Baseball season is back, which means so are the Iowa Cubs. The team got the season started a week ago with an opening day loss to Round Rock. However, just eight games into a 140-game season, there have already been some twists and turns.
The Big Story(s)
Logan Watkins Returns to the Field After a Year Off with Injury
After an Achilles injury forced him out of the 2015 season, Logan Watkins returned to the Iowa Cubs to pick up where he left off.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Watkins said, after playing his in his first professional game since 2014.
However it was not the swellest of starts to the season for Watkins, who went 1-14 during his first five games of the year. After that, he broke the ice. In the sixth game, Watkins went 4-4 with three RBI and a stolen base, also bringing his batting average up to .278.
“I just want to stay healthy this year, last year was the first time I’ve ever been injured at any point,” Watkins said. “I want to have a good year, get off to a good start, and finish strong.”
Javier Baez Called Up
After an injury prevented him from starting the season off in Chicago, Javier Baez began his 2016 campaign, four games into the season, in Des Moines. Chicago Cubs Manager, Joe Maddon, said he wanted to call Baez up to the big leagues after twenty at bats. So far, Baez sits with fifteen, across which he got himself a home run and a .267 average.
According to the Des Moines Register, Baez will be headed to Chicago as soon as possible.
Contreras Hot Right Off the Bat
I-Cubs catcher Wilson Contreras started off his 2016 with a six-game hitting streak that was only halted because he was given an off-day during the seventh game.
Contreras came back during the final game of the homestand to again get a hit, which means he’s hit safely in all seven of the games he has played. That’s not a bad start to his AAA career.
The Home Stand Recap
Thursday, April 7th: Round Rock (1-0) 7, Iowa Cubs (0-1) 3
The team fell behind 7-1 after a five-run third inning by the Express on a chilly Opening Day. Iowa failed to record any multi-base hits.
Friday, April 8th: Round Rock (2-0) 4, Iowa Cubs (0-2) 3
Going into the bottom of the ninth, Round Rock had a 4-2 lead. Iowa battled back to load the bases with two outs to go, only trailing by one. However, a called third strike against Logan Watkins ended the night. Watkins finished 0-4 in his 2016 debut.
Saturday, April 9th: Round Rock (3-0) 9, Iowa Cubs (0-3) 3
After allowing two four-run innings to Round Rock in just four innings, Eric Jokisch was pulled (only to be claimed off waivers the next week). The hole was a little too large to dig out of for the I-Cubs, as they fell to 0-3.
Sunday, April 10th: Round Rock (4-0) 10, Iowa Cubs (0-4) 4
Iowa started off the season with four straight losses to Round Rock, and gave up seven runs on during Sunday’s eighth inning.
Monday, April 11th: Iowa Cubs (1-4) 9, New Orleans (2-3) 5
Javier Baez played in his first game of the season, crushing a home run to remind us just who he is. Wilson Contreras added to his five-game hitting streak by going 4-5 with four RBI.
Tuesday, April 12th: New Orleans (3-3) 4, Iowa Cubs (1-5) 2
Both Contreras and Vogelbach extended their hitting streaks to six games, although it was not enough for Iowa to overcome the Zephyrs.
Wednesday, April 13th: Iowa Cubs (2-5) 9, New Orleans (3-4) 5
The Iowa Cubs grabbed their second win of the season, as Logan Watkins went 4-4 with three RBI.
Thursday, April 14th: Iowa Cubs (3-5) 4, New Orleans (3-5) 2
The team earned their second straight win as Javier Baez went 2-4 in what could have been his last game before getting called up to the majors. Wilson Contreras ends the homestand with a .444 batting average, Vogelbach with a .407, and Kristopher Negron with a .400.
Iowa will continue the season with two four-game series on the road, the first at Round Rock, and the second at New Orleans.
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