June 30 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs @ Omaha Storm Chasers

IOWA CUBS (44-31) @ OMAHA STORM CHASERS (39-35)

Friday, June 30, 2023 • 7:05 PM • Werner Park • Omaha, NE

LHP Jordan Wicks (0-0, -.--) vs. RHP Max Castillo (2-6, 4.61)

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the Omaha Storm Chasers will take the field for game three tonight in their scheduled six-game series. The pitching matchup for tonight’s contest brings a new arm to the mound for Iowa with Jordan Wicks set to make his Triple-A debut. Wicks, who was selected 21st overall by Chicago in the 2021 draft, has spent his entire 2023 season with Double-A affiliate Tennessee and earned a record of 4-0 with a 3.39 ERA in 13 starts for the Smokies. Wicks last outing for Tennessee came on June 21 versus the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and the left-hander tossed four shutout innings with just one hit allowed, five walks, and five strikeouts. Omaha will have Max Castillo on the bump. The righty owns a record of 2-6 with a 4.61 ERA over 10 starts for the Storm Chasers in 2023 and has picked up his two wins in his last three appearances. Over 52.2 innings of work this season, Castillo has allowed 27 earned runs off 57 hits and 11 home runs to go along with 12 walks and 31 strikeouts. Castillo was originally signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015 and made his big-league debut with Toronto on June 19, 2022. He has seen limited action in the Majors over his career appearing in 18 total games with six starts between the Blue Jays and the Kansas City Royals for a record of 0-3 with a 5.74 ERA. He was traded from Toronto to Kansas City, along with Samad Taylor, last season for infielder Whit Merrifield and has faced Iowa just one time previously in his career, tossing one inning with no hits, runs, or walks allowed with two strikeouts on September 22, 2022.

DAY-TO-DAY: In the series opener against Omaha the Iowa bullpen had a stellar performance as Jordan Holloway, Ryan Jensen, and Daniel Palencia combined to throw 3.2 innings of shutout baseball. The trio of relievers allowed just two hits to the Omaha offense and totaled five strikeouts to zero walks. The story was not the same for Iowa’s bullpen in game two against Omaha, however. Coming off Riley Thompson’s four innings of work, the I-Cubs used Bailey Horn, Rowan Wick, and Brendon Little in relief. Last night’s trio of arms out of the bullpen allowed five earned runs off six hits over the course of four innings. In 22 batters faced, the bullpen arms combined for six strikeouts and three walks allowed to go along with one home run and an ERA of 11.25.

OFF-BASE: For the first time in 34 games, Yonathan Perlaza failed to get on base following a 0-for-4 outing in last night’s game against Omaha. Perlaza’s 34-game on-base streak was the longest individual streak by an I-Cub this season and ranked as the second-longest on-base streak by a player in the International League in 2023. Perlaza fell just one game shy of tying Estevan Florial of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre who reached base in 35 consecutive games from May 2 through June 17. Perlaza’s streak started back on May 18 and the Venezuelan put up some impressive numbers over that span. The outfielder slashed .315/.404/.587 with 21 doubles, six home runs, and 29 RBI in those 34 games to help pace the Iowa offense.

WORDS OF WISDOM: Infielder Patrick Wisdom made his season debut for the Iowa Cubs in last night’s game as part of his Major League Rehab assignment. Wisdom spent some time on the 10-day injured list after suffering a wrist sprain and is now working his way back to Chicago. It didn’t take long for Wisdom to show off his talent either, as he crushed a 421-foot two-run home run over the left field fence in his first at-bat of the night. For the game, Wisdom went 1-for-3 at the dish with his home run and two RBI. Before being assigned to Iowa, Wisdom had spent the entire 2023 season with Chicago and had appeared in 56 games. During his time with Chicago, the infielder was hitting at a clip of .196 with six doubles, a triple, 14 home runs, and 28 RBI. Last night marked the first time Wisdom donned an Iowa Cubs jersey since May of 2021. Wisdom spent eight games with Iowa from May 14-23, playing in three games on the road against the St. Paul Saints and five games at Principal Park versus the Omaha Storm Chasers, and hit .160 with three home runs and 11 RBI over that span before being promoted to Chicago.

WELCOME MR. WICKS: The I-Cubs will have a new face taking the mound tonight with left-hander Jordan Wicks set to make his Triple-A debut tonight. Wicks has worked his way up through the Cubs’ system after being selected in the first round, 21st overall, out of Kansas State University in the 2021 draft by Chicago. The Conway, Arkansas native has had a successful 2023 season with Double-A Tennessee amassing a record of 4-0 with a 3.39 ERA over 13 starts. Wicks logged 58.1 innings of work for the Smokies, which ranked first on the team, and totaled 69 strikeouts compared to just 19 walks. He also held opponents to a .227 batting average during his time in Tennessee. Wicks’ 3.39 ERA also was the lowest among Tennessee’s starting pitchers and his 69 strikeouts led the team.

AGAINST OMAHA: After suffering the loss last night, Iowa and Omaha are now even at 1-1 in the current series and are tied 3-3 for the season series. In April, the I-Cubs and Storm Chasers split a four-game series, after two games were postponed. Iowa is now 326-298 all-time against Omaha. They still trail 147-161 when playing in Omaha.

SHORT HOPS: With home runs from Patrick Wisdom and Jake Slaughter last night, Iowa has gone yard in 12-straight games, which is the longest active streak in the International League…The Iowa offense was held to just three hits in last night’s loss, which tied its lowest mark for hits in a game this season…Following the loss to Omaha last night, Iowa’s record on Thursdays moved to 12-3 this season and all three of those losses on Thursdays have come on the road.