Cubs Cruise Past Fort Wayne, Snap Losing Streak

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The bats busted loose Friday night and every starter scored, as the South Bend Cubs stomped Fort Wayne, 11-3, and snapped a four-game losing streak at Parkview Field in the series finale.

South Bend exploded for 11 runs on 14 hits (all singles) and nine walks, scoring three in the second, three in the third, one in the fourth and four in the fifth. The support was plentiful for Cubs starter Erick Leal, who turned in five innings of one-run ball (six hits, two walks, three strikeouts). The Cubs finish their road trip 2-4 and avoid what would have been the franchise's first five-game losing streak since August 2013.

South Bend first baseman Cael Brockmeyer, one of the top hitters in the Midwest League thus far, went 3-for-4 with a run scored. Right fielder Jeffrey Baez (3-for-5, one run), left fielder Charcer Burks (2-for-5, two RBI), second baseman Chesny Young (1-for-2, four walks) and center fielder Rashad Crawford (2-for-5, two runs, two RBI) rounded out an all-around effort.

South Bend jumped on the board first for the eighth time in nine games when Crawford took an inside-out swing to left field, singling home third baseman Jason Vosler, who singled to begin the second inning. The Cubs added two more to make it 3-0 when Gleyber Torres scored from third on a throwing error by TinCaps third baseman Duanel Jones, and Crawford crossed the plate after Trey Martin stole second and the throw deflected into center field.

TinCaps starter Dinelson Lamet left after throwing two innings and walking three. Reliever Taylor Aikenhead then issued free passes to three of the first four batters he faced in the third, walking in a run with the bases loaded. Two batters later, Burks snuck a two-run single through the right side, boosting the advantage to 6-0.

Vosler's RBI groundout in the fourth nudged the lead to 7-0. Then in the fifth Crawford cracked an RBI single to right field that got away from TinCaps outfielder Franmil Reyes, allowing both Baez and Burks to cross the dish and push the lead to 9-0. Crawford later scored on a sacrifice fly from Gioskar Amaya. Another RBI groundout from Vosler made it 11-0.

The TinCaps grabbed their first run in the fifth after three consecutive base knocks, and left fielder Nick Torres clobbered a two-run double to left-center field in the seventh inning.

Cubs reliever Jordan Minch worked the sixth and seventh frames, and left-hander Tyler Ihrig made his season debut with scoreless eighth and ninth innings after coming off the disabled list earlier Friday.

With its six-game road trip complete, South Bend returns home Saturday for the first of three against the Great Lakes Loons, First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET. Cubs righty Zach Hedges (1-0, 3.60 ERA) will oppose Loons righty Grant Holmes (0-0, 9.82 ERA).