Cubs Drop Another Tight One, 4-2 To Dragons

SOUTH BEND, IN - The Cubs had their chances on Thursday night but for the second game in a row they fell into an early hole and never led.

Ezequiel Pagan (3-3, R, SB, BB, HBP) extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single in the first inning and the Cubs wound up stranding a pair as Christian Franklin (0-2, RBI, BB) flew out to left field to end the inning.

Manuel Espinoza (4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, ER, 0 BB, 5 K) entered the night having not allowed a run through his first three outings. He was stellar again but allowed a pair of singles in the second inning from Ruben Ibarra and Edwin Arroyo that gave Dayton a 1-0 lead. Arroyo had been 0-for-9 with five strikeouts in the series prior to the hit.

The next inning another run would score with Tyler Callihan hitting a ball sharply to Bryce Ball at first that he couldn't handle, scoring Justice Thompson who had tripled down the line in right to begin the inning. The second time through the order batters were 0-for-7 with two strikeouts against Espinoza.

South Bend got an infield single from Kevin Alcántara on a weak tapper up the first base line in the third inning. Pagan followed with another single and James Triantos (1-3, BB, SB) walked to load the bases. Ball (1-3, RBI, BB) tied the game with a shallow sac-fly into foul ground in left field. Thompson made a terrific play to snag it, navigating the side wall and the bullpen area, but his throw home hit Alcántara and allowed both runners to move up. Franklin walked to load the bases but the Cubs threat ended with a Yohendrick Pinango punch out.

Offensively it was quite the struggle for the Cubs to tally hits, registering just four on the night. But the Cubs did finesse seven walks, including a pair in the sixth. Liam Spence had a chance with two aboard and two outs in the inning but struck out swinging. South Bend would strand 11 on the night, going 1-for-7 with men in scoring position. That makes it 2-for-20 for the Cubs now with runners in scoring position in the series.

Three singles in a row from Pagan, Triantos, and Ball loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. A sac-fly to right off the bat of Franklin tied it, however, Triantos was caught rounding third too aggressively on the errant throw home from Austin Hendrick and the inning ended.

That's the best chance the Cubs would muster. Dayton took the lead on back-to-back triples from Callihan and Austin Callahan in the eighth, and then tacked on another with a Blake Dunn RBI single in the ninth.

Tyler Santana (5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K) was terrific in relief though, keeping the game within reach and recording the final 15 outs of the night. He issued a walk with one out in the ninth that ended a chance for back-to-back games without issuing a walk for the Cubs staff.

South Bend would threaten in the ninth. Jacob Wetzel blooped one down the third base like that Callahan caught with an impressive diving catch, but Alcántara and Pagan both reached base afterward. Triantos grounded out sharply to first for the second out but moved the tying run into scoring position. Ball struck out on a check swing appearl to end the game.

Between Espinoza, Cade Horton, and Richard Gallardo, Cubs starting pitchers this week have gone a combined 14 innings without issuing a walk and punching out 18 batters.