Game #54 vs. Iowa: Preview

After winning six of eight against Portland and Oklahoma City, the Zs split with Omaha. Tonight they begin a four-game set in Iowa, the Cubs' AAA affiliate. Strangely, the Zs are 12-10 away from Zephyr Field but a dismal 13-18 at home.

The Teams:
June 5, 7:00 CT
New Orleans Zephyrs: 25-28, third in the PCL South
Iowa Cubs: 28-26, last in the PCL North

The Pitching Matchup:
Zs: Hunter Jones (0-4, 4.05 ERA)





Jones last appeared for the Zs on Tuesday against Omaha in relief of Sean West. It wasn't pretty, either. The lefty went 5 and a third innings, giving up seven runs on nine hits. To his credit, Jones has been accustomed to mostly starting this year. He has a healthy reverse split, holding righties to a .260 average; lefties are hitting a robust .323 against him. Jones lives by the ground ball and gives up some hits, so he needs to reduce walks.

Cubs: Mitch Atkins (3-2, 2.79 ERA)





Mitch Atkins is a B-level prospect who made his debut for the Cubs last year. His numbers so far suggest he's figuring things out. He's generating more ground balls than he has since his first year in the low minors and he's given up just 33 hits in 42 innings. He was promoted to a starter role about halfway through this season and four of those five starts have been quality.