bullpen since. In his last three outings, Hughes has allowed five runs on four hits and three walks. Last night, it was two runs on two hits in his lone inning of work. Hughes has allowed a run in four of his eight rehab appearances with Iowa, recording an 8.64 ERA by giving up eight runs in 8.1 innings. Hughes showed great promise when he had back-to-back shutout outings on September 12 and 15. The lefty has a 2.16 WHIP while his opponents are hitting .324 against him on his rehab assignment.

GET THEM BACK: Tonight's starter for Iowa Shane Greene will look to end the year on a high note for the I-Cubs. He is going against the lone team to really touch him up this year, as four of his five total earned runs allowed this year came in his start against the Bats back on August 16. In that start, he allowed four earned runs on four hits and four walks, striking out five in his 2.2 innings pitched. In his seven other games this year with Iowa, he has surrendered just one earned run on 15 hits and six walks.

KILIAN'S GOOD AND BAD: Caleb Kilian suffered his third loss of the season last night. Across 5.1 innings, he allowed six runs, five earned, on eight hits and one walk. It's the fourth time this season he has given up five or more earned runs across 24 starts. He's done so in three of his last five starts dating back to August 31. Kilian has now only suffered two losses when he allows five or more. The positive for the righty in his start last night was the strikeouts, as he fanned a season-high eight batters in his final start of the season. His eight strikeouts marked a season-high and his most since July 23, 2022. Kilian has recorded seven punchouts twice this season on July 14 and August 25 which were his previous season high. His eight strikeouts last night were not far off from his career high of 10 from May 22, 2021.

AGAINST LOUISVILLE: Iowa and Louisville continue their series with game five of six tonight, with Iowa currently leading the series three games to one after last night's loss. The I-Cubs need a win in one of the next two games to clinch the series victory, already holding the season series over Louisville. So far this year, Iowa is 10-6 overall against the Bats, going 7-5 in games at Principal Park and now 3-1 at Louisville Slugger Field. They are 32-26 all-time against Louisville, going 20-13 at home and 12-13 on the road.

SHORT HOPS: The I-Cubs enter play tonight with a 10-9 record in the month of September, needing one win in their final two games to finish the month over .500; so far this year, they have finished each month at or above .500, going 13-13 in August for their worst month of the year...Iowa dropped to just 6-23 when scoring two runs or less this year after their loss scoring one run in last night's contest.

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