The South Bend Cubs (53-35) defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (48-39) again on Wednesday afternoon at Four Winds Field, claiming a 6-3 victory. Wisconsin issued seven walks in the first five innings and ran into three outs on the bases, and the Cubs capitalized for their fourth straight victory.
Click here to view Wednesday’s box score.
Right-hander Nazier Mulé came off the Development List and made the start for South Bend, cruising out of the gate. Mulé retired six consecutive hitters to open the game, only throwing 21 pitches and striking out six along the way. Wisconsin got him for two runs to open the scoring in the third, as center fielder Braylon Payne tagged an RBI double, and second baseman Daniel Dickinson picked up an RBI single. After a pickoff ended his third inning, Mulé bounced back with a solid fourth, finishing his start with six strikeouts in 4.0 innings.
Meanwhile, the Cubs created headaches for Wisconsin throughout the early part of the game, putting multiple runners on in each of the day’s first five innings. Wisconsin left-hander Wande Torres labored through the first three of those frames, issuing five walks in total and giving up the lead in the third inning. Torres walked back-to-back hitters to start the inning, and both of those Cubs came around to score. Right fielder Kade Snell found some grass in left-center for an RBI single, and second baseman Michael Hallquist lofted a sacrifice fly to tie the game.
The Cubs took the lead against right-hander Tanner Perry and the Wisconsin bullpen in the bottom of the fourth, grabbing another two runs. Catcher Justin Stransky led off with his second single of the day, and center fielder Kane Kepley followed with a walk. They’d both score on a single to right-center from left fielder Jose Escobar, giving the Cubs a 4-2 lead.
South Bend’s bullpen got the victory to the finish line, scattering one run across the final five frames. After missing all of 2025 with injury, right-handed Jose Romero made his 2026 South Bend Cubs debut with a scoreless fifth inning, receiving major assistance from his defense. Stransky erased a leadoff walk with a successful back pick at first base, and the Cubs' infield pulled off an impressive double play to end the half-inning. Wisconsin scored its third and final run off righty Brayden Spears in the sixth, as right fielder Luis Castillo drilled an RBI double. However, he made a bad baserunning blunder as the tying run, carelessly rounding third base and running into the third out on an infield single.
Escobar and shortstop Angel Cepeda provided one more boost from the Cub offense in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Escobar ripped an RBI double off the right-field wall. The 21-year-old finished the day 4-for-4 with a walk and three RBI, giving him a pair of three-RBI performances to start the series. Cepeda followed with an RBI single to right, widening the lead to 6-3.
Back on the South Bend mound, Spears returned and pitched two more scoreless innings, setting up fellow right-hander Grayson Moore to record his fourth save of the year in the ninth.
With South Bend leading the series 2-0, the Cubs and Timber Rattlers will play again at 7:05 PM on Thursday, July 23. Right-hander Mason McGwire is scheduled to pitch for South Bend against Wisconsin righty Daniel Corniel.