Game Notes for July 20: Iowa Cubs at Memphis Redbirds

July 20, 2024 – International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs Press Release

IOWA CUBS (42-52) at MEMPHIS REDBIRDS (47-47)

Saturday, July 20 – 6:35pm CT – AutoZone Park – Memphis, TN

RHP Brandon Birdsell (0-1, 10.38) vs. RHP Ian Bedell (1-1, 2.78)

GAME TONIGHT: The Iowa Cubs and Memphis Redbirds play the second game of a three-game series that begins tonight after the All-Star break…right-handed pitcher Brandon Birdsell is making his second Triple-A start and his 16th of the season…Birdsell was 4-4 with a 3.63 ERA (30 ER in 74.1 IP) in 15 games (14 starts) with Double-A Tennessee before being promoted to Iowa on July 10…Memphis is scheduled to start right-handed pitcher Ian Bedell, who is making his 17th game (15th start) of the year and his fifth with Memphis…Bedell was 1-2 with a 4.73 ERA (34 ER in 64.2 IP) in 12 games (10 starts) with Double-A Springfield.

OFF TO A GOOD START IN MEMPHIS: The I-Cubs cruised to a 4-3 win over the Memphis Redbirds in Game 1 of the series last night despite being outscored 9-7… Moises Ballesteros hit his third Triple-A home run and Darius Hill had his third three-hit game of the season to lead Iowa’s offense… Starter Riley Thompson played no part in the decision, but threw 5.0 innings of one-run, four-strikeout innings… Julian Merryweather worked 1.2 scoreless innings on a major league rehab assignment to earn the win, and Riley Martin retired the four batters he faced to earn his second save.

WINDY CITY: Iowa utility player Bryce Windham filled up the stat sheet on July 12 in Nashville, going 2-for-3 with a run, a double, a home run and a walk. It was the Windy’s second home run of the 2024 season and his first since June 11 in Columbus. It also marked the first time Windham has doubled and homered in the same game since Aug. 17, 2022, in Birmingham with Double-A Tennessee.

ALL THE LITTLE THINGS: Iowa’s 4-3 win last night moved them to 20-13 in one-run games this season… the I-Cubs have played 33 one-run games this season, the most of such games in the International League, versus the Omaha Storm Chasers who are 18-12… Iowa went 25-13 in one-run games during the 2023 season.

BALLY GOES DEEP: No. 5 Cubs prospect Moises Ballesteros went 2-for-5 last night for his third home run at Triple-A (12th overall)… Bally has homered in back-to-back games for the first time this season and the fourth time in his career, most recently on Aug. 13-15, 2023 at Advanced-A South Bend… He’s hitting .308 (24-for-78) in 19 games with Iowa and has eight multi-hit efforts.

VS. MEMPHIS: Iowa and Memphis will face each other for the first time this season, again playing a six-game series at Principal Park from August 27 to September 1. The last time the two clubs met was July 25 to 30, 2023, in a six-game series. The I-Cubs and Redbirds split the series, with Iowa beating Memphis 37-35.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CONNOR!: Iowa Cubs pitcher Connor Noland celebrates his 25th birthday today… Connor shares a birthday with 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg and 1964 Hall of Famer Heine Manush… he also shares a birthday with actor Omar Epps and musician Carlos Santana… Noland will make his first Triple-A start tomorrow after transferring to Iowa from Double-A Tennessee on Friday.

MURRAY, MURRAY: Iowa Cubs infielder B.J. Murray Jr. has reached base safely in 10 of his 12 games in July. He is batting .325/.449/.550 (13-for-40) with nine runs scored, three doubles, two home runs, five RBIs and eight walks. Additionally, B.J. has stolen four bases that month, which ranks ninth in the International League in that span.

COUNTRY ROADS: Iowa hits the road again for a three-game series at Memphis… Iowa is 18-31 on the road this season, compared to 24-21 at Principal Park… the I-Cubs are 1-5 heading into their July 9-14 trip to Nashville and have lost six of their last eight games outside of friendly competition.

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