Iowa Cubs Wrap: October 3

So it all comes to an end for 2021.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were thunderstruck by the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 6-3. Iowa finishes the season with an eight-game losing streak.

Dakota Chalmers made his Iowa debut in this game. He gave up a run in the first inning when Edwin Olivares singled home Lucius Fox, who had doubled earlier in the inning. Other than that, Chalmers pitched the first two innings and allowed one run on two hits. He walked one and struck out two.

Meanwhile, Iowa tied it up with a run in the second inning and took the lead with a run in the third. Left fielder Christopher Morel led off the second inning with a single. He took second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by third baseman Liam Spence.

Iowa took the lead in the third inning when second baseman Levi Jordan put down a perfect safety squeeze bunt, scoring center fielder Ian Miller.

Meanwhile, Blake Whitney turned in three solid innings of relief, giving up no runs on just one hit. He walked two and struck out six.

Omaha tied it back up in the top of the seventh with reliever Erich Uelmen gave up a solo home run to Erick Mejia.

Iowa went back up 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh. Spence hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly, scoring first baseman Matt Mervis, who had singled with one out.

But Omaha busted the game open in the top of the eighth inning off of relievers Uelmen and Aneuris Rosario. Uelmen put runners on first and second with one out one walks before giving way to Rosario. Rosario then walked the bases loaded, but it looked like he’d get out of trouble when he got Dairon Blanco to hit a ground ball to shortstop Andrew Romine. But instead of turning a possible inning-ending double play (it might not have been hit hard enough for that), the ball went under Romine’s glove and two runs scored. If you want to make an excuse for him, Romine’s vision appeared to be shielded by the runner who jumped over the ball.

Uelmen got the loss. He was charged with three runs, all earned, on one hit (the home run) and three walks over 1.1 innings Uelmen struck out three.

Rosario was charged with two runs, one earned, on one hit in one inning. He walked three and struck out one.

Liam Spence was the offensive star for Iowa today, going 2 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base. He also had that sacrifice fly.

Christopher Morel was 2 for 4 with a walk and one run scored.

Brennen Davis went 0 for 3 with two walks.

Catcher Casey Opitz went 0 for 2 with two walks. He also threw out two runners trying to steal second base. He went 4 for 4 in throwing out baserunners trying to steal on him in Triple-A.

Both teams walked ten times in today’s game.

Iowa finished the season with a record of 51-78. It was especially tough at the end of the year, with most of their roster up with the major league club. They went 1-8 in the “Final Stretch” games, which MiLB and MLB are considering as separate from the regular season.

This ends the 2021 Minor League season. This time last year it didn’t look like I’d ever be writing the Wrap again, but we managed to get through this crazy year together. Thank you again for reading and especially thank you if you commented. I hope we’ll all be back together at a Minor League park next spring.