August 4 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. St. Paul Saints

IOWA CUBS (44-63) vs. ST. PAUL SAINTS (54-52)

Sunday, August 4 • 1:08 PM CT • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA

RHP Dan Straily (1-7, 5.62) vs. RHP Caleb Boushley (9-4, 4.53)

TODAY’S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and St. Paul Saints play the finale of a six-game series today at Principal Park...the series marks the third six-game set the two clubs have played this season following April 9-14 at St. Paul and June 25-30 in Des Moines...right-hander Dan Straily is scheduled to make his 17th appearance of the season and his 16th start...right- hander Caleb Boushley is slated to start for St. Paul...these two pitchers matched up in game one of the series on Tuesday night as the Saints took a 5-4 decision.

TO RECAP: The I-Cubs dropped the fifth game of the series last night 5-1 at Principal Park...Iowa did not score until the eighth inning in which Darius Hill reached on an error and was driven in by Miles Mastrobuoni...I-Cubs starting pitcher Kyle McGowin suffered the loss as he worked 3.0 innings and surrendered three runs on four hits with three strikeouts... Sam McWilliams, Keegan Thompson (MLR) and Jack Neely combined for 3.0 scoreless innings in relief and six strikeouts.

SIT ‘EM DOWN: Iowa Cubs reliever Jack Neely, who was acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees, made his first appearance of the season and tossed a scoreless frame and struck out the side... Neely has gone 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA (13 ER in 42.2 IP) with 66 strikeouts in 32 outings between Double-A Somerset, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Iowa.

BLANKED: On Wednesday, Iowa was shut out for the fourth time this season following April 27-28 at Buffalo and June 19 at Indianapolis...the I-Cubs had not been shutout at home since a 6-0 loss to Toledo on Aug. 6, 2022.

HIT PARADE: The I-Cubs pitching staff snapped their streak of allowing 10 hits in six consecutive games Tuesday night as they surrendered eight hits...it’s tied for the longest such streak in the International League this season and the first time Iowa has done so since June 29-July 4, 2022 (85 hits)...the I-Cubs have not surrendered 10 hits in seven straight contests since June 3-June 10, 2007 (98 hits overall).

ALL THE SMALL THINGS: The I-Cubs suffered a one-run loss Tuesday and fell to 21-16 in such games this year...Iowa has played the most one-run games in the International League during this season (37) ahead of next-closest Jacksonville (34).

NINE-GAME SKID: Iowa snapped their losing streak on Friday with a win but had lost nine straight going into that game... marked the first time Iowa has lost nine straight games since May 22-June 1, 2021 (also nine) and is tied for the third- longest losing streak in the IL this year... Iowa has not lost 10 straight contests since data was made available (2004)... the franchise record for most consecutive losses is 12 from April 12-23, 2000.

SIX-GAME SWEEP: Iowa was swept by the Indianapolis Indians in their last series from July 23-28 in which they were outscored 58-27 (-31)...it marked the first time the I-Cubs were swept in a six-game set since May 25-30, 2021 vs. these St. Paul Saints.

THIS IS A HILLY AREA: In Wednesday’s loss, outfielder Darius Hill made his first professional pitcher appearance... he faced two batters with the first hitting a single and the next popping out to second...Hill became the second position player to pitch this season following Caleb Knight on May 21 vs. Indianapolis.

VS. ST. PAUL: Iowa and St. Paul are facing off for the third time this season following April 9-14 at St. Paul and June 25-30 at Principal Park...Iowa has gone 8-9 vs. the Saints this season and have dropped four of the last five games vs. them.

MOISES COMES UP CLUTCH: Iowa Cubs No. 5 prospect (MLB.com) Moises Ballesteros hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the ninth inning of Sunday’s game...it marked the first pinch-hit grand slam for an I-Cub since Matt Spencer on Aug. 20, 2011 vs. Oklahoma City and was the first pinch-hit homer for an I-Cub in the ninth inning or later since Greg Deichmann on Aug. 18, 2021 at St. Paul (also ninth inning)...Bally has hit .292 (88-for-301) with 14 home runs and 58 RBI in 83 games between Double-A Tennessee and Iowa this season (27 games with Iowa).