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June 12 Game Notes: Iowa vs. Columbus

June 12, 2021

IOWA CUBS (11-21) vs. COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (13-20) Saturday, June 12, 2021 • 7:08 PM • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA RHP Adrian Sampson (0-1, 6.00) vs. LHP Logan Allen (0-2, 14.66)

IOWA CUBS (11-21) vs. COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (13-20)

Saturday, June 12, 2021 • 7:08 PM • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA

RHP Adrian Sampson (0-1, 6.00) vs. LHP Logan Allen (0-2, 14.66)

TONIGHT’S GAME: Iowa and Columbus matchup in game five of the six-game set tonight. Adrian Sampson will take the ball for the I-Cubs in search of his first win. Sampson went a season-long six innings in his last outing against Omaha, but suffered the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits. Opposite of Sampson will be lefty Logan Allen Logan Allen getting the start for Columbus. Last night, Iowa got just their second victory against a lefty in eight games played. The I-Cubs currently hold a 2-6 record when their opponent sends out a southpaw starter.

START A NEW ONE: The I-Cubs got their first win last night since June 2, a 2-0 victory over the first-place Omaha Storm Chasers. It was their first victory at Principal Park since May 21, also a win over Omaha, by a score of 9-8. The victory snapped a seven-game losing streak in which they had been outscored 59-32 by their opponents. They were allowing, on average, 8.4 runs per game while scoring an average of 4.6 runs per game over that seven-game span. Before the win on June 2, they were on a nine-game losing streak spanning from May 22 through June 1. Hopefully last night’s win can start a winning streak for Iowa to climb back towards the top of the Triple-A East Midwest division standings.

JUST WHAT THEY NEEDED: Starter Ryan Kellogg gave the I-Cubs bullpen and team just what they needed with his start last night. The lefty spun five innings, allowing just one run on three hits. He walked two batters and struck out one on the night. For Kellogg, it was his Triple-A debut and his first time starting a game since August 16, 2019, with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. He gave Iowa a lift they haven’t had since their last win on June 2; a starter going five or more innings and allowing no more than one run. Alec Mills did so on June 2, tossing six scoreless innings for the team. This allowed the bullpen to only have to cover four innings, in which they allowed just one unearned run while striking out seven.

BACK ON TRACK: Jake Jewell started the season allowing just one earned run over his first ten appearances, good for an ERA of 0.73 (1ER/12.1IP). Over that span, the righty was 2-0 with a save, while allowing just seven hits, five walks and striking out 12. In his two appearances since that stretch, Jewell allowed a combined eight earned runs over just 2.1 innings. On June 4 against Omaha, he tossed 1.1 innings, allowing three runs on three hits. On June 8, he had his worst outing of the season, going just one inning while allowing five runs on six hits. He carried an 0-1 record over that span and owned an ERA of 30.86. Last night, however, Jewell got back to his early ways as he allowed just two base runners over his two innings pitched. He surrendered one hit and one walk, while striking out three Clippers’ batters.

HAVE A NIGHT: Jacob Olson had his first multi-hit game of the season with Iowa last night, going 3-for-4 with two doubles. The two doubles were his first extra-base hits since the home run that he hit in the first at-bat of his Triple-A career on May 23. Olson also scored a run and drove in two last night. His three hits accounted for 43% of his hits on the season (seven) with the I-Cubs, and bumped his average up to .219 (7-for-32) on the year.

KEEP IT IN THE PARK: In his last start, Adrian Sampson spun a season-long six innings against Omaha, but suffered his first loss of the year. He gave up five runs on eight hits, including four home runs. It marked the second time this season that Sampson had allowed four home runs in a single outing and the fourth of his career, good for a career high. Eight of his 27 hits allowed this year have left the yard, good for one in every 3.3 hits. In his first matchup with the Columbus Clippers, Sampson will look for his first win of the season by keeping the ball in the park.

AGAINST COLUMBUS: Iowa and Columbus will play game five of their six-game series 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. With last night’s victory, Iowa has the chance to take a series split and jump Columbus in the standings.

BUH-BYE: Dee Gordon went 1-for-5 last night against Columbus, including a two-run home run in the fourth inning. It was his first home run of the season with the I-Cubs, and his first since May 12 of this season as a member of the Nashville Sounds against the Memphis Redbirds. Strange-Gordon has hit 28 home runs in his career, compared to 212 doubles and 109 triples. The infielder has 1,862 hits over his 14-year career, 10 of those seasons coming in the major leagues.

SHORT HOPS: Iowa could win two games in a row tonight for the first time since May 16 to 21 when they won four in a row against St. Paul and Omaha...the I-Cubs only surrendered two runs last night, marking the first game this series they allowed less than eight runs...Iowa trails the series 3-1, but with the seven-run victory last night, they have only been outscored by two, 27-25.