Game Notes - 5.16.17 @ LV

Iowa Cubs (15-21) at Las Vegas 51s (16-22)
RHP Aaron Brooks (3-3, 6.50) vs. RHP Tyler Pill (2-1, 1.06)
9:05 p.m. CT | Cashman Field | Las Vegas, NV TONIGHT'S GAME: Iowa and Las Vegas play game two of the four-game set at Cashman Field tonight. The 51s snapped a four-game skid with a victory over Iowa last night and has won three in a row against the I-Cubs dating back to last season. Iowa out-hit the 51s 12-10 last night, but fell to 7-5 when recording more hits than its' opponent. 
PITCHERS WHO RAKE (ISH): Aaron Brooks pinch-hit for Iowa last night, the first pitcher to do so this season. Iowa pitchers are 3-for-45 (.067) with Brooks, Eddie Butler and Alec Mills all recording hits. David Rollins claims the only RBI of the group and Jake Buchanan the only walk. The pitchers have fanned 13 times and have two sacrifice hits.  
EXTEND THE STREAK: John Andreoli extended his hitting streak to a season-best seven games (11-for-33, .333). The outfielder went 3-for-4 last night for his second three-hit game of the season (4/8 @ OKC). He also nabbed two doubles, matching a career high for the fifth time. The most recent time came on June 20, 2016 against Memphis. The last time Andreoli recorded two extra-base hits in a game was on April 19 when he rocked two home runs in New Orleans. 
EARLY BIRD DOESN'T ALWAYS GET THE WORM: Iowa lost its' 10th contest last night when scoring first, falling to 13-10 on the season. The team's .565 winning percentage in those games is 14th in the PCL, leading only Round Rock (8-7, .533) and Sacramento (7-7, .500).
THE NEW KID IN TOWN: Jemile Weeks made his Iowa Cubs debut last night, joining the team from Extended Spring. Weeks signed with the Cubs as a minor league free agent in the off-season. He has notched big league time in six seasons with Oakland (2011-13), Baltimore (2014), Boston (2014-15) and San Diego (2016). 
TROPHY CASE: C Victor Caratini was named to MLB Pipeline's Team of the Week yesterday. Caratini hit .500 (11-for-22) over the last week with two consecutive four-hit games May 8 and 9. He also contributed two doubles, a triple, a home run and three RBI. The catcher has a hit in seven of his last nine games (13-for-32, .406) and leads the Cubs farm system with 26 RBI. 
AGAINST LAS VEGAS: Iowa went 1-3 against the 51s in Des Moines in 2016, getting out-scored 16-22.   The I-Cubs were held to a .207 (25-for-121) batting average with seven extra-base hits. All four pitchers who claimed a decision for Iowa last season remain on the roster with Jake Buchanan taking the only win and Félix Peña, Rob Zastryzny and Pierce Johnson getting losses. Las Vegas has taken six of the last seven meetings between the two teams and took a 46-45 advantage in the all-time series with a win last night. 
QUADRUPLE EFFORT: Chesny Young tallied four hits last night for the first time this season. The utility man leads the I-Cubs with 13 multi-hit games which includes six three-hit efforts. Young collected six four-hit games for Double-A Tennessee last season with the most recent coming on September 1 against Montgomery. He holds a career-high of five hits in a game, set on July 17, 2015 with Advanced-A Myrtle Beach against Potomac. 
MAY SHOWERS: Iowa fell to 5-9 in May and is in a three-way tie for the second-worst clip in the PCL, just ahead of Las Vegas and Round Rock at 4-10. Iowa edges only Fresno (6.68) and Salt Lake (6.90) with a 6.64 ERA in May. 
ROAD TO WRIGLEY: Five players on Chicago's 25-man roster have played in Iowa this season -- pitcher's Eddie Bulter and Brian Duensing (rehab) and infielder's Ian Happ, Jeimer Candelario and Tommy La Stella. Seventeen of Chicago's 25 have played for Iowa in their careers, including 11 of 13 position players. 
BULLPEN BOMBERS: Iowa's bullpen has taken the decision in four straight games, going 1-3. I-Cub relievers have been hit for 22 earned runs over 20.1 innings (9.73 ERA). Justin Grimm is the only reliever that has not given up a run over this span (2.0IP). 
SHORT HOPS: Iowa last won two in a row May 4 (G2) - May 5...Mark Zagunis is hitting .242 (16-for-66) on the road, up from .184 (7-for-38) at home...As Iowa's leadoff hitter, John Andreoli is 8-for-20 (.429) with three doubles and one home run in the first at-bat of a game...Bijan Rademacher holds a four-game hitting streak (4-for-13, .307) and has a hit in six of his last seven games.