June 7 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Toledo Mud Hens

IOWA CUBS (27-33) vs. TOLEDO MUD HENS (32-27)

Friday, June 7 • 7:08 PM CT • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA

LHP Thomas Pannone (3-5, 4.34) vs. LHP Bryan Sammons (4-2, 3.12)

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the Toledo Mud Hens play the fourth of their six-game series tonight at Principal Park...it marks the second time the I-Cubs have hosted the Mud Hens, following April 2-7...Iowa is scheduled to start left-hander Thomas Pannone, who is set to make his league-leading 13th start of the season... opposite of Pannone, the Mud Hens are scheduled to pitch left-hander Bryan Sammons, who is scheduled to make his 11th start for Toledo.

LAST NIGHT’S NEWS: The I-Cubs fell by an 8-4 score last night to Toledo... Iowa took a 4-1 lead with a four-run fourth inning led by a two-run single from Darius Hill and run-scoring singles from Ali Sanchez and Miles Mastrobuoni... the Mud Hens did damage in the seventh inning, scoring four runs and again in the eighth frame scoring three... Edwin Escobar tossed 3.0 innings in relief and Carl Edwards Jr. pitched 1.1 scoreless frames with a strikeout.

YOU DOWN WITH OBP?: Owen Caissie has reached base in 46 of his 53 games this season and ranks among International League leaders in on-base percentage (9th, .417) and walks (T-9th, 38)...the 38 walks are tied for eighth among minor leaguers aged 21-or-younger and his 55 hits are tied for 16th...Owen delivered a grand slam in Tuesday night’s suspended game, the third by an I-Cub this season (last - Brennen Davis on 5/18 at SYR)...marked his fifth home run of the season and his second in his last four games.

VS. TOLEDO: Iowa and Toledo are playing their second series of the season, following April 2-7 which marked Iowa’s first home series of the season...Iowa has won five of the first nine games between the clubs this season, outscoring the Mud Hens 56-45.

FOR STARTERS: Last night’s starter Riley Thompson surrendered his first run in a starting role as he worked 3.0 innings and allowed one run on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts...the right-hander has made three starts this year and has posted a 0.82 ERA (1 ER in 11.0 IP) with nine strikeouts vs. a 8.54 ERA (26 ER in 37.1 IP) in a relief role.

START THE STREAK: Iowa catcher Ali Sanchez has reached base in 16 consecutive games dating back to May 8 in which he is batting .273 (15-for-55) with six extra-base hits and 11 walks... marks the longest such streak by an I-Cub this season and longest since Bryce Windham reached in 28 straight games from July 26-September 24, 2023.

A ONE-OFF: Saturday night’s 3-2 win at Louisville Slugger Field improved Iowa’s record in one-run games to 10-10 (.500) and the club has won three of their last four such games...Iowa has played tied for second-most one-run games in the International League this season, trailing Omaha who has posted a 16-6 record in such games this season and tied with tonight’s opponent Toledo (13-7) and Louisville (13-7)...last season, the I-Cubs recorded a 25-13 record in one-run contests.

DYNAMIC DUO: Iowa relief pitchers Carl Edwards Jr. and Ethan Roberts have not allowed an earned run in eight outings and six outings respectively...Edwards Jr.’s streak is tied for fifth-longest in the International League and he has gone 1-1 in 9.0 innings during the streak... Roberts began the season on the injured list but has pitched 7.0 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts through his first six appearances with Iowa.

WALK THIS WAY: Iowa’s offense ranks second in the International League with 307 walks this season, trailing Worcester’s 316, and the I-Cubs pitching staff also has the second-most walks in the league with 291...on offense, the club averages just over five walks (5.1) a game and hands out just under five walks (4.9) a game.

BECAUSE HE GETS ON BASE: The I-Cubs rank third in the International League and rank sixth in all of Triple-A with a .366 on-base percentage this season, narrowly trailing the leader Buffalo (.369)... Cubs’ No. 2 prospect (MLB.com) Owen Caissie leads Iowa with a .417 on-base percentage and is followed by Cubs’ No. 22 prospect Brennen Davis (.403), and catchers Bryce Windham (.376) and Ali Sanchez (.372).