The Iowa Cubs (47-64) were held scoreless as the Omaha Storm Chasers (49-60) squeaked out a 1-0 win, Tuesday at Principal Park. Iowa outhit Omaha 8-6 with all eight knocks for singles.
The pitchers were dialed in today as each team nabbed just two hits through the first four innings. Omaha did manage to load the bags in the third with a single from Whit Merrifield, a hit batter and a walk issued by Trevor Cahill, but the effort was shutdown with an inning-ending force out at second.
Iowa got going in the fourth with three singles in the inning, but Munenori Kawasaki was caught stealing and the I-Cubs couldn’t plate a run after putting runners on the corners with one out.
Omaha loaded the bases twice more in the sixth and seventh innings and were able to crack the scoreless game in the latter frame. Back-to-back hits opened the drive and Felix Pena (2-4) intentionally walked Rey Fuentes to fill the bags. Pena forced a pop up and struck out one and was almost out of the inning when a 1-0 pitch grazed Tony Cruz to push in the go-ahead run.
Cahill, with Iowa on a major league rehab assignment, tossed four scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked two and struck out six. Jose Rosario and Giovanni Soto each gave Iowa a scoreless inning.
Juan Perez went 0-for-5 to end his hit streak at 13 games. John Andreoli, Kristopher Negrón and Logan Watkins all collected two-hit outings.
Iowa returns to Principal Park for an eight-game homestand beginning Wednesday at 7:08 p.m.