Baez extends hitting streak to 14 games

Top Cubs prospect Javier Baez continued his hot July on Sunday night with his third multi-hit performance in four games, but it wasn't enough as Triple-A Iowa fell in 12 innings at Round Rock, 4-3.

Baez wasted no time extending his longest hitting streak of the season to 14 games with a first-inning single. The 21-year-old then singled with one out in the fourth and roped a leadoff single in the sixth.

Over the course of the second-longest streak of the shortstop's career, he is batting .328 (19-for-58) with six doubles, five home runs and 14 RBIs. In Sunday's loss, Baez was held without an RBI for the first time since July 10, snapping a string of four games with at least one.

Though he went hitless in his last three at-bats, the streak has lifted Baez's average from .239 entering play on July 2 to .252, his highest mark of the season. The Bayamon, Puerto Rico native is batting .290/.343/.629 through 16 games this month.

As a 19-year-old, Baez hit in 16 straight games from July 4-21, 2012 for Class A Peoria.

Iowa seized the early lead at Round Rock in the second inning on an RBI double by Lars Anderson and a run-scoring single by Logan Watkins.

The Express bounced back in the fifth. Jim Adduci singled home No. 19 Rangers prospect Ryan Rua, and Luis Sardinas followed with a single that plated Jared Hoying.

In the 11th, Iowa and Round Rock traded runs. No. 2 Cubs prospect Kris Bryant lined a double to left to lead off the top of the inning and came home on Rafael Lopez's single. In the bottom of the frame, Brent Lillibridge cranked a leadoff home run.

In the bottom of the 12th, Brett Nicholas doubled and Rua singled him home with the game-winning run.

Marcus Hatley (2-4) took the loss in relief for the Cubs, charged with two runs on four hits while striking out two and not issuing a walk in 1 1/3 innings.

The fifth man out of the Express bullpen picked up the victory. Lisalverto Bonilla (2-1) worked around four hits in two innings, giving up one run and striking out two.