Iowa Cubs (31-57) at Nashville Sounds (42-45)Thursday, July 12 • 7:08 p.m. CT • Principal Park • Des Moines, IARHP Alec Mills (4-8, 4.69) vs. LHP Eric Jokisch (2-8, 4.62)
Iowa Cubs (31-57) at Nashville Sounds (42-45)
Thursday, July 12 • 7:08 p.m. CT • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA
RHP Alec Mills (4-8, 4.69) vs. LHP Eric Jokisch (2-8, 4.62)
TONIGHT'S GAME: Coming off the All-Star break, Iowa and Nashville meet again for a five-game set. The series includes a day/night doubleheader on Friday, with both games as 7.0 inning contests. Alec Mills will take the bump for Iowa, and will square off against former Cub LHP Eric Jokisch. Mills is coming off his sixth quality start on the season, which he notched against the Sounds on July 4.
NEW MANAGER IN TOWN: Skipper Marty Pevey will hand the reigns over to hitting coach Chris Valaika for the series as Pevey takes the series off. Valaika has already managed the I-Cubs during six games in lieu of Pevey's ejections, with the most recent being on July 2.
STRONG AND STEADY:Jason Vosler went 1-4 with a run Sunday to extend his hitting streak to 13 games (15-for-51, .294) -- the longest hitting streak for an I-Cub this season. Vosler adds two doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI to this line. Vosler is one of 30 PCL players to have 12+ game hitting streaks this season and has the third-longest active streak behind Colorado Springs' Mauricio Dubón (23G) and Round Rock's Willie Calhoun (15G). Albuquerque's Daniel Castro claims the league's longest hitting streak of 2018 with 24 games.
ROSTER ROTATION:Chris Gimenez returns to the I-Cubs for the first time since May 25. The catcher appeared in 12 games for Chicago, going 4-for-28 with one run scored, one RBI, seven strikeouts and a stolen base. 2018 marks his 12th season of professional baseball. Ali Solis will head to the DL, as Chicago promotes catcher Will Remillard to Iowa. Remillard received his first callup to Triple-A after spending this season with Double-A Tennessee. In 14 games, Remillard batted .304 (14-for-46) with four runs, three doubles, a home run, RBI, two walks and 15 strikeouts.
ALL-STAR ACCOLADES: Manager Marty Pevey and LHP Alberto Baldonado came home from Columbus, OH victorious, as the PCL notched a 12-7 victory over the IL in the Triple-A All-Star Game. Baldonado made an appearance in the eighth, retiring two batters with one on a strikeout. The IL still holds the all-time record for the present league alignment (1998), 12-9. This was the second-consecutive win for the PCL.
AGAINST NASHVILLE: Nashville holds a 7-4 edge in the season series and is 2-1 at Principal Park. It's been a pitchers duel in each meeting, as Iowa holds a 2.88 ERA against Nashville's stingy 2.41 ERA. With five games under his belt, newcomer Trey Martin leads the I-Cub offense against Nashville with a 5-for-17 performance (.294), two runs, a triple, RBI, walk, four K's and a stolen base.
HOME RUN HAPPY: Iowa gave up one home run to Franklin Barreto last time out. The team has given up a home run in 13 of its last 15 games and multiple long balls in a game in four of these contests. Iowa ranks sixth in the PCL with the fewest home runs allowed (75). Colorado Springs has the fewest with 64 and Las Vegas has the most with 130.
LONG TIME COMING: Ali Solis blasted his first home run of the season Sunday, and his first long ball since July 16, 2017 at Colorado Springs. The catcher also put together his first multi-RBI performance of the season, adding a sac-fly in the ninth to his line. Solis was the first I-Cub outside of Jason Vosler to hit a long ball since Victor Caratini hit one out on June 28.
FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS: The Iowa Cubs have sent 15 promotions to the Chicago Cubs, with David Bote, Duane Underwood Jr., Justin Hancock and James Norwood all making their Major League debuts this season. Back on the farm, 13 prospects have made their way up to Des Moines thus far, with the second-half of the season bringing Tennessee Smokies Jason Vosler, Craig Brooks, Norwood and Trey Martin. In total, 10 Iowa Cubs have made their Triple-A debuts leading up to the All-Star break; and while it is less than two months until turning the page on 2018, it is just the beginning of talent yet to make its way through Principal Park.
SHORT HOPS: David Bote has been optioned back to Iowa following Kris Bryant's reinstatement off the DL...after this series with Nashville the I-Cubs have just three more home games in July, the fewest of any month this season, save for September...Alec Mills is tied for the PCL lead in sacrifice flies allowed with Memphis' Kevin Herget at seven.
