Valparaiso High School grad Jeff Samardzija pitched six innings, allowing three runs, in his debut for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs on Tuesday at Albuquerque. Samardzija (0-1) took the loss in a 4-2 defeat.
Samardzija struck out five and gave up seven hits. He threw 96 pitches, 58 for strikes. Samardzija allowed single runs in the second, fourth and sixth innings before being relieved before the seventh.
Samardzija, who is in his second season in the Cubs' minor-league system, was 3-5 with a 4.86 earned-run average in 16 games (15 starts) at Double-A Tennessee. The right-hander recorded 44 strikeouts and walked 42. He allowed 71 hits in 76 innings.
