Iowa out-slugs Colorado Springs in series opener

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Iowa Cubs (57-50) exploded for 11 runs over the first three innings and never looked back en route to a 13-8 win over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (43-62) in Pacific Coast League action Saturday night at Security Service Field. Iowa has won three straight games, and five of its last six.

 

Iowa ambushed Sky Sox starter Josh Roenicke (5-8) with four runs in the first inning, three runs in the second and four more runs in the third.

 

John Andreoli led off the game with a home run, his second leadoff homer this season. It was only the second leadoff homer for an Iowa Cub against Colorado Springs all-time, and the first since Trenidad Hubbard did it on July 2nd, 2003. Rubi Silva drove in two more runs for Iowa with a one-out double, then scored on a single from Mike Olt.

In the second, Javy Baez drove a two-out, two RBI double to left field to put Iowa up 6-0, then scored a batter late thanks to a Christian Villanueva RBI single.

Baez and Villanueva drove in the first two Iowa runs in the third with a pair of RBI singles. Silva then doubled again to drive in two more runs, putting Iowa up 11-0.

All told, Roenicke lasted 4.0 innings and allowed 11 runs, six earned, on 14 hits and two walks with one strikeout. His season ERA jumped from 5.00 to 5.38. Right-hander Tim Dillard tossed 4.0 scoreless, hitless innings of long relief with six strikeouts.

I-Cubs lefty Tsuyoshi Wada (3-4) allowed five runs on nine hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 6.0 innings to earn the win in his rehab start.

He allowed a Sky Sox three-spot in the bottom of the third inning, followed by two more runs in the fifth. It was Wada's 11th rehab start for Iowa this season, and the third time he'd allowed five or more earned runs in an outing.

Colorado Springs snagged another run in the eighth off right-hander Armando Rivero on a Jason Rogers RBI single. Rivero tossed 1.2 innings, walked three and struck out one. The Sky Sox got two more in the ninth off lefty Joe Ortiz.

Iowa added two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a two RBI single from Baez off Sky Sox reliever Austin Ross.

Baez led Iowa with three hits and a season-high five RBI. Silva doubled twice and drove in four. Andreoli, Villanueva and Chris Valaika each recorded three-hit nights.

Iowa manufactured a season-high 18 hits. It's the largest hit total for Iowa since banging out 19 hits on June 27, 2014, also at Colorado Springs.

Matt Clark, Matt Dominguez and Michael Reed each had three-hit nights to pace Nashville offensively. Reed also walked, scored a run and drove in four.

The I-Cubs and Sky Sox will play game two of their four-game series Sunday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT. Right-hander Dallas Beeler (2-5, 6.02) will take the mound for Iowa against Colorado Springs righty Tyler Cravy (7-6, 3.59). 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 5:40 p.m. CT.