by Matt Grilli,

Second baseman falls a triple short of the cycle

Iowa Cubs: Des Moines, IA (April 16, 2014) - Arismendy Alcantara had a triple-A career-high three hits, including hitting a decisive two-run triple to break a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning, to lead the Iowa Cubs (7-6) past the New Orleans Zephyrs (4-10) on a windy Wednesday afternoon at Principal Park. Arismendy Alcantara had a triple-A career-high three hits, including hitting a decisive two-run triple to break a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning, to lead the Iowa Cubs (7-6) past the New Orleans Zephyrs (4-10) on a windy Wednesday afternoon at Principal Park.

The Cubs broke the scoring seal for just the third time this year, plating two runs off the Zephyrs Elih Villanueva in their first at-bat. Alcantara started the frame with wind-aided double that went over the head of Zephyrs shortstop Juan Diaz in short left field. Chris Coghlan continued to hurt his former team, driving a single to right field to score Alcantara. Coghlan added a third-inning double and stole the only two bases for the Cubs on the afternoon. He has reached base four times in this series. Josh Vitters followed Coghlan with his third double of the year -- high off the wall in left field -- to make it 2-0.

Zephyrs first baseman Justin Bour, formerly in the Cubs organization, extended his PCL-best hitting streak to 14 games with a second-inning single, the first of four New Orleans knocks in the inning. The Zephyrs would go on to score three times off Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks -- including a perfectly executed double steal that resulted in Josh Rodriguez stealing home. They have now scored eight of their 11 runs in the series in the second inning. Seven of Hendricks' nine career starts with Iowa have been quality starts.

Hendricks then settled into a groove and retired 18 of the final 21 hitters he faced to tie a season-high with seven innings pitched. He allowed five hits, one walk and struck out nine -- the most in his triple-A career and the most since he tied that mark on April 23, 2013 -- in recording his second consecutive victory.

Iowa's Logan Watkins hit his first home run of the year in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game at three. It was his ninth homer in 118 career games with Iowa. All of Watkins three RBIs on the season have come the last two days.

The score remained at 3-3 until the Cubs broke through by sending nine batters to the plate in the seventh and scoring three times off the first Zephyr reliever they saw, Jesus Sanchez. Pinch-hitter Edgar Gonzalez singled on the first pitch he saw, and he now is 2-for-2 with two pinch-hit singles on the season. Matt Szczur hit a sacrifice bunt to third and a wild throw from Zack Cox sent Gonzalez to third base. Alcantara followed with the triple and the Cubs reclaimed the lead. Vitters hit another run-scoring double to give Iowa a 6-3 lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Alcantara was a home run shy of the cycle and leads the club with seven extra-base hits on the year. He was second in the Southern League with 55 extra-base hits for the Tennessee Smokies last season.

Marcos Mateo and Brian Schlitter worked a clean eight and ninth inning to continue the impressive work by the Iowa bullpen lately. Over the last 10 games, the relievers have allowed just six runs in 29.2 innings for a 1.85 ERA and allowed just three walks while recording 30 strikeouts. It was Schlitter's first save of the season and the 34th of his Iowa career, moving him into a tie with Michael Wuertz and Jim Bullinger for second in franchise history.