RedHawks' Offense Absent In Loss to Iowa

News9.com

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa starter Jay Jackson kept the Oklahoma City bats from finding their rhythm Friday, handing the RedHawks a 7-1 loss in the second game of their eight-game road trip.

Jackson (5-8) pitched seven innings for the Cubs (42-51), giving up just one earned run on six hits, while striking out four RedHawks (40-53) in the process. His only earned run of the game came in the top of the seventh on a double-play that allowed Wladimir Sutil to score from third.

Brad Hennessey (0-2) struggled Friday and picked up his second loss of the season, allowing five earned runs on seven hits – including two home runs – in four innings of service.

The first of those long balls came in the bottom of the first with Iowa already leading 1-0. With Tyler Colvin on first, Bryan LaHair went yard to right field, his 26th of the season, to give the Cubs a three-run advantage. The second dinger of the night came in the second at-bat of the fourth inning after a leadoff single; Ryan Flaherty homered for the first time this season to make it a 5-0 lead for Iowa.

The Cubs tacked on two more insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh to close the door on an Oklahoma City comeback.

The RedHawks will be back in action at 7:05 p.m. Saturday against the Cubs in the third game of the four-game series, before closing out the series Sunday.