July 19 Game Notes - Iowa at Nashville

Iowa Cubs (55-43) @ Nashville Sounds (40-57)
Friday, July 19 • 7:05 p.m. • First Tennessee Park • Nashville, TN
RHP Matt Swarmer (5-8, 5.76) vs. RHP Tim Dillard (5-8, 5.47)

TONIGHT'S GAME: Iowa heads to Nashville for the first time since the opening set of 2019. The I-Cubs are coming off a series with Oklahoma City in which they managed a series split, despite getting out-scored 38-21 in the four-game set. The I-Cubs maintains a 14.5-game lead over the Sounds in the American Northern Division. 
POWER PUNCH: Iowa gave up eight home runs yesterday to set a franchise record. The previous mark was set on July 26, 2007 against Colorado Springs. Three different I-Cubs allowed homers in the game including a career-high three powered off starter Tyson Miller and three off catcher Taylor Davis in the ninth inning. Davis is the second position player to take the hill this season. Former I-Cub outfielder Jacob Hannemann pitched twice and allowed two runs, one earned, through 1.1 innings. It was Davis' fourth-career pitching appearances and first since 2017. 
BATTING CAGES: Oklahoma City tagged Iowa pitching with 18 runs off 20 hits yesterday. It was the most hits in a game for an Iowa opponent since the staff allowed 21 on April 27, 2013 at Omaha. 18 earned runs marked the team's highest total since matching a franchise record with 19 earned runs allowed on May 13, 2011 vs. Colorado Springs. Iowa dropped that series 1-3 and was outscored 53-31 as the Sky Sox put up double-digits runs in each of the four games. 
A LIFE OF LUX-URY: Oklahoma City's Gavin Lux went 12-for-18 with two doubles, five home runs and 11 RBI in the last four-game set against Iowa. He added a 5-for-6 performance yesterday, becoming the first opponent to have five hits in a game against Iowa since Memphis' Luke Voit went 5-for-6 and hit for the cycle on June 30, 2018 at Iowa. In that five-game set, Voit was 12-for-15 with two doubles, one triple, two home runs and nine RBI. 
CONSISTANCY IS KEY:Mark Zagunis went 0-for-4 yesterday and failed to reach base for just the second time in 37 games as an I-Cub. Zagunis also snapped a 10-game hitting streak in which the outfielder was 15-for-42 (.357). 
AGAINST NASHVILLE: Iowa and Nashville last met for a five-game series at Principal Park April 24-28 in which the I-Cubs took the series 3-2. In the final game of the set, the two teams totaled 34 runs, 36 hits, 34 walks, nine home runs, 15 pitchers used and 585 pitches thrown. The action lasted 5 hours and 12 minutes as Iowa won the game 19-5. Iowa set a franchise record with 15 runs in the first inning and tied a modern PCL record (since 1958) with first-inning runs. The I-Cubs also set a franchise mark with 15 walks in the game. 
BULLPEN BOMBINGS: Iowa's bullpen was dominant through 12 games June 18-30, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.20 ERA (5ER/37.1IP), 11 walks, 48 strikeouts and no home runs allowed. In 15 games since, Iowa relievers are 3-3 with a 5.25 clip (35ER/60.0IP), 35 walks, 85 strikeouts and 10 long balls. The 'pen has put together five scoreless outings in this span, including a dominant 5.1 shutout frames on Wednesday in which the staff allowed just three hits, walked none and fanned nine.  
ROSTER ROTATION: Today, Iowa added Johnny Field to the roster. The outfielder had been out with a broken finger since June 1. RHP Adbert Alzolay was placed on the IL with bicep soreness. RHP Carl Edwards Jr. also wrapped up a rehab assignment with Iowa. Edwards Jr. spun two scoreless frames across two outings. 
HOME RUN HIGHWAY: Iowa has given up at least one home run in nine-straight games for a total of 23 over this span. Offensively, the I-Cubs have homered in nine of their last 11 games with a total of 17 long balls. Iowa has allowed 128 home runs this season -- the fifth-fewest in the PCL -- and has hit 131 for the sixth fewest offensively. 
HAPP-Y DANCE:Ian Happ has hit a hot streak and leads the I-Cubs in nearly every offensive category since July 2, including batting (.352), home runs (5), RBI (t-1, 11), OBP (.462), slugging (.722), OPS (1.184), walks (11), extra-base hits (9) and runs (13).