Iowa Cubs (53-40) @ Round Rock Express (54-39)Sunday, July 14 • 6:05 p.m. • The Dell Diamond • Round Rock, TXRHP Matt Swarmer (5-8, 5.68) vs. RHP Brandon Bielak (3-3, 5.40)
Iowa Cubs (53-40) @ Round Rock Express (54-39)
Sunday, July 14 • 6:05 p.m. • The Dell Diamond • Round Rock, TX
RHP Matt Swarmer (5-8, 5.68) vs. RHP Brandon Bielak (3-3, 5.40)
TONIGHT'S GAME: Iowa goes for the split of both the current series and the season series at Dell Diamond as it plays its final game in Round Rock of 2019. The win last night snapped a four-game losing skid for the I-Cubs against the Express. RHP Matt Swarmer will get the ball for Iowa, making his first start since June 30.
THIEVERY: Round Rock swiped three bases Friday and is 18/21 in stolen base attempts against Iowa this season. Drew Ferguson and Josh Rojas lead the way with six steals each in the matchup. Iowa catchers have caught base stealers at a 25 percent clip (85 SB / 28 CS) this season.
SHUT DOWN: James Norwood logged his seventh-straight outing without an earned run Friday. Through this span of 9.0 innings, the righty has given up just five hits, walked four and fanned 18 while going 1-0 with three saves. Norwood has dropped his season ERA from 5.40 to 4.10.
DUCES WILD: Since returning from a brief stint in Chicago on June 7, Jim Adduci is tied with former I-Cub and current Mission, David Freitas, for eighth in the PCL with a .365 batting average. After hitting .217 (23-for-106) in 33 games through May 19, Adduci is second on the team with a .304 average (100+AB). Adduci's 16 doubles are tied with Ian Happ for second most on the I-Cubs with the pair trailing Phillip Evans and Trent Giambrone with 17 each. Adduci has played in at least 19 fewer games than anyone in top doubles group.
ON A TEAR: Taylor Davis batted in a season-high three runs last night with the help of a home run and a two-RBI single. Since June 15, the catcher is batting .368 (21-for-57) and adds 19 walks for a scorching .519 on-base percentage. Through this span, Davis has struck out just nine times. With 27 walks and 23 strikeouts on the season, Davis is one of only three PCL players (40+G) with more walks than strikeouts (also MEM Nogowski, 42BB/35K & RR Rojas, 26BB/25K). Davis has walked at least once in 11 of his last 14 games.
SUMMER HEAT: Iowa has logged a 6-4 record through July, posting a 4.14 ERA for the second-best mark in the PCL. The I-Cubs boast the best WHIP in the PCL with a 1.30 clip, despite walking the second-most batters with 47 free passes. The pitching staff has balanced the effort with just 66 hits allowed -- 6.6 per game.
AGAINST ROUND ROCK: Round Rock and Iowa have been equally matched in the season series, though the Express holds a slight 7-5 edge in the win column. Iowa is hitting .239 to Round Rock's .244, while the I-Cubs lead the scoring matchup 56-55. Taylor Davis has thrived in the season series, going10-for-31 (.323) with three doubles, one home run and eight RBI. On the opposite lineup card, Josh Rojas has clobbered Iowa's pitching, going 15-for-47 (.319) with three doubles, four home runs and 12 RBI.
A CHANGE OF SCENERY: Since moving to the bullpen in late May, Duane Underwood Jr. has posted a 2.84 ERA (6ER/19.0) through 13 games while walking seven and striking out 22. In his last nine contests, the righty has allowed two earned runs through 12.2 frames -- good for a 1.42 ERA -- and has issued three free passes compared to 15 strikeouts.
WALK IT OUT: After the Iowa pitching staff walked 11 Express batters Friday, Iowa's offense walked 12 times in last night's game. A PCL team has only walked 11 or more times in a game 10 times this season and Iowa has been on the pitching side twice and the batting side twice, while three of four have been vs. Round Rock. Iowa tallied the league's most walks in a game with 15 in a 7.0-inning game against Nashville on April 28. Iowa also walked 12 Express batters on May 31 at Principal Park.
A NIGHT OF FIRSTS: After allowing six runs, five earned, through 1.1 innings in his Triple-A debut last week, Tyson Miller bounced back to allow two earned runs through 5.0 frames against the Express last night on the way to his first Triple-A victory. P.J. Higgins also settled in in his second Triple-A game. Higgins notched his first Triple-A hit with a fourth-inning single, while matching a career high with three walks. The catcher hadn't walked as many times in a game since Aug. 28, 2016 while with Single-A South Bend.
ZACK ATTACK:Zack Short's hitting streak was snapped Thursday, but the infielder has kept his on-base streak alive. He has reached base in all 12 games with the I-Cubs this season, hitting at a .324 pace (12-for-37) with a .469 on-base percentage.
SHORT HOPS: Iowa is 40-6 when out-hitting its opponent...Mark Zagunis' triple last night was his first since June 13, 2017 with Iowa.
