Game Notes - 5.23.17 vs. REN

Iowa Cubs (20-23) vs. Reno Aces (27-18)
RHP Seth Frankoff (0-1, 3.28) vs. LHP Anthony Banda (3-2, 4.85)
6:38 p.m. | Principal Park | Des Moines, IA

TONIGHT'S GAME: Iowa and Reno play the first game of a four-game set tonight. This series will be the only time the two teams meet this season. Last season, in a four-game set played at Reno, the Aces took the series winning three out of four games. Reno comes to town boasting the highest team batting average in the PCL at .307, while Iowa sits in the middle of the pack at .265. Both teams are coming off 2-2 splits in their last series. Reno won its first two against Omaha and dropped the second two. 
GET OUTTA MY YARD: The I-Cubs have hit seven home runs in four games this homestand. Jeimer Candelario has accounted for three of those home runs since returning from a brief stint in Chicago. Iowa has now hit 19 home runs this month, just three shy of their total from April. Most of the damage has been done without the help of Ian Happ, who led the team with nine home runs before being called up to Chicago. 
ALL YOU NEED IS ONE: Iowa has played in 18 one-run games this season going 11-7. Those 18 games are good for the most in the PCL, followed closely behind by 15 one-run games by Oklahoma City. While Iowa does not have the highest winning percentage in one-run games, they have the most wins with 11. Oklahoma City and Reno are tied for second with eight wins in one-run games. Dating back to May 11, Iowa has played in nine one-run games, going 6-3 in those contests. Iowa won four one-run games in a row from May 16-19, good for the longest winning streak of the season. 
WELCOME TO IOWA: Righty David Berg made his Principal Park debut yesterday twirling two shutout innings and earning the win. Berg came in to relieve Casey Kelly in the fourth inning, and surrendered three hits and struck out one. In two outings with Iowa this season, the sidearm hurler has spun 4.0 shutout innings, surrendering just four hits, striking out one and not walking a batter. All four hits have come against right-handed batters. Right-handers are hitting .500 (4-8) against him and lefties are hitting .000 (0-7). 
CANDY CRUSH: Jeimer Candelario blasted a first inning home run again yesterday, a solo shot for his seventh of the season. He has hit safely in all four games with Iowa since being optioned by Chicago and has now homered in three straight games for the first time since June 20-22, 2012 while with Boise. Candelario boasts a .367 (22-for-60) clip at Principal Park this season, while hitting .278 (15-for-54) on the road. He has reached base in 16 of 17 games at Principal Park this season. Candelario's .675 slugging percentage ranks second in the PCL, trailing only Reno's Oswaldo Arcia (.768). 
AGAINST RENO: Reno comes into town swinging hot bats and boasting one of the best records in the PCL at 27-18. The four-game series will be the only time that the two teams meet this season. In 2016, Iowa took the first game of the sereis at Reno 17-2 before dropping the next three and being outscored 19-9. The two teams have only met 32 times in their history, with Reno holding a slight edge winning 18 of those 32 games. Iowa has gone 1-3 against the Aces in each of the last three season. It is looking for their first series tie or win against Reno since 2013 when they split the series 2-2 at Reno. The I-Cubs have not won a series against Reno since 2010.
PICKING UP THE SLACK: Over the first four games of the homestand, Iowa's bullpen has been nearly flawless. In 14.2 innings, the bullpen has allowed eight earned runs, good for a 5.07 ERA. Four of the eight runs were scored in a blown save by Justin Grimm on Saturday night. Without that bad inning, Iowa's bullpen owns a 2.54 ERA over the last four games. In comparison to Iowa's starters in the last four games, who have thrown 21.1 innings, allowing 13 earned runs, good for a 5.55 ERA. Newcomers Steve Perakslis and David Berg have been especially strong during the homestand, throwing a combined 4.1 scoreless innings, only allowing six hits, striking out six batters and not allowing a walk. 
FIRST THINGS FIRST: Iowa scored five runs in the first inning of yesterday's game. John Andreoli hit a lead-off triple and was brought in by Tommy La Stella's sac fly. Mark Zagunis reached on a single and Jeimer Candelario then brought him with a moon-shot to right field for his seventh home run of the year. Victor Caratini then walked and was brought in by a Chris Dominguez blast to straight center-field. In Iowa's last nine games, the team has scored in the first inning in seven of those games, going 5-2 when they score in the first during that span. Of Iowa's 225 runs scored this season, 49 have come in the first inning, accounting for 22 percent of the team's runs. Iowa is 18-11 this season when scoring first. 
SHORT HOPS:Zac Rosscup was selected by Chicago yesterday, and Dylan Floro was sent back to Iowa in a corresponding move. To make room for Rosscup on the 40-man roster, Jake Buchanan was designated for assignment...Jeimer Candelario has reached safely at home for five-straight games dating back to May 8 before his call-up to Chicago...Casey Kelly's four earned runs yesterday were the most he has given up since giving up seven earned runs on June 25, 2016 while pitching with the Gwinnett Braves.