Chiefs Top Cubs 5-3 in Power Packed Thursday
Peoria, IL - For the third straight game this week in Peoria, the South Bend Cubs scored first and held early leads against the Peoria Chiefs. The early run support, however, has only led to one win out of the three games. On Thursday night at Dozer Park, both teams
Peoria, IL - For the third straight game this week in Peoria, the South Bend Cubs scored first and held early leads against the Peoria Chiefs. The early run support, however, has only led to one win out of the three games. On Thursday night at Dozer Park, both teams hammered a pair of home runs, but it was the Chiefs’ late power surge that led them to the 5-3 victory.
Like last night, each starting pitcher would toss multiple shutout innings before the first scoring of the game occurred. Tanner Franklin got the start for the Chiefs, and Kevin Valdez made his season debut for the Cubs. Franklin, under an innings limit, fired three innings of shutout baseball with seven strikeouts. Valdez matched his three scoreless frames, and South Bend gave their starter the lead to work with in the top of the 4th, thanks to a solo home run by Owen Ayers. For Ayers, he has been on base in three straight games to begin this series, and had two hits with two runs scored and a walk in the loss.
Valdez finished with 3.2 innings of shutout work. Peoria put together their first offensive rally of the night in the bottom of the 5th, with two runs coming courtesy of RBI singles by Miguel Villarroel and Josh Kross.
Making his South Bend Cubs debut tonight out of the bullpen was lefty Ethan Flanagan. The southpaw worked a scoreless bottom of the 6th inning, and stranded runners at the corners for Peoria. In the top of the 7th, Drew Bowser crushed his first home run of the season over the left field wall. A solo shot, Bowser’s drive left the yard with a 111 MPH exit velocity.
Tied at 2-2, the even score would not last long, with Peoria smashing a pair of solo home runs themselves in the bottom of the 7th.
South Bend cut the lead in half one more time in the top of the 8th, courtesy of a Reggie Preciado RBI single. With three hits in the game, Preciado has started the season 5/9 at the plate.
Of note, former University of Notre Dame left-hander Jack Findlay pitched 1.2 innings with one run allowed, and three strikeouts. He was the winning pitcher.
The Chiefs shut the door in the 9th inning, and Peoria has taken two of the first three games in this initial road series of 2026 for the Cubs. Friday’s game is set for 7:35 PM EST between the two West Division rivals. Nazier Mulé is scheduled to make his first start of 2026 in the matchup.