Isotopes Silence Cubs in Series Opener
Des Moines, IA - Five Albuquerque Isotopes pitchers combined to toss a six-hit shutout as the Isotopes (35-40) scored four runs off LH Chris Rusin to beat the Iowa Cubs (37-36) 4-0 on Saturday night in front of 11,946 fans at Principal Park. The Cubs were shut out for the seventh time this season, including five at home.
RH Carlos Frias got the start and worked in and out of trouble all evening. He stranded multiple baserunners in three of his five innings and seven total. Frias, on a 12-inning scoreless streak, scattered four hits and four walks, while striking out seven in his 96-pitch outing to pick up his fifth win -- and second in a row -- in 11 career triple-A starts. Four relievers -- RH Yimi Garcia, RH Pedro Baez, LH Paco Rodriguez and RH Jose Dominguez -- preserved the shutout by tossing four innings of two-hit ball. Dominguez had two two-out walks and a gave up a single in the ninth to load the bases for Javy Baez, but Dominguez got Baez to bounce out to shortstop on the first pitch.
After a scoreless three innings that saw Rusin face one over the minimum, the Isotopes cracked the scoring column in the fourth inning. Joc Pederson drew a walk to start the frame and a hit by pitch and fielder's choice followed to put runners on the corners with one out. Alex Liddi hit a chopper to third base that Kris Bryant backed up to field, and he threw to second base for one out but the relay throw by Arismendy Alcantara was just late and Pederson scored the game's first run.
The 'Topes had a golden chance to add on to their lead an inning later but Rusin escaped a bases-loaded, no out situation with a strikeout and a double play. Albuquerque capitalized an inning later as Pederson walked and advanced to third three pitches later on a throwing error by Rusin before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Clint Robinson. Pederson -- the Dodgers' top prospect according to Baseball America -- had a hit, two walks and two runs scored in two at-bats. He ranks in the top three of the PCL in six offensive categories, including leading the league with 57 runs scored and 54 walks. The Isotopes added another run off Rusin when Mike Baxter drove in Tim Federowicz with a lined single to center field.
Rusin took the mound for the seventh and surrendered a double and RBI single to Delvis Morales before recording a strikeout to finish his 92-pitch outing. He went 6.1 innings and gave up four earned runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts . The southpaw has a league-high 10 losses, but the Cubs have scored three runs or less in 12 of his 14 starts this season, including scoring one run or less in five of his outings -- and four of the last five. Rusin has lost his three outings and has an 8.94 ERA (15ER/15.1IP) with 31 hits allowed in that span. LH Zac Rosscup and RH Carlos Pimentel finished the game off by each throwing a scoreless inning and a third.
Welington Castillo was the offensive standout for Iowa, going 2-for-3 with two walks in his second game of a Major League rehab assignment.
Josh Vitters and Chris Valaika both doubled for the Cubs' only extra-base hits of the contests as Iowa was held to just two hits in 11 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
The Cubs and Isotopes play the second game of their four-game series Sunday afternoon at 1:05 from Principal Park as LH Eric Jokisch (5-7, 3.89) takes the mound for the Cubs against RH Red Patterson (3-6, 4.71). There will be a pre-game catch on field that's open to the public from 11:35-12:15. The game will be broadcast live on AM 940 and streamed live at iowacubs.com with the On-Deck Circle Pre-Game Show starting at 12:45 p.m.