Iowa Cubs Wrap: April 1

The Iowa Cubs ran the Columbus Clippers (Guardians) aground, 4-3 in ten innings.

Also this:

Nick Neidert started for Iowa and he kept the Clippers in check for three innings. But Columbus led off the fourth inning with a double and a single and he left with runners on first and third and no outs. Brendon Little relieved Little and both of those runners would come around to score.

The final line on Neidert was 3+ innings pitched, allowing two runs on four hits. One of the two runs was unearned. Neidert walked four and struck out three.

Little’s final line was two innings allowing no runs (but two inherited runners) on one hit. He walked one and had four strikeouts.

Iowa scored twice in the fifth inning to tie it up. Bryce Windham, in his Triple-A debut, had an RBI single and Matt Mervis hit a sacrifice fly.

Manuel Rodriguez came on to get the last two outs of the eighth inning and then pitched the ninth. But the Clippers took a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth off Rodriguez. His final line was one run on two hits over 1.2 innings. He struck out three and walked no one.

Iowa was down to their final strike when David Bote came to the plate and did this.

I think everyone thought that was a walkoff home run, but the wind had other ideas. Instead, it just tied the game and sent it to extras.

Tyler Duffey pitched the top of the tenth and retired the side in order. He struck out one. Duffey got the win when Mervis, who started the tenth on second base, scored on a Jake Slaughter sacrifice fly.

Bote reached base every time he came up today, going 2 for 2 with three walks. And he had that key RBI double in the ninth.

Windham was 2 for 3 with an RBI in his Triple-A debut.

Third baseman Christopher Morel was only 1 for 5 with a double and a steal, but he did this on defense.