Baby Cakes take series from I-Cubs

METAIRIE – Ben Meyer tossed six solid innings and Isaac Galloway and Gabriel Guerrero hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh as the New Orleans Baby Cakes beat the Iowa Cubs, 5-2 on Monday afternoon.

New Orleans won four of six games in the series from the PCL’s American North Division leaders.

The Baby Cakes sent eight batters to the plate in a three-run opening frame. JT Riddle snapped out of a 1-for-22 slump with a leadoff single and scored on a ground out by Yadiel Rivera, who finished 9-for-19 in the series with five home runs and 11 RBI. Lewis Brinson and Byran Holaday added RBI singles in the inning.

Ian Happ took Meyer deep in the bottom of the frame, but that was one of just two hits the Cubs managed in six innings against the Baby Cakes’ right-hander. Meyer (2-4) completed his first quality start of the season and struck out seven, one shy of his season high.

Galloway greeted Cubs reliever Tim Collins by tucking a fly ball inside the left field foul pole for his fifth home run of the year, ending a string of 10 strikeouts in 11 at-bats during the series. Gabriel Guerrero then came off the bench and delivered his second pinch home run of the season to give the ‘Cakes their first set of back-to-back homers in 2019.

Mike Kickham allowed only a wind-blown double in a scoreless seventh and R.J. Alvarez worked around a leadoff walk in the eighth. Tommy Eveld gave up two hits and a wild pitch permitted Iowa to plate a run to score in the ninth.

Duane Underwood, Jr. (2-5) allowed three runs, only one of which was earned, in 5 2/3 innings and suffered the loss for the Cubs, who went 2-8 on their 10-game homestand.

The Baby Cakes return home on to begin their longest homestand of the season, a nine-game stint which opens with the first of four games against the Oklahoma City Dodgers on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.