Iowa Cubs (24-38) vs. Reno Aces (30-35)Wednesday, June 13 • 9:05 PM CT • Aces Ballpark • Reno, NVRHP Daury Torrez (0-0, 1.17) vs. RHP Jake Buchanan (4-5, 4.25)
Iowa Cubs (24-38) vs. Reno Aces (30-35)
Wednesday, June 13 • 9:05 PM CT • Aces Ballpark • Reno, NV
RHP Daury Torrez (0-0, 1.17) vs. RHP Jake Buchanan (4-5, 4.25)
TONIGHT'S GAME: Iowa and Reno clash for the first and only time of 2018 this week. Iowa was 5-17 in April, but recovered to post a 16-14 May clip -- tied for the fourth-most PCL wins in the month. Since, the I-Cubs have reverted to old ways and are off to a 3-7 start in June.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Iowa played in its third doubleheader of the season Monday and split for the third time. Still to come in 2018, the I-Cubs are scheduled for four more twin bills: June 23 vs. Colorado Springs, July 13 vs. Nashville, Aug. 18 at Oklahoma City and Aug. 29 vs. Oklahoma City.
DESERT CLIMATE: Mark Zagunis has hit an eight-game skid, going 0-for-19 with four walks and five strikeouts since June 3. Zagunis has seen a tough stretch, watching his batting average drop from .280 on May 25 to .247 entering today's game. After batting .338 in April, Zagunis hit .208 in May and holds a .115 June average. Taylor Davis has also seen a dip at the plate and is 1-for-19 (.053) with five walks and three strikeouts through his last six contests.
HANDY HANNEMANN: Through his last 12 games, Jacob Hannemann has wielded a hot bat, hitting .353 (12-for-34) with three doubles, one home run and three RBI. Perhaps most impressively, Hannemann has fanned only once and walked five times in 39 plate appearances. Prior to this stretch (through May 28), Hannemann was whiffing at a 22 percent clip (31K/139PA) and had 12 walks through 37 games.
SWEET AS MAPLE SYRUP: Dillon Maples has done a complete 180, giving Iowa a boost out of the bullpen. The righty racked up a 8.22 ERA (7ER/7.2IP) with 14 walks and nine strikeouts in eight games from April 30-May 21. In seven game since, Maples hasn't allowed a run, has walked two and fanned 14 through 7.0 innings -- an average of 18 strikeouts per nine innings.
AGAINST RENO: Iowa went just 1-3 against the Aces in 2017 with two of the losses coming by just one run. Iowa hasn't won more than one of four games against Reno since going 2-2 vs. the Aces in 2013. The I-Cubs are 15-21 all-time vs. the Aces and 9-11 at Aces Stadium.
ALL OR NOTHING: Wynton Bernard went 2-for-2 in Game 1 of Iowa's doubleheader Monday, snapping an 0-for-7 stretch over six games. Bernard has been either steaming hot, or ice cold this season. In 37 games this season in which he has recorded an at-bat, the outfielder has eight multi-hit games, five one-hit games and 24 games without a hit.
ROSTER ROTATION: The Chicago Cubs selected the contract of RHP Anthony Bass on Tuesday and optioned RHP Cory Mazzoni to make room on the active roster. 2017 I-Cub RHP Eddie Butler was transfered to the 60-day DL to open a 40-man spot for Bass. Bass pitched for Chicago on both Tuesday and Wednesday, pitching a total of 2.0 scoreless innings with three hits and one strikeout. It was the first big league action for the righty since May 3, 2017 with Texas.
JUNE GLOOM: Iowa is off to a 3-7 start to June, posting a .245 team average and a 5.08 ERA. Among the active roster, Victor Caratini (.303), Jacob Hannemann (.400) and Bijan Rademacher (.312) are boosting the roster with batting averages above .300 in the month. The trio has a combined 29 June hits, accounting for 37% of Iowa's production in the month.
FAMILIAR FACES: The I-Cubs will see familar faces in former I-Cubs RHP Jake Buchanan (2016-17), INF Kristopher Negrón (2016) and C Anthony Recker (2012) this series vs. Reno.
SHORT HOPS: Iowa is 5-11 in the first game of a series...Rob Zastryzny has allowed one earned run through his last 12 innings over five games (0.75 ERA).
