June 23 Game Notes vs. Colorado Springs

Iowa Cubs (26-45) vs. Colorado Springs Sky Sox (38-33) 
Saturday, June 23 • 12:08 / 7:08 • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA
RHP Alec Mills (3-6, 4.39) vs. RHP Bubba Derby (3-3, 4.08)
RHP Daury Torrez (0-1, 4.86) vs. RHP Aaron Brooks (4-3, 5.45)

TODAY'S GAMES: The I-Cubs and Sky Sox will play a day/night doubleheader for games three and four of the five-game set. Iowa is 3-3 on the season in doubleheaders. Last night's win was just the fourth time Iowa has come back to win a game when trailing after seven innings and the fifth W when tied after eight. Iowa will face former Cub Aaron Brooks (2016-17) in the nightcap. Brooks is tied for second in franchise history with 27 home runs allowed in a single season in 2017. 
CARATINI TIME: Victor Caratini is continuing to swing a hot bat, as his 2-for-4 night with an RBI and walk have kept him atop the Iowa leaderboard in average (.338, 27-for-80), OBP (.432), slugging (.538) and OPS (.969). The switch-hitter is seeing the ball well from both sides, hitting .333 (20-for-60) with six runs, five doubles, three home runs and 16 RBI vs. right-handers, and .350 (7-for-20) with two runs, two doubles and two RBI vs. lefties. 
FRESH FACES: South Bend's Christian Donahue was promoted to Iowa yesterday. The infielder is making his Triple-A debut in his first professional season. The Oregon State product signed as a non-drafter free agent with the Cubs on Aug. 26, 2017. In 36 games with South Bend, Donahue is batting .262 (33-for-126) with six doubles, a triple and home run. Zach Hedges has been added to Iowa's roster, logging his fourth stint with the club. In two starts in five games with the I-Cubs in 2018, the righty owns an 8.10 ERA (15ER/16.2IP), five walks and seven strikeouts. 
"WALKING" IT OFF: Last night's walk-off walk snapped a seven-game losing streak for the I-Cubs, as they narrowly avoided matching their season-high of eight consecutive losses (4/21-4/29). The I-Cubs own a .247 batting average with the bases loaded with nine walks. Bijan Rademacher leads the club, drawing three free passes in bases loaded situations. 
DO IT WITH STYLE: Iowa earned its seventh walkoff of the season last night and its second via walk. With just 26 wins on the year, more than 1/4 of Iowa's victories have come in walkoff fashion. More than half of the I-Cubs 13 home wins have been via walk off. Bijan Rademacher (2), Ryan Court, Efren Navarro, Mike Freeman, David Bote and Victor Caratini have collected the walkoff offense this season. 
AGAINST COLORADO SPRINGS: This is the first time this season the I-Cubs will welcome Colorado Springs to Principal Park in 2018. In seven games between the two teams thus far, Sky Sox batters have rocked Iowa pitching for a 6.64 ERA. Their running game has been even stronger, going 18-for-19 on the bases. Iowa has yet to hit a homer in the match up, getting held without a long ball through five games in Colorado Springs for the first time since at least 2005. 
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: After going 1-6 on the previous road trip, the I-Cubs are back in the comforts of their own home. The I-Cubs pitchers have accumulated a 5.41 ERA on the road as opposed to a 3.77 ERA while pitching at home. 
FREE ADMISSION: Mark Zagunis went 1-for-4 with a walk last night and has three walks in his last two games. The outfielder ranks second among Cubs farmhands with 36 free passes, trailing only Double-A Tennessee's Zack Short with 46, and is tied for the eighth-most in the PCL. 
BOTE BY THE NUMBERS: After his two RBI night last night, David Bote continues to pace the club with 38 RBI -- good for 20th overall in PCL standings among RBI leaders. He is also tied with Taylor Davis (50+ABs) in production with runners on base, going 27-for-83, with five doubles, a triple, four homers and 30 RBI. 
BIG SPORTS FANS: Iowa's season-high crowd of 12,942 last night checks in as the 27th-largest crowd in Principal Park history. It's the third-largest crowd in the last three seasons, ranking behind a Fireworks Friday when Kyle Schwarber was with Iowa on June 30, 2017 (13,975) and another Fireworks Friday and Kris Bryant Replica Jersey Night on Aug. 25, 2017 (13,249). Principal Park's largest crowd in history was 15,188 on June 8, 2007 for a fireworks night
SHORT HOPS: Iowa snapped its 17.0-inning scoreless inning streak in the bottom of the sixth off a Victor Caratini RBI single...Iowa's 4-3 win marked the 13th one-run victory...the team sits in fifth place in the PCL one-run games with a .520 winning percentage...Since coming off the disabled list on June 18, Ryan Court has hit safely in all three games, going 4-for-12 with three doubles.