The South Bend Cubs (56-37) dropped their road series opener to the Lake County Captains (53-40) on Tuesday night at Classic Auto Group Park, losing a 7-5 slugfest. Both teams hit multiple home runs in the game, and Lake County led from start to finish.
Click here to view Tuesday’s box score.
Inning number one set an instant tone for the game, as the Cubs missed a scoring chance against Lake County right-hander Jacob Zibin. After leading off with a single, center fielder Kane Kepley reached third base with one out, but the Cubs couldn’t score him. On the flip side, Lake County tagged No. 19 Cubs prospect Mason McGwire for three runs in the bottom of the first, as the right-hander walked three in a 31-pitch inning. Shortstop Welbyn Francisca dealt the big blow, launching a three-run home run to right-center field on the first pitch he saw. An outfield assist from top Cubs prospect Josiah Hartshorn in right field got McGwire out of the inning with South Bend behind 3-0.
Lake County added long balls in the third and fourth innings, using a strong wind off Lake Erie that carried anything hit to right field. Left fielder Juneiker Caceres cranked a wind-aided solo shot to right-center on the first pitch of the home third, giving the Captains a 4-0 lead with his first High-A home run. In the fourth, right fielder Esteban Gonzalez laced a two-run blast to right. All three Lake County home runs occurred against McGwire, who had not allowed a long ball in his first 26.2 High-A innings. He finished Tuesday’s start with six runs allowed across 3.1 innings.
South Bend stayed in the game by scoring two runs in both the fourth and fifth frames, trailing by a 6-4 margin at the game’s midway point. After Zibin retired 10 consecutive Cubs, left fielder Kade Snell took him deep to right field in the top of the fourth, crushing a two-run shot that exited the ballpark. Snell’s third home run of the year brought South Bend within a 6-4 score. Zibin stayed out there for the fifth and allowed another pair to score, as second baseman Michael Hallquist laced an RBI double to center, and Hartshorn lifted a sacrifice fly to right.
Neither offense did a whole lot from there, as each bullpen conceded a single run. For South Bend, right-handers Adam Stone, Luis Rujano, and Nate Williams combined to keep the game close, covering 4.2 innings. Lake County took a 7-4 lead by scoring off of Stone in the sixth inning, but the Captains left multiple runners on base in both the seventh and eighth innings.
South Bend wasted a critical opportunity as well, loading the bases with two walks and a hit by pitch against lefty reliever Melkis Hernandez in the seventh inning. On came right-hander Jogly Garcia, who inherited the jam and struck out shortstop Angel Cepeda to keep the Cubs off the board. They’d score in the top of the eighth, though, as catcher Logan Poteet punched his 16th home run of the season to right field and brought South Bend back within a 7-5 score. That would be it for the Cubs, who went scoreless in the ninth to earn right-hander Logan McGuire the save.
The Cubs and Captains will play daytime baseball at 12:05 PM on Wednesday, July 29. Right-hander Jostin Florentino is scheduled to pitch for South Bend against a currently unannounced Lake County starter.