I-Cubs silence Sounds late rally

DES MOINES, Iowa - Left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada spun 7.0 innings of one-run ball and Javy Baez drove in three runs as the I-Cubs (17-17) defeated the Nashville Sounds (13-21) 6-4 in Pacific Coast League action Thursday afternoon at Principal park.

 

Iowa allowed three runs in the top of the ninth inning, but had a large enough cushion to hang on in game three of the four-game set with Nashville.

 

Wada (1-3) earned his first win of the season in the final start of his Major League rehab stint. Wada tied a season-high with 7.0 innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out six. He did not issue a walk.

 

Nashville left-hander Sean Nolin made his first start of the year, spinning 3.0 shutout innings while allowing one hit. Chris Bassitt (1-2) came in to relieve Nolin and ran into trouble in the sixth and seventh, allowing four earned runs in 3.0 innings to take the loss.

 

Nashville drew first blood for the third straight game in the series, going up 1-0 in the top of the fourth on Ryan Roberts' RBI-double.

 

Iowa finally broke loose in the sixth inning, getting a two-out, two-RBI single off the bat of Baez to put the I-Cubs up 2-1.

 

The Cubs continued the scoring in the seventh, plating four runs to establish a 6-1 advantage. With the bases loaded, reliever Brock Huntzinger walked Jonathan Mota to score Junior Lake, putting Iowa up 3-1. Rubi Silva then went high off the left field wall with a bases-loaded double to drive in Taylor Teagarden and Chris Valaika who both walked earlier in the inning. Baez made it 6-1 with an RBI-single to score Mota before Silva was thrown out at the plate trying to score on the play.

 

Iowa right-hander Michael Wagner allowed the first three batters to reach in the bottom of the ninth before being replaced by righty Brian Schlitter. Schlitter allowed an RBI-single to Alden Carrithers and a two-RBI base hit to Luke Carlin as Nashville cut the Iowa lead to 6-4.

 

Schlitter walked Craig Gentry but finally settled in, getting a strikeout and a pop out, and finally getting pinch-hitter Jason Pridie to fly out to deep left center to earn his second save of the year.

 

Baez led Iowa, going 2-for-4 with three two-out RBI. Silva added two RBI in a 2-for-3 performance. John Andreoli swiped his 13th base to break a tie with Tacoma's Ketel Marte for second in the PCL in steals.

 

Nashville's Joey Wendle went 2-for-5 with a double to set the pace for the Sounds. He was joined by Carlin who went 1-for-3 with two RBI.

 

The I-Cubs will host the Sounds in the final game of a four-game series on Friday. First pitch is set for 7:08 p.m. CT at Principal Park. Left-hander Eric Jokisch (1-1, 3.38) will take the hill for Iowa against Sounds righty Arnold Leon (0-2, 4.43). 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 6:40 p.m. CT.