Kilian's Eight Punchouts Leads Iowa Past Columbus

May 19, 2022

DES MOINES, IA – The Iowa Cubs (21-17) moved to four games over .500 for the first time this season, beating the Columbus Clippers (25-14) by a score of 8-2, Thursday at Principal Park. In his eighth start of the year, Caleb Kilian dominated Columbus, throwing a season-long 5.2 innings

DES MOINES, IA – The Iowa Cubs (21-17) moved to four games over .500 for the first time this season, beating the Columbus Clippers (25-14) by a score of 8-2, Thursday at Principal Park.

In his eighth start of the year, Caleb Kilian dominated Columbus, throwing a season-long 5.2 innings allowing just two unearned runs. The Chicago Cubs’ No. 4 ranked prospect struck out a season-high eight batters, just two shy of his career high.

The I-Cubs offense gave him early run support, scoring a run in the first and two more in the fourth highlighted by a solo home run from John Hicks. P.J. Higgins extended Iowa’s lead to 4-0 with an RBI double in the fifth.

Columbus got their only two runs of the game in the top of the sixth on an error, cutting the I-Cubs lead in half. Iowa answered back in the home half of the inning when Robel Garcia hit his eighth home run in his last nine games, a solo blast extending Iowa’s lead back to three.

Another run in the seventh and two in the eighth with a home run from Nelson Velazquez brought Iowa’s lead to 8-2. Relievers Eric Stout and Bryan Hudson kept it there, combining to throw 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out eight.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• For the eighth time in his last nine games, Robel Garcia clubbed a home run. It marked his team-leading 11th of the year, bringing his average on the season to .327.

• Chicago’s top pitching prospect Caleb Kilian threw a season-long 5.2 innings today, striking out eight batters compared to one walk and six hits. With no earned runs allowed, Kilian lowered his ERA this season to 1.31, good for first in the International League.

• Nelson Velazquez recorded the first Triple-A home run of his career in the eighth inning, a two-run shot that grew Iowa’s lead to six. It gave him 10 home runs this year after hitting nine in 22 games with Double-A Tennessee.

Iowa and Columbus will play game four of their six-game series tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled for 7:08 pm at Principal Park. Star wide receiver Allen Lazard will be available for a meet-and-greet before the game and there will be fireworks after the game. For more information and tickets, visit www.iowacubs.com.