August 15 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Louisville Bats
IOWA CUBS (65-46) vs. LOUISVILLE BATS (60-52) Tuesday, August 15 • 6:38 PM • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA RHP Nick Neidert (5-5, 5.32) vs. RHP Hunter Greene (0-0, 5.68)
IOWA CUBS (65-46) vs. LOUISVILLE BATS (60-52)
Tuesday, August 15 • 6:38 PM • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA
RHP Nick Neidert (5-5, 5.32) vs. RHP Hunter Greene (0-0, 5.68)
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Iowa Cubs return home to begin their scheduled six-game series versus the Louisville Bats. It marks the second of three series that the I-Cubs and Bats will play in 2023. Iowa and Louisville matched up once already this season back at the end of April at Principal Park with Iowa winning four of the six games. For tonight’s contest, the I-Cubs will send Nick Neidert to take the mound. The right-hander will be making his team-leading 19th start and on the year has a record of 5-5 with a 5.32 ERA over 21 appearances. This season the 26-year-old has allowed 51 earned runs on 97 hits and 31 walks. He has struck out 67 batters in 86.1 innings pitched as well. In his career, Neidert has faced Louisville just one time which came earlier this year on April 29. In that outing he was credited with the win after spinning 5.2 innings with two earned runs allowed off seven hits. He also tallied one walk and six strikeouts. For Louisville, right-hander Hunter Greene will be on the bump. Greene is currently on a Major League Rehab assignment after spending time on the 60-day injured list with right hip pain. Before his injury, Greene had spent the entire season with the Cincinnati Reds and totaled a record of 2-4 with a 3.93 ERA over 14 starts. In 73.1 innings of work for the Reds, the former No. 2 overall pick from the 2017 draft racked up 100 strikeouts compared to 31 walks and 32 earned runs off 68 hits.
UNUSUAL BUT SUCCESSFUL: Iowa’s recent starting rotation has consisted of only two traditional starting pitchers and three bullpen arms. Only Jordan Wicks and Nick Neidert have started more than five games this season. Chris Clarke has made 11 starts this year, but he has been utilized as a bullpen arm as of late. Iowa’s other starting pitchers recently have only made two starts each. Tyler Duffey, Michael Rucker and Shane Greene have completed the rotation for Iowa. While the group of five pitchers might not seem like a strong rotation to the naked eye, they’ve helped the I-Cubs to five straight wins. Iowa’s starters worked a total of 19.1 innings in five games against Omaha. They allowed eight earned runs for a 3.77 ERA. That number is below the season average for starting pitchers at 4.59. Along with a low ERA, they struck out 18 hitters while walking just six. Greene, Wicks and Rucker each gave up one run or less in their outings, with Greene throwing 3.0 shutout innings in his start. Duffey gave up the most runs on Saturday night, as he allowed four in his 2.2 innings.
MIGHTY MASTRO: Infielder Miles Mastrobuoni had himself a series against the Omaha Storm Chasers last week as he was absolutely on fire at the plate. Mastrobuoni played in four of the five games against the Storm Chasers and lit up their pitching, hitting at a clip of .412 (7-for-17) over the course of the series. Mastrobuoni racked up five runs scored, a double, a triple, a home run, and four RBI at the dish to help lead the I-Cubs’ offensive charge over Omaha. In his four games played last week, the 27-year-old tallied a .500 on-base percentage, a .765 slugging percentage, and an OPS of 1.265. He also swiped to bags giving him nine on the year with the I-Cubs, which has him ranked third on Iowa’s active roster. While Mastrobuoni has spilt time between Chicago and Iowa this year, there has been no doubt that he has performed well when playing at the Triple-A level. When Mastrobuoni has suited up for Iowa this season, which has been 36 games, he has slashed .299/.457/.496 with 32 runs scored, 11 doubles, three triples, two home runs, and 14 RBI.
THE WEEK OF THE LONG BALL: The I-Cubs are on one of their longest win streaks of the season and that’s a big thanks to home runs. Iowa hit a home run in all five games in the most reccent series against Omaha, smashing 15 total long balls. The week started strong with three dingers on Tuesday night, however; Wednesday night was the real derby. Iowa matched a season high with seven home runs. Both Chase Strumpf and Luis Vazquez had two-homer games. While they were the only I-Cubs to have multi-home run games in that series, plenty had multiple across the five games. Matt Mervis hit three last week, the most for any I-Cub. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Yonathan Perlaza, Strumpf and Vázquez each had two homers. The 15 home runs last week has raised Iowa’s season total to 157. They rank eighth in the International League in homers and 11th in all of Triple-A.
FINDING HIS GROOVE: Cubs’ No. 1 prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong made his Triple-A debut two weeks ago at Principal Park. He went just 3-for-20 (.150) with one run, one double, one home run, two walks and eight strikeouts. Last week was much different for the young outfielder. Crow-Armstrong went 8-for-20 (.400) with 10 runs, two doubles, two homers, three RBI, six walks and five strikeouts in five games against Omaha. Last Saturday, Crow-Armstrong recorded a hit in each of his first two at bats, a double and a home run. He recorded two runs and an RBI along with his hits. With his strong performance last week, the 21-year-old is now slashing .275/.408/.575 through his first 10 games at Triple-A.
A GAME OF FIRSTS: Saturday night’s game against Omaha saw a couple of firsts for I-Cubs relievers, with Samuel Reyes earning his first career Triple-A win and Luke Little earning his first career save. Reyes, who was added to Iowa’s active roster on August 12, spun 3.0 scoreless innings. The righty allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out one batter along the way. Prior to his promotion to Iowa, Reyes was 3-1 with a 2.72 ERA in 23 games with Double-A Tennessee. In one game last year with Iowa, he allowed four earned runs on four hits, a home run, hit batter and a walk, taking the loss with a 21.60 ERA. Little came in and shut the door with a scoreless ninth inning, earning his first career save in 60 minor league outings. His first career save opportunity came in his Triple-A debut with Iowa, when he allowed two earned runs on three hits and two walks in one inning pitched.
AGAINST LOUISVILLE: Iowa and Louisville will meet for the second time this year as they begin their scheduled six-game series tonight. The two squads faced off once already this season at Principal Park with the I-Cubs taking four of the six games. Entering tonight’s contest, Iowa holds the all-time series lead over Louisville at 26-22. In games that have been played at Principal Park, Iowa also leads the series with a mark of 17-10. The I-Cubs currently have a two-game winning streak against the Bats dating back to April 29-30.
SHORT HOPS: Iowa earned its 50th win of the season when leading after seven innings last Saturday, moving to 50-1 in that category…The I-Cubs out-hit Omaha by two in their final matchup of the series last week, moving to 50-8 when out-hitting their opponents this year…Back on April 27 Iowa and Louisville combined for 42 total hits and 34 runs in a game that Iowa won 18-16 with the 42 combined hits being the most in a game at the Triple-A level this season and the 34 runs ranking as the second most runs in a game in all of Triple-A.
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