IOWA CUBS (18-11) @ COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (15-16)
Sunday, May 7, 2023 • 12:05 PM CT • Huntington Park • Columbus, OH
RHP Tyler Duffey (4-0, 4.26) vs. LHP Daniel Norris (0-2, 6.43)
IOWA CUBS (18-11) @ COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (15-16)
Sunday, May 7, 2023 • 12:05 PM CT • Huntington Park • Columbus, OH
RHP Tyler Duffey (4-0, 4.26) vs. LHP Daniel Norris (0-2, 6.43)
TODAY’S GAME: Iowa and Columbus are set to play the sixth and final game of their series today, with Columbus now leading the series three games to two. Iowa will send Tyler Duffey to the mound, set to make his first start since he made one in 2018 with Minnesota. In 518 games played, the righty has made 111 starts in his 13-year career. Through 10 games this year, Duffey is 4-0 with a 4.26 ERA, allowing six earned runs on six hits and eight walks in 12.2 innings. Opposite of Duffey will be Daniel Norris taking the mound for the Clippers. In 2023, he’s made four starts in seven appearances, including a relief effort in game one of the series. In that game, he walked one and struck out two in one inning. He holds a 6.43 ERA with 16 punch outs, eight walks and an 0-2 record. He started against Iowa on April 1 where he went 2.0 innings, striking out five and allowing no runs on one hit.
START IT OFF: Tyler Duffey gets the nod for Iowa today, set to make his first start since Sept. 11, 2018, with the Minnesota Twins. He spun 2.0 innings allowing just one run on two hits with a strikeout. The right-hander started all 26 of his games with the Twins in 2016, going 9-12 with a 6.43 ERA. He allowed 95 earned runs on 167 hits in 133.0 innings pitched, walking 32 batters while striking out 114.
DANGER ZONE: Iowa is in danger of losing their first series of the year today, entering this six-game series with four series wins and a series split. After getting swept in the doubleheader yesterday, Iowa is now down in the series three games to two entering the finale today.
FIRST TIME BACK: Codi Heuer made his first appearance since September 29, 2021. The right-hander was traded to the Chicago Cubs from the Chicago White Sox back on July 30, 2021, along with infielder Nick Madrigal for Craig Kimbrel. That season, Heuer threw in 65 combined games, going 7-4 with a 4.28 ERA. He was placed on the 60-day injured list back on March 16, 2022, recovering from Tommy John surgery. In his first game back from Tommy John and his first time on the mound in a game since Sept. 29, 2021, Heuer threw 0.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits while striking out one. He struck out the first batter he faced, throwing 10 of his 19 overall pitches for strikes.
BACK-TO-BACK: After getting swept in the doubleheader yesterday, Iowa has now lost two games in a row twice this year. The last time they dropped two games in a row was April 23 against Buffalo and 25 against Louisville. Two games is the most they have lost in a row all year and will look to continue that trend with a win today.
ALL THE OFFENSE: Iowa hit two combined home runs in their two games last night, getting a solo home run from Jake Slaughter in game one and a three-run shot from Brennen Davis in game two. The two home runs were all the offense Iowa could muster, scoring just one run in game one and three in game two. Iowa went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, leaving nine runners on in their 15 innings yesterday.
BACK IN ACTION: Levi Jordan played in his first game action since April 12 against Omaha in game two of the doubleheader yesterday. The infielder has been on Iowa’s development list, but has performed well when he has gotten his opportunities. In his first game of the year on April 12, Jordan went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a triple and two runs batted in. Yesterday in the second game, he went 1-for-3 with a run scored, accounting for one of the team’s five total hits.
AGAINST COLUMBUS: After dropping both games in the doubleheader yesterday, Columbus now leads the series over Iowa 3-2 entering today’s finale. Iowa fell to 5-3 overall against the Clippers this year, going 3-0 at home at 2-3 here on the road. The two losses also put them at 16-22 all-time against Columbus, going 8-9 here at Huntington Park all-time. The scoring between the two teams in the season series this year is even entering the final game of the series today, at 44-44.
SHORT HOPS: Game two of the doubleheader last night marked the first time Iowa has been walked-off on this year…Zach Plesac became the first opponent to throw a seven-inning complete game against Iowa since Asher Wojciechowski did so on August 25, 2015 with Albuquerque…Iowa dropped to 0-3 when their opponent scores first on the road…the I-Cubs are now 15-5 this year when they hit a home run after dropping both games last night.
