June 16 Game Notes at Tacoma

Iowa Cubs (25-40) at Tacoma Rainiers (34-34)
Saturday, June 16 • 7:05 p.m. CT • Cheney Stadium • Tacoma, WA
RHP Trevor Clifton (0-0, 4.50) vs. RHP Christian Bergman (4-4, 4.28)

TONIGHT'S GAME: Iowa and Tacoma meet for the only four-game set of 2018 with RHP Trevor Clifton getting the ball for the I-Cubs to kick off the series tonight. Iowa enters the set with four-straight series losses. 
HEEERRREE'S JOHNNY!: The I-Cubs face former teammate John Andreoli this series. Andreoli suited up for the I-Cubs in three-straight seasons 2015-17. He ended his Cubs run second in career marks in stolen bases (102) and strikeouts (397), and fourth in triples (21) and runs scored (249). He also landed on the single-season leaderboard, tying for fifth with 43 steals in 2016 and setting a franchise record with 162 strikeouts in 2016. Andreoli led the PCL in steals in 2016, becoming the sixth Iowa player to do so. 
MAN IN CHARGE: Opposing manager Pat Listach was Iowa's manager in 2008, leading the I-Cubs to an 83-59 record and the team's most recent playoff appearance. Listach was named PCL Manager of the Year, becoming the second Iowa skipper (also Terry Kennedy, 1998) to win the award. Later, Ryne Sandberg also claimed the honor in 2010.
FIRST INNING FALTERING: Reno scored four first inning runs on back-to-back nights off Iowa, bringing Iowa's opponent run total in the first to 51 compared to its own 27. The I-Cubs have not allowed more runs in any other inning this season. Iowa allowed multiple first-inning runs in all three games of the series against Reno and in eight of 13 June games. 
JUNE GLOOM: Iowa fell to 4-9 in June with last night's loss. Pitching has been a struggle in the month as the staff holds a 6.30 ERA, compared to a 4.10 mark through April and May. I-Cubs starters are 0-6 with a 7.90 ERA (48ER/54.2IP) in June. 
A MAN OF ALL TRADES: Super utility man Stephen Bruno pitched the eighth for Iowa last night, becoming the first position player to pitch for the I-Cubs since Chris Dominguez on Aug. 18, 2017 vs. Colorado Springs. Bruno allowed a leadoff single, but induced two groundouts and a fly out to post a scoreless frame. Bruno pitched one other time for Iowa in 2017. 
AGAINST TACOMA: Iowa and Tacoma split the series in 2017 at Principal Park. John Andreoli was just 1-for-15 with nine strikeouts against his future team. Victor Caratini hit .308 (4-for-13) with four RBI in the series and Mark Zagunis was 5-for-16 (.313) with two doubles and one home run. 
ALL-STAR STAFF: Marty Pevey will manage the PCL in the 2018 PCL All-Star Game in July. Pevey becomes the fourth Iowa manager to guide the Triple-A All-Stars, joining Pete Mackanin (1989), Tim Johnson (1997) and current Tacoma manager Pat Listach (2008).  
BOTE BANDWAGON: David Bote's towering solo shot in Thursday's game marked his 10th long ball of the season, doubling his team lead of Ryan Court's second-most five homers. The infielder is the first I-Cub to reach double-digit home runs for 2018, as he continues to pace the squad in power numbers with a .537 slugging and .901 OPS. Iowa's 34 long balls bring up the rear in the PCL. Salt Lake's 101 in 68 games continue to pace the league, with Bees' Jabari Blash leading the PCL in homers (18), slugging (.746) and OPS (1.166). 
RUN IT OUT: Iowa's run production has been limited this season as the team is last in the PCL with 262 runs and is averaging just four runs per game. The I-Cubs are in better shape when scoring four or more runs, holding a 21-14 clip when doing so despite scoring four and five runs, respectively, in back-to-back losses to Reno. 
HITTING MACHINE: Reno tagged I-Cubs pitching for a season-high 18 hits last night. It was the most hits for an opponent since Oklahoma City knocked 19 hits on April 9, 2017 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. 
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Iowa matched a season high with six doubles last night off the bats of Mike Freeman, David Bote, Victor Caratini (2), Ali Solis and Chesny Young. Adding a triple from Bote, who fell a home run shy of the cycle, Iowa's seven extra-base hits were another season best. The I-Cubs have managed five or more extra-base hits in a game just five times this season as they are averaging just two per game.