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Iowa Cubs (39-28) vs.

Memphis Redbirds (30-39)

Game # 70 -  Home Game # 34

TONIGHT'S GAME: The Cubs and Redbirds meet in game two of their four-game series tonight. The Cubs are 4-5 so far in their longest home stand of the 2007 season. The Cubs lead the division by a half-game over Nashville. The Cubs are 10 games ahead of the Redbirds in the standings. The Cubs will send left-hander J.R. Mathes to the hill tonight against Redbirds southpaw Mike Parisi.    

TONIGHT'S STARTER:  J.R. Mathes makes his 13th start of the year for Iowa. The Cubs are 8-4 in games started by Mathes and they are 5-1 in his home starts. The Cubs have supported Mathes with 5.75 runs per game.  Mathes, Iowa's Opening Night starter, was 10-8 with a 3.27 ERA in 27 starts for double-A West Tenn in 2006, while throwing three complete games and one shutout. He walked just 31 batters in 159.2 innings and fanned 114.   

CUBS VS. REDBIRDS: The Cubs are 1-4 against Memphis in 2007, 1-3 in Memphis, and 0-1 in Des Moines.  The Cubs were 11-5 against Memphis in 2006 (6-1 in Des Moines and 5-4 in Memphis).  The Iowa Cubs are 60-56 all-time against Memphis (38-19 in Des Moines and 22-37 in Memphis).  

MURTON SATURDAY: Matt Murton, who spent all of 2006 with Chicago joined Iowa today.  Murton was optioned from Chicago Wednesday when left-hander Clay Rapada was promoted to Chicago.  In 119 at bats with Chicago this year, Murton hit .252/.331/.336 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with eight doubles, one home run and eight RBI.  Murton played in nine games in Iowa in 2005, hitting .353, with a home run, and 3 RBI. 

REHAB REPORT: 1B/OF Daryle Ward was 1-3 with an RBI double down the line in the first inning last night and played six innings defensively at first.  In his two rehab games, he is 1-6. Ward was placed on the disabled list June 3 with a strained left hip.

HITTING MACHINE: Buck Coats has 12 hits in his last 25 at bats (.480) with two doubles and four runs scored. As the temperatures have warmed, so has Coats, who hit .198 in April (17-86), .347 in May (33-95) and is hitting .429 in June (12-28). Coats is hitting .343 (36-105) in Des Moines and .250 (26-104) on the road.

JUST GIVE US SIX: The Cubs are 13-2 at home when their starter works six or more innings. The Cubs are 23-5 overall when their starter works six or more innings.

SINCE WE LAST MET: When Iowa left Memphis after their first series of the year, the Cubs were 10-13.  Iowa then went 29-14 (.670) before last night's loss to the Redbirds.  Meanwhile, after the teams' first series of the year, Memphis was 13-11, but was 16-28 (.360) in the intervening time before last night's win. 

YOU GOTTA HAVE HART: Chicago signed Bo Hart, and assigned him to Iowa.  Hart was playing in the independent Atlantic League with the Lancaster Barnstormers where he was hitting .245/.378/.418 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 32 games.  Hart was originally drafted by the Cardinals in the 33^rd round out of Gonzaga in 1999.  In 88 major league games, Hart hit .272/.313/.385 with four home runs and 40 RBI. 

STREAKERS: Mike Kinkade has hit in nine straight games, going 13-35 (.371) with two doubles, five homers and 11 RBI..... Eric Patterson has hit safely in six straight games hitting .350 (9 H/26AB).  He's hit in 12 of his last thirteen games hitting .340 (19H/56AB) with four doubles, three home runs, and 5 RBI

SNAP GOES THE STREAK: Prior to last night's 0-4, Micah Hoffpauir had hit in 10 straight games, going 17-43 (.395) with five doubles, two homers and 10 RBI.

FIRST PLACE FACTS: The Cubs are 27-13 in their last 40 games and 28-15 since May 1. The Cubs have been alone in first place for 38 days counting today (since May 10^th).

NEW FOUND POP: Tony Richie has homered four times in his last 53 at bats. Prior to those four homers, Richie had gone 405 at-bats without a home run (last one was June 23, 2005 for class-A Daytona). Richie had hit five home runs in 734 at bats at the class-A and double-A levels, but had four homers in his first 29 at bats in triple-A ball.   

HOME COOKING: The Cubs are 21-12 at Principal Park where the team averages 6.00 runs per game (198 runs in 33 games) behind a collective batting line of .306/.364/.499 with 78 doubles and 38 home runs.   

LONGBALL PRODUCTION: The Cubs have homered 19 times in the last 11 games. The Cubs have hit 67 home runs this season (37 solo) which have accounted for 113 runs (1.69 runs per game on one homer per game). In 2006, the Cubs hit 120 homers (76 solo) which accounted for 185 runs (1.28 runs per game on .83 home runs per game).

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTERS (times CT)                             

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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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