June 6 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Toledo Mud Hens

IOWA CUBS (27-32) vs. TOLEDO MUD HENS (31-27)

Thursday, June 6 • 6:38 PM CT • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA

RHP Riley Thompson (2-0, 6.55) vs. LHP Brant Hurter (1-3, 5.02)

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the Toledo Mud Hens play the third of their six-game series tonight at Principal Park... it marks the second time the I-Cubs have hosted the Mud Hens, following April 2-7... Iowa is scheduled to start right-hander Riley Thompson, who is slated to make his 18th appearance (third start) for Iowa...opposite of Thompson, the Mud Hens are scheduled to pitch left-hander Brant Hurter.

A SUSPENDED SPLIT: Tuesday night’s series opener was suspended due to rain and picked up yesterday with a full count to Dillon Dingler in the top of the fifth inning and Iowa leading 6-2...Iowa tallied 12 hits in the contest, including home runs from Owen Caissie and Brennen Davis, to lead them to a 10-2 victory...in yesterday’s regularly scheduled game, Iowa fell 10-8 in a game that featured 21 hits, 18 walks and 24 strikeouts.

YOU DOWN WITH OBP?: Owen Caissie has reached base in 45 of his 52 games this season and ranks among International League leaders in hits (T-8th, 55), walks (T-8th, 38) and on-base percentage (9th, .420)...the 38 walks and tied for sixth among minor leaguers aged 21-or-younger and his 55 hits are tied for 12th...Owen deleivered a grand slam in yesterday’s suspended game, the third by an I-Cub this season (last - Brennen Davis on 5/18 at SYR)... marked his fifth home run of the season and his second in his last four games.

VS. TOLEDO: Iowa and Toledo play their second series of the season, following April 2-7 which marked Iowa’s first home series of the season...Iowa has won five of the first eight meetings between the clubs this season, outscoring the Mud Hens 52-37.

A ONE-OFF: Saturday night’s 3-2 win at Louisville Slugger Field improved Iowa’s record in one-run games to 10-10 (.500) and the club has won three of their last four such games...Iowa has played tied for second-most one-run games in the International League this season, trailing Omaha who has posted a 16-6 record in such games this season and tied with tonight’s opponent Toledo (13-7)...last season, the I-Cubs recorded a 25-13 record in one-run contests.

STRIKEOUT KING: Iowa Cubs pitcher Sam McWilliams has racked up 57 strikeouts in just 35.2 innings across 17 appearances (three starts)...despite being a primary reliever, McWilliams ranks tied for seventh in the International League in strikeouts and among pitchers who have thrown at least 20.0 innings, his 14.38 K/9 is third-best in the IL, trailing leader Paul Skenes (14.82 K/9).

START THE STREAK: Iowa catcher Ali Sanchez has reached base in 15 consecutive games dating back to May 8 in which he is batting .275 (14-for-51) with six extra-base hits and 11 walks... it is tied for the longest such streak by an I-Cub this season, along with Owen Caissie’s 15 game run from April 16-May 2 and is tied for the ninth-longest active such streak in the International League.

DYNAMIC DUO: Iowa relief pitchers Carl Edwards Jr. and Ethan Roberts have not allowed a run in seven outings and six outings respectively...Edwards Jr.’s streak is tied for seventh-longest in the International League and he has gone 1-1 in 7.2 scoreless innings during the streak...Roberts began the season in the injured list but has pitched 7.0 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts through his first six appearances with Iowa.

WALK THIS WAY: Iowa’s offense ranks second in the International League with 306 walks this season, trailing Worcester’s 309, and the I-Cubs pitching staff also has the second-most walks in the league with 284...on offense, the club averages just over five walks (5.2) a game and hands out just under five walks (4.9) a game.

BECAUSE HE GETS ON BASE: The I-Cubs lead the International League and rank third in all of Triple-A with a .368 on-base percentage this season, just ahead of next-closest Buffalo (.367)... Cubs’ No. 2 prospect (MLB.com) Owen Caissie leads Iowa with a .420 on-base percentage and is followed by Cubs’ No. 22 prospect Brennen Davis (.408), and catchers Bryce Windham (.386) and Ali Sanchez (.376).