April 14 Game Notes at Memphis

Iowa Cubs (2-5) at Memphis Redbirds (8-1)
Saturday, April 14 • 6:35 PM CT • AutoZone Park • Memphis, TN
RHP Duane Underwood Jr. (0-0, 6.00) vs. RHP Daniel Poncedeleon (0-0, 0.00)

TONIGHT'S GAME: Iowa and Memphis clash for the second game of this four-game set. Iowa has dropped four of its last five, capturing victories on Opening Day and on Thursday against Nashville. Memphis tops the PCL with an 8-1 record.  
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED: Iowa has hit just one home run this season, coming off the bat of David Bote on Opening Day. At a pace of one long ball per eight games, Iowa is slated for just 20 homers on the season. At this time last season, the I-Cubs had blasted seven homers, including a grand slam from Jeimer Candelario. 
THE RUNDOWN: Nine of Iowa's 18 runs this season have scored in extras with the help of a runner at second to begin the inning...Five of the 18 runs (28%) were unearned. 
STRONG AND STEADY: Michael Roth tabbed Iowa's first quality start of the season with 6.0 scoreless frames against Nashville Thursday. He became the first pitcher on either side in Iowa's games to make it through six.
HEY, BATTER BATTER: Iowa's average of six hits per game (42H/7G) is tied with Omaha (48H/8G) for last in the league. Albuquerque leads the group with 11.77 hits per game (106H/9G). Iowa's high of eight hits in a game this season also ranks last. 
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Memphis tagged Iowa pitchers with six doubles last night, matching a high allowed by Iowa in 2017. The last time an opponent roped six doubles against Iowa was July 2 against Round Rock. Memphis also snagged a triple and a home run for a total of eight extra-base hits. In 2017, opponents only matched this mark twice and exceeded it twice (9).
GETTING IT DONE: The I-Cubs collected just four hits Thursday night - two from David Bote and one from both Chris Gimenez and Stephen Bruno. The last time the I-Cubs won a game with four or fewer hits was July 25, 2017 when they collected three knocks in a 2-1 victory at El Paso.
AGAINST MEMPHIS: Iowa finished 5-10 against Memphis in 2017, its worst mark against any PCL American Division team. The I-Cubs have dropped six-straight contests to the Redbirds, their longest losing streak against the team since they lost seven-straight July 25, 2014-April 10, 2015. Stephen Bruno carried the I-Cubs in the matchup last season, batting .391 (9-for-23) through 13 games. 
TAKE A HIKE: Iowa drew 10 walks Thursday, matching its team high from 2017 (9/2 vs. OMA). Mark Zagunis tallied three of the 10. Zagunis led the team in walks with 70 last season and also held the single-game high with four on Aug. 4 vs. Fresno. 
FREED MIKE: After going 0-for-7 through the first three games of the season, Mike Freeman has snapped back. Through his last three contests, Freeman is 5-for-9 with a triple and an RBI. He has boosted his season average to .313 and holds a .421 OBP.
ON THIS DATE IN IOWA HISTORY...Iowa was no-hit by the New Orleans Baby Cakes at Principal Park in 2017. It was the ninth time in the team's Triple-A era (since 1969) that Iowa had been no-hit and the first time since May 25, 2002 when Calgary's Jamie Arnold bested the I-Cubs 12-1. Last season, Scott Copeland (7.0), former I-Cub Hunter Cervenka (1.0) and Brandon Cunniff (1.0) collaborated for the no-hitter. 
KO'd: Jacob Hannemann was set down on strikes four times Thursday for the first time since May 12, 2017 while with Double-A Tennessee. Iowa totaled a season-high 13 strikeouts as a team, its most since Aug. 8. 2017 against Sacramento (14). Last season, Iowa batters individually whiffed four times in a game six times. Mark Zagunis was the last to do it on July 19 at Nashville. 
SHORT HOPS: Michael Roth is one of six qualifying PCL pitchers with a 0.00 ERA...Jen-Ho Tseng leads the league with 19 hits allowed...Iowa has not collected more than two extra-base hits in a game.