Iowa onslaught washes away Rainiers

DES MOINES, Iowa - A day after notching 17 hits, the Iowa Cubs (21-20) nearly pulled the trick again, pounding out 16 hits on the way to a 13-7 win over the Tacoma Rainiers (18-25) in Pacific Coast League action at Principal Park on Saturday night.

 

Iowa's 13 runs matched its season-high, previously accomplished April 11 against the Memphis Redbirds.

 

Tacoma's starter, Justin Germano (3-2), came into the game with a PCL-leading 0.76 WHIP and a 1.46 ERA but was roughed up, allowing eight runs on 10 hits in 5.2 innings.

 

Right-hander Dallas Beeler (1-3) earned his first win of the season, allowing one unearned run in a season-best 6.0 innings of work.

 

Taylor Davis got Iowa's scoring started in the bottom of the first inning on a two-RBI double. Rafael Lopez knocked in Davis later in the inning on a single to make it 3-0 Iowa.

 

Tacoma scored an unearned run in the second after a two-error play from Javy Baez allowed Leon Landry to score, but Rubi Silva hit a two-run home run to center to extend the lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the second.

 

Both teams went scoreless until Iowa struck again with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Silva was in the scoring mix again, clubbing a two-run double before being brought home by Jonathan Mota's RBI-single.

 

Lefty-reliever Hunter Cervenka came on in the top of the seventh and labored through 0.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks before being lifted for lefty Daniel Schlereth who recorded the last out of the seventh.

 

Yoervis Medina then surrendered a two-run home run to Patrick Kivlehan in the top of the eighth as the Rainiers cut Iowa's lead to 8-5.

 

Iowa laced four straight singles to start the bottom of the ninth, getting base-hits from Silva, Arismendy Alcantara and Mota before Baez dropped in a two-RBI single with the infield in.

 

The Cubs reloaded the bases and had them cleared by Taylor Teagarden's three-run double that extended Iowa's lead to 13-5.

 

Brian Schlitter earned his third save of the season. The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits and a walk in 1.1 innings.

 

Silva headlined Iowa's offensive assault, going 3-for-4 with four RBI. Baez went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a walk. Davis stayed on a tear, going 2-for-5 with two doubles and two-RBI. Davis is now hitting .650 (13-20) with nine doubles over his past five games.

 

Austin Jackson and Franklin Gutierrez both went 3-for-5 for Tacoma in the losing effort.

 

Outfielders Matt Szczur and John Andreoli both the left game due to injury for Iowa. Szczur was hit in the hand by a pitch in the first inning before being replaced after the third. Andreoli was removed from the game following the sixth inning after running the bases.

The I-Cubs will host the Rainiers in the final game of a four-game series on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1:08 p.m. CT at Principal Park. Right-hander Donn Roach (5-0, 1.97) will take the hill for Iowa against Tacoma righty Sam Gaviglio (3-3, 5.23). 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 12:40 p.m. CT.