The South Bend Cubs (23-16) achieved a three-game win streak on Friday night at LMCU Ballpark, defeating the West Michigan Whitecaps (14-29) by a 5-4 score. Led by the efforts of right fielder Leonel Espinoza, the Cubs overcame deficits of 1-0 and 4-2 en route to the victory..
Click here to view Friday’s box score.
Coming off his best High-A start with five scoreless innings at Wisconsin, lefty Cole Reynolds pitched for the Cubs and gave up a run in the first inning, as the Whitecaps scored off back-to-back singles and a sacrifice fly. Reynolds would settle in after that, allowing the Cubs to tie the game against Whitecap starter and rehabbing No. 9 Detroit Tigers prospect Andrew Sears in the top of the second. They did so on doubles to left from Espinoza and catcher Justin Stransky, the second of which brought in a run.
Scoring opportunities were aplenty beginning in the fourth inning, when the Cubs left two runners on base, and West Michigan bounced into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. South Bend broke through for the go-ahead run against Whitecap reliever Carlos Marcano in the top of the fifth, earning a 2-1 lead on a single to right from first baseman Cameron Sisneros, who now has an RBI single in three consecutive games. The Cubs later loaded the bases but couldn’t push across any additional runs, as right-hander Jalen Evans worked out of the jam as part of his 1.2 scoreless innings.
West Michigan finally got to Reynolds in the bottom of the fifth, finishing with nine hits against him for the night. The inning started with consecutive hits from the bottom of the order, as left fielder Junior Tilien singled and second baseman Juan Hernandez doubled. Catcher Luke Shluger provided the lead-changing swing, lofting a two-run double to left. The Whitecap lead then grew to 4-2 as right-hander Adam Stone assumed the mound for the Cubs and issued a bases-loaded walk. Espinoza made sure the deficit would stay right there, making a remarkable diving catch in foul territory to end the inning with the bags still packed.
The Cubs would need more heroics, this time from Stone, in the bottom of the sixth. Fighting his command once again, the big righty issued two walks, allowing two runners to enter scoring position for first baseman Garrett Pennington, West Michigan’s home run leader. Pennington and Stone duked it out in a 13-pitch at-bat, as Pennington whacked eight foul balls before grounding out to second base and ending the frame.
The game’s decisive turn occurred in the top of the seventh, as the top of the South Bend order set up three runs to score. Designated hitter Kane Kepley led off with a bunt single, and shortstop Ty Southisene advanced him to third with another base hit. Kepley then scored from third while Southisene stole second, and Southisene came in with the tying run on center fielder Kade Snell’s fielder’s choice. On the tying play, West Michigan had Southisene thrown out at the plate, but catcher Luke Shliger dropped the ball. That allowed Espinoza to later come up and single in the go-ahead run, which went on to become the game-winning run.
Pitching with a 5-4 lead, right-hander JP Wheat replaced Stone and delivered two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. He faced danger in his second inning, the bottom of the eighth, issuing a leadoff walk and balking that runner over to second with nobody out. The ensuing hitter flew out to right field for the first out, and right fielder Caleb Shpur tried to tag up and take third. However, Espinoza threw him out for a double play, ridding the basepaths of the potential tying run.
Right-hander Ethan Bell made easy work of his save opportunity in the ninth, striking out two in a perfect bottom of the ninth. With Friday’s performance, the Cub bullpen has put together 15 innings of scoreless pitching across the last three games.
The Cubs now lead the series 3-1 and will oppose the Whitecaps again at 7:05 PM on Saturday. Right-hander Jostin Florentino is scheduled to start for South Bend against West Michigan righty Rayner Castillo.