12 Extra-Base Hits Power Cubs 18-Run Barrage

Gioskar Amaya (3-4, 4R), Pin-Chieh Chen (4-5, 2 3B, 4R, 3RBI), & Rock Shoulders (3-5, Grand Slam, 2 2B, 4R) each had monster games in Clearwater on Tuesday.

By Matthias Gausz

April 23, 2014

Clearwater, FL - Daytona piled 18 runs on 17 hits to take their first series of the 2014 season after an 18-5 clobbering of Clearwater on Tuesday at Bright House Field. It was an offensive onslaught in which every Cubs starter reached base and Daytona pounded 12 extra-base hits.

Trailing 3-0, the Cubs scored three runs in the third, four in the fourth, four in the fifth, and three in the sixth for 14 unanswered and a 14-3 lead.

RF Pin-Chieh Chen led the way, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs on a bases-clearing triple. He also added another triple, a double, and four runs to his night, and led the Cubs with nine total bases. The nine total bases are most by a Cubs player this season. Chen bumped his average up to .339 on the year, good for ninth in the Florida State League.

1B Rock Shoulders went 3-for-5 with a grand slam and four runs scored. Shoulders capped off the scoring with his grand slam in the ninth, for the 18-5 victory. He hit the ball hard all night, which featured two doubles. Shoulders added four RBIs on the night, taking the team lead with 12 on the season.

2B Gioskar Amaya, who was activated off the DL prior to the game, compiled three hits. Amaya also scored four times and reached base in all five trips to the plate. Chen, Shoulders and Amaya each scored four runs which is tied for most by any Cubs player this year.

DH Tim Saunders picked up two RBIs on his two doubles. SS Marco Hernandez was 2-for-5 with a two-run triple in the sixth inning. LF Bijan Rademacher was 2-for-5 as well, with both hits being doubles, to extend his team-best hitting streak to seven-straight games. Rademacher upped his average to .365 on the season, ranking him fourth in the FSL.

Tayler Scott (W, 2-2) made his fourth start of the season, going 5.2 innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on four hits with three walks and a strikeout. Scott settled down after trailing 3-0, and only allowed one hit in his final 3.2 innings pitched.

Stephen Perakslis pitched 1.2 solid innings out of the pen, allowing just one hit while striking out three. Austin Reed pitched the eighth and ninth innings, and allowed two earned runs on four hits.

The Cubs jumped all over Threshers starter Miguel Nunez (L, 1-2) in the third and fourth. Nunez went 3.1 innings, allowing seven runs on eight eights with three walks. Each of the three Clearwater relievers gave up at least three runs.

The Cubs 12 extra base hits featured eight doubles, three triples and a home run. Daytona also recorded nine, two-out RBIs. Their 18 runs are the most in a Florida State League game this season.

Clearwater got their runs early off of Scott, picking up two runs in the home half of the first. CF Pete Lavin drove in DH K.C. Serna on an RBI double, then Lavin scored after an error by Shoulders allowed Art Charles to reach. The other Thresher run was unearned as Logan Moore scored on a throwing error by C Chadd Krist on a pickoff attempt at first.

The Threshers tallied one in both of the last two frames. PH-C Jesus Posso ripped an RBI double to score Nick Ferdinand. The hit was the first for Posso as a professional. Charles picked up an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to close out the scoring.

The Cubs will look for the three-game series sweep of the Threshers on Wednesday at Bright House Field. The getaway day game is set for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.