Iowa Cubs Game Notes - August 31 at Nashville

TODAY'S GAME: Iowa and Nashville meet for the final time of 2016 and for the first time since June 21-24 at Principal Park. The I-Cubs have dropped three in a row for the first time since Aug. 8-12. Iowa has not dropped a series since losing seven straight June 30 - July 29 and needs a win today to keep that streak alive. Nashville has secured post-season berth with a 13.5 game lead over New Orleans and Round Rock in the American South Division. The Sounds have won 10 of their last 11 -- the best clip in the league. 

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Iowa got the first run of the game in the second, but Nashville responded with a five-run inning and ran away with the game from there. Matt Chapman, Matt Olson and Bryan Anderson all belted homers to account for five of the Sounds' eight runs. It was the first time Iowa has given up multiple homers in a game since Aug. 12 at Fresno and the first time since July 16 vs. Las Vegas that the team has allowed three bombs. Drew Rucinski took the loss to drop to 6-15 on the season. The righty leads the league in losses and has moved into a tie for third in Iowa franchise history in losses. He also claims third in earned runs allowed with 101. 

SPEED WAY: John Andreoli tied Salt Lake's Quintin Berry for the league lead with his 35th stolen base of the season Monday. Andre Torres was the last I-Cub to lead the league in stolen bases, swiping 29 in 2008. 

BACK-TO-BACK: Armando Rivero gave up a run last night and has now allowed runs in two consecutive outings. He has only done this one other time this season -- May 12 and 16 against Nashville and Reno, respectively. Rivero has allowed four earned runs in his last eight outings, but still claims a 2.22 ERA and a 1.98 clip in August, while pacing PCL relievers with a .171 opponents' batting average and a 14.12 strikeouts-per-nine-innings ratio. The Cuban native would be the first I-Cub in franchise history to lead the league in strikeouts-per-nine innings ratio and the first reliever to lead in opponents' batting average. Starter Carlos Pimentel led in the latter category in 2015 (.229)

HE'S A REGULAR: Iowa manager Marty Pevey collected his 282nd win at the helm of the club Saturday. He improved to 282-287 in his Iowa career and is one victory shy of tying Mike Quade (2003-06) for second on the I-Cubs' all-time managerial wins list. Pevey owns a career 926-904 record in 14 years of managing.  

NO SUCH LUCK: Munenori Kawasaki has been unable to find his groove in Nashville and is 0-for-17 in his last six games and 2-for-32 in his last 11. The shortstop has been held to a .161 average (12-for-74) in August after hitting a season-best .326 in July (25-for-46). 

AGAINST NASHVILLE: Iowa has found success against the American South Champion Nashville Sounds, holding an 8-6 record in 2016. Iowa last visited Nashville May 2-5 and took three of four from the Sounds, outscoring them 15-11 on their home turf. The I-Cubs have been held to a .251 batting average in the season matchup, but compliment it with a 3.78 team ERA and 120 strikeouts in 121.1 innings. Jeimer Candelario is 9-for-23 with four doubles and three RBI in six games against Nashville. Giovanni Soto has not given up a run to the Sounds in seven innings of relief work. Iowa is 124-145 all-time vs. Nashville and is 53-80 on the road. 

ODDS 'N ENDS: The 2016 Iowa Cubs have posted their names in the record book this season. The team has secured a new franchise record in sacrifice flies with 56, previously held by the 2007 team with 55. They also claim third all-time in triples (50) and second in GIPD (130). The pitching staff has moved into third on the leaderboard in strikeouts with 143 and needs 10 more to over take second place.

GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME: Gerardo Concepcion has fought back from a tumultuous month to string together four scoreless innings over three outings. The lefty saw his ERA spike to a season-high 8.44 on Aug. 12 but has been able to lower that mark to 7.24 after allowing three earned runs in his last nine frames. 

HOT TAMALE: Jeimer Candelario snapped his 12-game hitting streak and his 31-game consecutive on-base streak on Aug. 27 against Omaha, but his bat remains hot. The 22-year-old has a hit in his last three games and in 18 of his last 20 dating back to Aug. 8. He is hitting .383 (31-for-81) over this span -- sixth best in the PCL -- with seven doubles, one triple, one homer and 19 RBI. 

GET OUTTA HERE: Iowa has been held without a homer through the first two games of this series, veering from the norm for Iowa. Iowa has crushed 63 of its 99 homers of the season in enemy territory and has homered in 11 of its last 18 road contests. 

WIDE LOAD: The bullpen continues to get work done, throwing 23.1 innings over Iowa's last five games. The staff has made the most of the extra innings and has allowed 14 hits and four runs over this span for a 1.54 ERA. They've issued 10 walks and have struck out 32.

SHORT HOPS: Iowa is 9-7 on Wednesdays this season, its only winning record on a particular day ... Tim Federowicz has caught nine of the last 10 baserunners that have tried to steal on him ... John Andreoli leads the PCL with 134 games played, is tied for the top spot in stolen bases (35), is second in walks with 86 and fourth in runs scored with 89.