August 1 Game Notes: Iowa vs. Louisville

IOWA CUBS (32-42) vs. LOUISVILLE BATS (29-47)

Sunday, August 1, 2021 • 1:08 PM • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA

RHP Adrian Sampson (4-3, 5.04) vs. RHP Riley O’Brien (4-5, 4.41)

TODAY’S GAME: Iowa and Louisville will square-off for the sixth and final game of the series today, with the I-Cubs currently holding a one-game lead. Adrian Sampson will take the ball for Iowa, looking for his first win since July 4 against Indianapolis. The righty won four straight games spanning from June 17-July 4, but has now gone 0-1 in his last three starts. Opposite of Sampson will be righty Riley O'Brien toeing the rubber for the Bats. In his first season in Triple-A, O’Brien is 4-5 with a 4.41 ERA in 14 starts for Louisville. He has lost two of his last three starts, including his most recent start in game one of this series against Iowa. He recorded a quality start against Iowa, allowing three earned runs on seven hits through his six innings of work.

WINNER WINNER: Ben Leeper earned his third win of the year with Iowa in game two last night, pitching in the top of the eighth inning in a 0-0 game. With the runner starting on second to begin the inning for extra innings, the first hitter of the inning dropped down a perfect bunt base hit followed by a walk to load the bases with nobody out. One run scored on a sacrifice fly, but Leeper was able to work out of the jam, using a double play to end the inning. It was just the third time in 16 outings that the hard-throwing righty did not record a strikeout. His third win of the year puts him tied for second on the team with fellow reliever Michael Rucker, as both Scott Effross and Adrian Sampson each have four.

THIS LOOKS FAMILIAR: For the second time this series, Iowa’s pitching staff bounced back from a tough outing. The first time it happened was in games two and three of the series, in which Iowa allowed 17 runs on 17 hits while walking seven batters, followed by a six-hit shutout with just one walk. In game four of the series that started on Friday and was completed in game one yesterday, Iowa’s staff allowed four runs on 13 hits and three walks. Four Louisville batters had multi-hit games, and the Bats left 12 men on-base, going 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Game two, the I-Cubs pitchers once again battled back, pitching eight innings, allowing just one unearned run on three hits while striking out six.

QUITE THE DUEL: Game two last night featured a pitching matchup that left nothing to be desired, with Bo Takahashi facing off against Keegan Thompson and Ryan Kellogg. Takahashi tied the longest start by any pitcher in a game Iowa has played this year, throwing seven innings. He did not allow a run over his seven innings, surrendering just three hits, while throwing 53 of his 80 pitches for strikes. The righty also tied a season high for walks by a single pitcher, giving Iowa five free passes. He countered his three hits allowed and five walks given up by striking out five and inducing three double plays. Iowa’s two pitchers combined to match Takahashi, throwing seven scoreless innings of their own. Thompson made his first Triple-A appearance, getting the start for Iowa. The hard throwing righty threw three innings in his first start since May 4 with Chicago, allowing just two batters on base. He walked the first batter he faced in a 10 pitch at-bat, and in the second inning, struck out a batter on a wild pitch, allowing him to reach base. Thompson had just the one walk while striking out four before handing the ball off to Kellogg. The southpaw tied his season long with Iowa, throwing four innings of two-hit ball, while striking out four along the way.

SNAPPED: Despite drawing a two-out walk that allowed him to score the winning run in Saturday night’s game, Abiatal Avelino had his seven-game hitting streak snapped. The infielder was hitting .385 (10-for-26) from July 21-30, including one triple and two home runs. He had scored three runs and driven in five while stealing one base. Three of his seven games on the streak were multi-hit games, extending his team-lead to 19 multi-hit games on the season. Since July 11, Avelino is hitting .360 (18-for-50) in 14 games for Iowa, raising his average on the season to .281 in 61 games.

MUCH BETTER: Rowan Wick made his second major league rehab appearance with Iowa in game one last night, throwing 1.1 scoreless innings. In his first appearance, Wick only recorded one out, allowing five earned runs on two hits and three walks. His one out came on a strikeout, but he threw just 11 strikes compared to 12 balls. Last night, Wick was better, throwing 20 of his 27 pitches for strikes. He still allowed three hits, but struck out two and didn’t allow a run.

AGAINST LOUISVILLE: After splitting the doubleheader on Saturday, Iowa took a 3-2 series lead over Louisville coming into today’s finale. They are now 13-10 against the Bats all-time, taking 10 of the 14 games played here at Principal Park between the two teams. Iowa’s three wins have been by a combined four runs, as they trail Louisville in the total run column by 10, 24-14 in the series. Iowa will go for their first series win since taking four of six from the Indianapolis Indians back on June 29 to July 4.

GET TO THE PEN: Louisville’s starters have had quality starts in three of the five games so far this series. In game two, a 17-5 win for the Bats, their starter came one inning short, going five innings, allowing just one earned run. In Friday’s game, a major league rehabber got the start as an “opener”, throwing just one frame. Other than that, Louisville got six innings with three earned runs in game one, six innings with two earned runs in game three and seven scoreless innings yesterday from their starters. Iowa has scored nine of their 14 runs this series against the bullpen of Louisville.

SHORT HOPS: Last night marked Iowa’s fifth walk-off win of the season, moving to 5-5 in walk-offs this season...with 4.0 innings pitched last night, Ryan Kellogg tied the longest outing of his Triple-A career, set back on July 7 against St. Paul...Iowa moved into a tied for fifth place with the Columbus Clippers, both sitting at 32-42, 11.5 games back of first-place Omaha.