Game Notes - 8.25.17 vs. Memphis

Iowa Cubs (64-65) vs. Memphis Redbirds (84-47)
RHP Williams Pérez (6-8, 4.91)vs. RHP Dakota Hudson (0-0, 4.00)
Friday, August 25 • 7:08 p.m. CT • Principal Park • Des Moines

TONIGHT'S GAME: Iowa and Memphis square off in the second game of a four-game series at Principal Park. With last night's 5-3 win, the I-Cubs improved to 36-32 at home this season with three home games remaining, guaranteeing an above-.500 record at Principal Park for the 2017 season. The I-Cubs play in their 130th game of the season tonight, looking to get to .500 for the first time since they were 9-9 on April 23.
HALF A MILLION: Iowa reached the 500,000 mark in attendance at Principal Park this season with last night's crowd. The I-Cubs have now reached that mark three seasons in a row, and are just the third PCL club to reach the half-million mark this season.
ONE AWAY FROM .500: Iowa is one game below .500 for the just the second time since early May. The I-Cubs haven't been at or above .500 since April 23, when they were 9-9. In 2016, the latest point of the season in which the I-Cubs were at or above .500 was June 10, when they owned a 29-29 record. The I-Cubs fell to a season-worst 12 games under .500 three times this season, when they were 26-38, 27-39, 28-40 and 31-43.
THREE IS A MAGIC NUMBER: The I-Cubs defeated the Redbirds by a 5-3 score last night, the 10th time this season that Iowa allowed its opponent to score exactly three runs. In those 10 games, the I-Cubs are 10-0, winning every time their opponent musters up exactly three runs. The last time Iowa lost when its opponent put up three runs was August 29, 2016 at Nashville, losing to the Sounds 3-2 in 11 innings.
MANAGER MILESTONES: Iowa manager Marty Pevey is six wins away from his 1,000th win as a manager. Pevey has managed the I-Cubs for five seasons, and has managed in the minor leagues for 15 seasons. He won 563 games in nine years managing in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, 48 with the Medicine Hat Blue Jays from 1996-97, 81 with the Hagerstown Suns in 1998, 218 with the Dunedin Blue Jays from 2000-02, 79 with the New Haven Ravens in 2003 and 137 with the Syracuse SkyChiefs from 2004-05. He started managing in the Cubs organization in 2009, winning 81 games with the Peoria Chiefs. He's been at the helm for Iowa since the 2013 season, and is also six victories away from becoming the all-time winningest manager in Iowa history, currently ranking second to only Joe Sparks, who won 355 as Iowa manager from 1973-75 and 1977-79.
AGAINST MEMPHIS: Iowa is 4-5 against Memphis this season heading into tonight and 2-3 at Principal Park. Last series in Des Moines, Memphis took the first three games of the set before Iowa battled back to avoid the sweep. The Redbird bats were hot as they outscored the I-Cubs, 21-15. Victor Caratini leads the charge against Memphis this season, hitting .550 (11-for-20) with two homers and seven RBI. The last time the Redbirds were in town before this series, he notched back-to-back four-hit games (May 8-9). 
HITTING STREAKS GALORE: Four different Iowa batters either tied or set new season-high individual hitting streaks in last night's game. Bijan Rademacher extended his hitting streak to a season-high six games, batting .400 (10-for-25) since August 17. Mike Freeman extended his streak to four games, a new high for him as an I-Cub. Jacob Hannemann has hit safely in six straight for the third different time this season, and Elliot Soto has tied a season-best four game hitting streak, batting .467 (7-for-15) with three multi-hit games during his streak.
TWO TRIPLES IN THE SAME INNING:Jemile Weeks and Victor Caratini both tripled in the fifth inning off Memphis starter Matt Pearce last night, just the second time this season that the I-Cubs have registered multiple triples in a game. Caratini and Jeimer Candelario both tripled on April 7 at Oklahoma City this season. Last night was the first time Iowa recorded multiple triples in the same inning since May 5, 2016, when Kristopher Negrón and Albert Almora both tripled in the eighth inning in a 4-1 win at Nashville.
AWESOME AUGUST: The I-Cubs are 14-9 in the month of August this season, already tying their most wins in a month, when they went 14-16 in June. Fifteen of Iowa's 23 games in August have come at Principal Park, going 11-4 in those contests. The eighth month of the year has been Iowa's best month over the past few seasons, going 53-29 (.646) in August since 2015.
SHORT HOPS: Iowa pitching notched 13 strikeouts last night, most in a game since August 7 vs. SAC…Matt Carasiti recorded his first save since July 31…Iowa's had nine batters record a hit in two of its last three games…The I-Cubs got their first comeback win since August 14 at OMA…John Andreoli leads the PCL with 26 stolen bases...Rob Zastryzny notched his first win since July 25 at El Paso.