May 4 Game Notes at Round Rock

Iowa Cubs (5-20) at Round Rock Express (10-18)
Friday, May 4 • 7:05 p.m. CT • Dell Diamond • Round Rock, TX
RHP Alec Mills (0-4, 5.66) vs. LHP David Hurlbut (0-2, 6.55)

TONIGHT'S GAME: Iowa and Round Rock meet for the first of three series in the month of May and the first of two in Round Rock. The I-Cubs enter the set having dropped their seventh-straight series of the season, losing 1-3 to Omaha. 
BASEMENT DWELLERS: At 5-20, the I-Cubs have the fewest wins in franchise history at the 25-game mark. Previously, the 2000 and 2003 teams held the record with a 7-18 clip. 
BULLPEN BOOST: Yesterday was just the third time this season that the Iowa bullpen has given up more than two earned runs in a game. Omaha tagged Anthony Bass with a pair of runs in the sixth and got one more of Dillon Maples in the ninth. Through 25 games and 96.0 innings, I-Cub relievers hold a 2.81 ERA and are averaging 8.73 strikeouts per nine innings. 
ROAD WARRIORS: The I-Cubs are 3-10 in road games this season. Their batting average dips slightly from .248 at Principal Park to .221 away from home, but the pitching is where the gap widens. The Iowa staff holds a 3.23 ERA (43ER/120.0IP) at home and a 5.22 ERA (58ER/100.0) as the visiting team. They have allowed seven more earned runs in 20.0 fewer innings. Taylor Davis has found the most success on the road, batting .371 (13-for-35). 
MIGHTY MAPLES: Dillon Maples gave up a ninth-inning run yesterday, but also managed to strike out the side. With 19 strikeouts on the season through 8.1 innings, Maples is averaging 20.52 strikeouts per nine innings. Justin Hancock is the only other active I-Cub to crack into double-digits in this category, holding an 11.57 mark. 
POWER SURGE: As a team, Iowa blasted eight home runs in the four-game series against Omaha, including five on Monday. The I-Cubs nearly doubled their home run total of nine through the first 21 games of the season. The I-Cubs remain in 13th in the PCL with 17 long balls on the season, out-hitting Omaha (14), Nashville (13) and New Orleans (9). Only six I-Cub home runs have come on the road. 
AGAINST ROUND ROCK: Round Rock took the slight 7-8 edge over the I-Cubs in the season series in 2017. The I-Cubs batted .312 against the Express, but was also tagged with a 5.73 ERA. Will Middlebrooks was especially hard on the I-Cubs, blasting seven home runs with 13 RBI through 11 games. Jared Hoying and Ronald Guzmán each had four homers in the series. On Iowa's side, Victor Caratini was dominant, batting .316 (12-for-38) with 18 RBI in 10 games. Chensy Young hit .362 (21-for-58) in 14 games vs. the Express. 
FINDING FOOTING: Jacob Hannemann has put together a four-game hitting streak, going 5-for-15 (.333) in Iowa's last series with Omaha. Prior, the outfielder had just five hits on the season through 13 games (5-for-43, .116). He elevated his batting average nearly .060 points to .172 with the hot streak. Chesny Young follows a similar pattern, notching a four-game hitting streak himself (6-for-15, .400). Prior, Young was 7-for-53 (.132) on the year. 
MORE BASEBALL: Iowa played in its league-leading sixth extra-inning contests Wednesday and fell to 2-4 in those games. Across Minor League Baseball, only Single-A Lakewood has played in more extra-innings games. They are 4-3 in seven games. 
APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS: Iowa finished the month of April with a 3.87 team ERA, the best clip for the team since 2014. That season, Tsuyoshi Wade led the team with a 0.68 ERA (2ER/26.1IP) through four starts. Marcus Hatley also posted a sub-1.00 ERA with a 0.90 mark (1ER/10.0IP) in nine games. Iowa's offense, however, finished this April with a .231 batting average, its lowest mark since hitting .227 through the first month in 2005. 
SHORT HOPS: Iowa has not strung together two consecutive wins this season...Iowa has held a lead at any point in just 13 games, for a total of 15 times...Five active Iowa relievers boast a sub-3.00 ERA. Adbert Alzolay is the only starter to join those ranks.