IOWA CUBS (10-21) vs. COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (13-19)
Friday, June 11, 2021 • 7:08 PM • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA
LHP Ryan Kellogg (0-0, -.--) vs. LHP Scott Moss (0-2, 5.11)
IOWA CUBS (10-21) vs. COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (13-19)
Friday, June 11, 2021 • 7:08 PM • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA
LHP Ryan Kellogg (0-0, -.--) vs. LHP Scott Moss (0-2, 5.11)
TONIGHT’S GAME: Iowa will take on Columbus for game four of the series tonight. They’ll send lefty Ryan Kellogg to the mound for his first start after being promoted from Double-A Tennessee. Columbus will counter with a lefty of their own, Scott Moss, who is 0-2 with a 5.11 ERA in five starts for the Clippers this season.
COMPLETE THE COMEBACK: The I-Cubs enter tonight’s game with a run differential of -25, which ranks second-to-last in their division, but their run differential in innings seven through nine is +21. Iowa has been outscored 121-83 in the first six innings, but they’ve outscored their opponents 66-45 in the final three. The I-Cubs have scored 45% of their total runs this season in the final third of games. While they’ve made a lot of noise late, however, it hasn’t often been enough to put them in the win column. Iowa has registered just one walk-off and three comeback wins so far this season.
HOT STREAKS: After hitting just .233 (47-for-202) as a team at Omaha, the I-Cubs offense is finally starting to put it together this series. Following last night’s 15-hit performance, the team is now hitting for a .296 average (34-for-115) against the Clippers. The boost has come from up and down the lineup, with seven out of nine hitters registering at least two hits in last night’s game, and several of the I-Cubs’ bats have been heating up this week. Taylor Gushue and Ian Miller both extended their hitting streaks to three games last night - a season high for Miller and one game short of tying a season high for Gushue - while Andrew Romine and Dee Gordon both extended theirs to four games. That streak is good for Romine’s longest in 2021 and one shy of Strange-Gordon’s season-high five-game streak.
THE PITCH CALLER: Jose Lobaton got his contract selected by Chicago today and was added to the 40-man roster. Over his career, the catcher has played in parts of nine major league seasons with the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals and the New York Mets. In that time in the MLB, Lobaton hit .215 (244-for-1,134) with 47 doubles, 21 home runs and 107 RBI with 121 walks. He played in 15 games this year with Iowa, accounting for five runs on seven hits, including three doubles and two home runs. He had nine RBI and took 10 free passes in his time with the team.
PULLING IT TOGETHER: Michael Rucker relieved Scott Effross yesterday in his 10th outing for Iowa on the year. Rucker entered the game in the fourth inning last night with one out and a runner on second. He surrendered a home run and then back-to-back doubles to the first three hitters he faced, giving Columbus a 8-1 lead over the I-Cubs. After those three batters, Rucker got dialed in, allowing just two more hits over the rest of his outing while striking out five. His 3.2 innings of work was the longest outing of the season for him and his longest career outing since June 9, 2019, when he tossed a four-inning save for Double-A Tennessee.
PLAYING CATCH-UP: Over their current seven-game losing streak, the I-Cubs have been stuck playing from behind the majority of the time. They’ve held a lead in only two of their seven last games, and those two leads only lasted for a total of seven innings out of 63 total that they’ve played since their last win. On the flip side, Iowa has hit from behind in 46 innings during the streak.
LEFTY/LEFTY: When Ryan Kellogg takes the mound tonight, he will be only the second left-handed pitcher to start for Iowa this season. The last time the I-Cubs sent out a southpaw was Ben Holmes’ May 12 start in St. Paul, a game they lost 1-6. Holmes made two starts for Iowa before heading to the injured list, and the team was 1-1 in those games. Since his last start, Iowa has started a righty in 24 consecutive games. On the other side, Columbus will also be featuring a left-handed starter tonight in Scott Moss. The I-Cubs have faced seven lefties this year and gone 1-6 in those games. This is the first game the I-Cubs have played this season that will feature left-handed pitchers on both sides.
BIG-TIME HITTER: Since joining the I-Cubs on June 4, Michael Hermosillo has been a nice addition to the lineup for manager Marty Pevey. Hermosillo is hitting .450 (9-for-20) in six games with the team with two doubles and two home runs. He also has a slugging percentage of .850 with two doubles and two home runs, while driving in eight runs. Hermosillo’s on-base percentage is at .577 as along with his nine hits, he has also drawn five walks, matching his five strikeouts.
AGAINST COLUMBUS: Iowa and Columbus will play their fourth of six games at Principal Park tonight. The Clippers have already secured at least a series split and are in search of their first series win since opening week, when they defeated Louisville 4-1 on the road. Iowa’s last series win came May 18-23, when they bested Omaha three games to two. The I-Cubs have allowed at least eight runs in each game so far and have been outscored 25-16 so far.
MAKE IT COUNT: Ryan Kellogg will make his Triple-A debut tonight with Iowa, and make his first start since August 16, 2019, with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Kellogg has pitched in four games this year with Double-A Tennessee, and owns a 3.24 ERA over 8.1 innings. Over his six-year minor league career, the lefty has surrendered 111 walks while striking out 283 batters. In total, he has allowed 33 home runs and opponents have hit .279 against him.
SHORT HOPS: The I-Cubs are 0-11 when Trayce Thompson has hit third in the order... last night Iowa stranded a season-high 14 runners on base, including leaving the bases full twice
