Jacksons Return Iowa to Winning Ways
B. Jackson wasted no time jump-starting the offense as he lined the first pitch he saw from RedHawks' starter Brad Hennessey to the left-center field wall for a double. Jackson then swiped third for his first career Triple-A stolen base. DJ LeMahieu put the Cubs on the board with an RBI-single to score B. Jackson. After Tyler Colvin reached on a fielder's choice, Bryan LaHair launched a full count pitch deep and gone to right field. The drive put the Cubs up 3-0 and was LaHair's 26th home run of the season, which ties a career high.
In the fourth, Brad Snyder got things started with a single. Ryan Flaherty followed with his first triple-A homer to straight-away center field and put Iowa up 5-0. B. Jackson added his first career triple-A triple with two outs in the inning. He went 2-for-5 on the night with a run scored.
On the mound, J. Jackson (5-8) had retired 10 straight RedHawks before he gave up a single to Anderson Hernandez in the fifth inning. He went on to give the Cubs a quality start with seven innings pitched. He allowed one run on six hits. J. Jackson walked four and struck out two.
Oklahoma City's lone run came in the sixth inning. Wladimir Sutil reached base on a bunt single and J. Jackson allowed another single and a walk to load the bases. He escaped the jam by inducing Drew Locke to ground into a 1-6-3 double play. Sutil scored on the play, which was turned on a great play up the middle by Marwin Gonzalez. J. Jackson then struck out Koby Clemens to end the frame.
Welington Castillo knocked in another Iowa run when he drove in LeMahieu with an RBI-single in the seventh. The Cubs got their final tally on an error by RedHawk's left fielder J.B. Shuck off the bat of Brad Snyder. Castillo finished the game 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Hennessey (0-2) was charged with the loss for the RedHawks. He completed four innings and gave up five runs on seven hits. Four Oklahoma City relievers pitched the final four innings and gave up the final two runs (one earned).
John Gaub and Justin Berg each pitched a scoreless inning out of the bullpen to close out the game for Iowa. Gaub struck out one, and Berg fanned two batters.
The Cubs and RedHawks play game three of the series tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. Casey Coleman (2-2, 4.25) is scheduled to take the mound for Iowa against Sergio Perez (4-7, 4.12) of Oklahoma City.