TODAY’S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the Buffalo Bisons play the fifth of a six-game series today...the game was originally scheduled for 12:05 p.m. CT but will be pushed back to at least 1:05 p.m. CT due to weather...Iowa will send LHP Thomas Pannone to the mound and he will
TODAY’S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the Buffalo Bisons play the fifth of a six-game series today...the game was originally scheduled for 12:05 p.m. CT but will be pushed back to at least 1:05 p.m. CT due to weather...Iowa will send LHP Thomas Pannone to the mound and he will make his sixth start of the season…Pannone ranks among International League leaders in wins (T-2nd, 3), WHIP (6th, 1.09) and ERA (6th, 2.92)…Buffalo will pitch right-hander Andrew Bash, who will make his sixth outing (fifth start) of the season...Iowa is tied for first in the International League West Division and Buffalo slots in third place of the International League East Division, 2.0 game behind first place Scranton-Wilkes/Barre.
THAT’S OFFENSIVE: Iowa tallied a seasonhigh-tying 15 hits and scored a season-high 12 runs in their 12-3 victory over Buffalo last night...the 12 runs was the most scored by the I-Cubs since the club scored 20 runs in a 20-1 win over Omaha on Aug. 9, 2023...Iowa starting pitcher Riley Thompson tossed 4.0 scoreless innings and allowed just one hit with four strikeouts in a no decision.
STAY HOT: After hitting just .167 (3-for-18) through his first five games this season, Iowa infielder, and Cubs No. 17 prospect (MLB. com), Luis Vázquez is batting .413 (26-for-63) in his last 18 games dating back to since April 5...his batting average leads the International League during that span, ahead of next closest Lehigh Valley’s Jordan Luplow (.409)… Vázquez also ranks among International League leaders in hits (T-2nd), on-base percentage (4th, .479) and OPS (5th, 1.098) during that span...he has hit safely in his last six games, which is tied for his longest such streak of the season and tied for fifth-longest active hit streak in the International League.
VS. BUFFALO: Iowa and Buffalo play game five of the six-game series today...the two teams are split 2-2 with Iowa winning game one and game four and Buffalo sweeping the doubleheader on Thursday...Iowa took the last series played at Sahlen Field, winning four of the six games from April 18-23 in which the I-Cubs outscored the Bisons 33-24.
IN THE STANDINGS: With the win last night, Iowa remains in a tie for first place in the International League West Division with Toledo...since dropping the first two games of the season at Omaha, Iowa is 15-8 in their last 22 games, including a four-game win streak from April 6-9 vs. Toledo and at St. Paul.
STREAKING: Ali Sánchez and Darius Hill both extended their hit streaks to five games last night, tied for the ninth-longest active hit streak in the International League...Sánchez is batting .421 (8-for-19) with three doubles and eight RBI during his hit streak dating back to game one of the April 19 doubleheader vs. Louisville...he also has tallied an RBI in five straight games, which is tied for the longest such streak in the IL...Hill is batting .421 (8-for-19) with two doubles and three RBI in his streak, dating back to April 21.
SLAUGHTER HOUSE: Iowa infielder Jake Slaughter hit his fourth home run of the season last night, a three-run shot in the sixth inning...it marked his third home run in his last five games after hitting just one longball in his first 13 games...he went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Wednesday night’s win...it marked his first four-hit game since Aug. 12, 2022 in which he went 4-for6 with two home runs vs. Mississippi with Double-A Tennessee...Slaughter homered in back-to-back games for the eighth time in his career and first since he went deep in three straight games from Aug. 20-23, 2023 with Iowa...in 16 April games, Jake is slashing .327/.422/.564 with seven extra-base hits and nine RBI.
CAISSIE AT BAT: The No. 43 prospect in all of baseball (MLB.com) Owen Caissie has reached base in 22 of his 23 games this season with an at-bat, despite being only one of five active position players aged 21 or younger in the International League...the outfielder is slashing .279/.404/.430 (24-for86) with one home run and 14 RBI...Caissie has shown off his power capabilities in the past as he went deep 22 times a season ago while playing for Double-A Tennessee... Caissie’s 22 homers during the 2023 season were the most hit on the Tennessee Smokies and tied for the fourth most in the Southern League.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Iowa was swept by Buffalo in Thursday’s doubleheader by scores of 5-3 and 10-3 and fell to 0-4 this season in twin bills…four of the I-Cubs 10 losses this season have come in doubleheaders, including being swept by Louisville on April 19 by scores of 9-6 and 4-1…the I-Cubs went .500 in doubleheaders last season, going 7-7 in such games...they won both games on two occasions, lost both on two more, and split the pair three other times
