PCL1 New Orleans Baby Cakes

Zephyrs Outlast Iowa in 16 Innings

August 19, 2013 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
New Orleans Baby Cakes News Release


Alex Burg's infield single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 16th inning scored the winning run as the New Orleans Zephyrs outlasted the Iowa Cubs, 4-3 on Sunday night.

The Zephyrs have won each of the first three games of the series, and have won 10 of 14 meetings with Iowa this season. They also extended their home winning streak to a season-best six games.

Elih Villanueva made his first off the disabled list after missing three months with an elbow injury and walked Brian Bogusevic on four pitches to lead off the game. Three batters later, Brad Nelson tucked a home run over the right field wall, his 18th of the season, for a 2-0 Iowa lead.

Villanueva rebounded to shut out the Cubs for the next four innings. He allowed four hits and two walks and three 70 pitches over five innings.

The Zephyrs tied the game in the fifth. After Chris Valaika and Kevin Mattison each had a one-out hit, Burg hit a sacrifice fly to left-center to drive in the first Z's run of the game. Nick Green followed with an RBI single to right to score the tying run off Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks.

Hendricks went seven innings and surrendered three runs on seven hits. He struck out seven batters.

The teams traded runs in the sixth, as former Zephyr Tim Torres laced a two-out single up the middle off Josh Wall to give Iowa a short-lived 3-2 lead.

New Orleans knotted the game in the bottom of the frame when Kyle Jensen homered to right field, but neither team scored again for the next nine innings, combining for just seven hits over that span.

Luis Flores singled with one out in the top of the 16th, Iowa 's first hit since a leadoff single by Julio Borbon in the 10th. A walk to Mike Olt chased James Leverton from the game, following a four-inning relief appearance that saw him scatter two hits and four walks with three strikeouts.

Rett Varner came on to retire Jae-Hoon Ha on a grounder to advance the runners, and after an intentional walk to load the bases, got Ty Wright on an inning-ending force out.

In the bottom of the 16th, Rob Brantly drew a leadoff walk from Jeffrey Antigua and Joe Mahoney laid down a perfect bunt up the third base line. Valaika popped out on a sacrifice bunt attempt, but Varner reached on a bloop single to load the bases.

Iowa drew the infield in, and Burg's grounder was smothered by shortstop Edwin Maysonet, but his throw home was not in time and the winning run scored.

Varner (1-3) was credited with the victory, while Antigua (2-2) suffered the defeat.

The Z's and Cubs play the fourth game of the five-game set on Monday at 7 p.m.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 19, 2013


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