The South Bend Cubs (77-50) won their fifth consecutive game against the Cedar Rapids Kernels (47-82) on Saturday night at Four Winds Field, claiming a 7-4 result. The Cubs will have a chance to earn their first six-game series sweep in franchise history on Sunday afternoon.
Click here to view Saturday’s box score.
No. 28 Chicago Cubs prospect Dominick Reid served as the starting pitcher for South Bend, making his High-A debut and his first official pitching appearance since June 12. The right-hander put on a clinic, striking out four and walking none in 4.0 scoreless innings. Reid did not allow an earned baserunner until the third inning, allowing South Bend to take an early lead.
The Cubs jumped ahead in the second inning, working against right-hander Justin Mitrovich, who also covered 4.0 innings as the Cedar Rapids starter. Coming off his 5-for-5 game, center fielder Alexey Lumpuy led off the second with a single before stealing second base. Second baseman Jose Escobar drove him in with a double to right field. Two more Cub runs scored in the third, as left fielder Kade Snell and shortstop Angel Cepeda went back to back with RBI singles.
Cedar Rapids closed the gap in the top of the fifth, plating a pair against right-hander Yoendris Gonzalez. Third baseman Irvin Nunez singled with one out and scored on a triple to right-center by second baseman Yilber Herrera. The relay throw to third got away in foul territory, allowing Herrera to score on the play as well.
The Kernels nearly tied the game in the sixth inning, as right fielder Yasser Mercedes led off with another triple to right-center and attempted to circle the bases. Escobar prevented the inside-the-park home run, making a perfect relay throw home to catcher Logan Poteet. That was the first act of Pierce Coppola’s outing, as the left-hander went on to deliver 3.2 innings of two-run work before right-hander JP Wheat recorded the final out.
South Bend pulled away in the second half of the game, scoring a key run in the sixth inning. The Cubs had failed to capitalize on right fielder Michael Gupton’s leadoff triple in the fifth, but they made sure to get Lumpuy home in the sixth on a single to center from Poteet. Then, a night after their seven-run seventh inning, the Cubs scored three runs in the seventh. Lumpuy, Escobar, and third baseman Matt Halbach each collected an RBI in the frame, as the Kernels issued three consecutive walks at one point.
Cedar Rapids made things a bit interesting in the ninth, getting a leadoff home run to left from third baseman Irvin Nunez. A hit by pitch then turned the lineup card over with nobody out, but a pickoff helped the Cubs eliminate the threat and eventually end the game.
The Cubs and Kernels will close out the series and the regular season at 2:05 PM on Sunday, September 6. Right-hander Anhuar Garcia is scheduled to start for South Bend against Cedar Rapids righty Kolten Smith.