Toyota Road Report: June 13-18

Well, here we are! The biggest series of the Midwest League first-half has arrived. And as the South Bend Cubs travel to Iowa to take on the Cedar Rapids Kernels, this new six-game series can very well decide the victor of half number-one and who takes the first playoff spot in the West Division.

As Cedar Rapids leads the division by 3.5 games after they won on Sunday in Dayton, and the Cubs were rained out against Lansing, South Bend will need a series win in Cedar Rapids to jump into first place. Of course, South Bend is no stranger to winning series in Cedar Rapids, as their Division Series victory in 2022 to propel them to the Midwest League Championship Series was in Cedar Rapids. The Cubs had to win a decisive Game 3 out in Iowa, and they got the job done.

A series win this week could mean South Bend would win the first half of a season for the first time since 2016. Of course, the Cubs were a second half playoff team in their championships from both 2019 and 2022.

Last time these two teams got together, it was very early on in this season from May 2-7. Cedar Rapids won three games in a row that week, and they ended up winning the series four-games-to-two.

Brian Dinkelman, the manager for Cedar Rapids, has been there for a long time since 2018. It’s a great skipper match-up with Lance Rymel in the away dugout. This series has all the shaping for being one of the most remembered this season, especially if it goes South Bend’s way.

Cedar Rapids has plenty of dangerous bats and arms, and it will be up the Cubs to keep them under control. A good start on Tuesday with Connor Noland on the mound would really set the tone for the week at Perfect Game Field.

Players to watch on Cedar Rapids…

Orlando Rodriguez, RHP: To say the least, Orlando Rodriguez got his revenge against South Bend after the Cubs hammered him out of Game 3 of the Division Series last year after only 0.1 innings. The Cubs big first inning rally off of Rodriguez helped drive them to a ring. It’s safe to say Rodriguez had that on his mind all off-season and into that May series between the two teams at Four Winds Field. He’s a 27-year-old righty, and has the age advantage over just about anybody in this league, but Rodriguez dominated back on May 4. In five innings, he only gave up one unearned run, with no walks and six strikeouts. He had a 1.59 ERA in April, and a 2.12 ERA in May. Not sure what this guy at 27 has to do to get the call up to Double-A, but for as long as he’s in Cedar Rapids, he’s going to come to play against South Bend. Good news is the Cubs have plenty of hitters that are familiar with this guy, and South Bend will be ready.

Kala'i Rosario, OF: At just 20-years-old, Kala'i Rosario has been everything and more that the Minnesota Twins could have hoped since being drafted in the 5th round of the 2020 MLB Draft. The native of Hawaii, who was selected out of high school, has been outstanding in 2023. First, he’s hitting .286, which is the best current average on the Kernels, along with 10 home runs, 37 RBI, and a .906 OPS. Second, he was probably the best Cedar Rapids hitter when the Kernels were in South Bend in May. He played all six games that week, hit .478, and had as many walks as strikeouts. It’s been nothing but a success this year for Rosario, and he has steadily moved up the Twins system after playing all of 2021 in rookie ball, and all of 2022 at Low-A. If this pace keeps up, it’s a real possibility that he could be in Double-A ball shortly after he turns 21 on July 2.

Marco Raya, RHP: Another top ranked Twins prospect that looked extremely strong in May at Four Winds Field was the young 20-year-old Marco Raya. He was also a high school draft pick by the Twins in 2020, like Rosario, but in the 4th round out of Laredo, Texas. His innings have been limited, as is expected for someone so young, but he looked outstanding on May 5 in three shutout innings against the Cubs. Raya is a top-30 Twins prospect, and MLB.com writes, “There’s a chance Raya could have a legitimate four-pitch mix at his disposal. His fastball is already an impact pitch, a four-seamer thrown with high spin rates that topped out at 97 mph. He can miss bats with a very good slider thrown mostly in the 82-83 mph range, also with elite-level spin rates, and has a slightly slower curve with good depth to it that can play against left-handed hitters.” He is ranked as the Twins number-six overall prospect. He has given up a run in each of his last two starts, which sounds excellent, but he did not surrender a single tally in the month of May in four starts.

Players to watch on South Bend…

Ed Howard, SS: Welcome back to South Bend, Ed Howard! He made his triumphant return to wearing pinstripes last week against Lansing, and boy was it good to see. Ed started his return last Tuesday night with a three hit day, that really should have been four. And minus one error, he was fantastic at shortstop all week. In full, his first game action in over a year was tremendous. In three games, Howard hit .385 with a .462 slugging percentage. We have mentioned it on the broadcast a couple times that Howard’s body continues to develop too. You have to remind yourself that he’s still just 21, and physically he looks even more like a freak than he did last year. He really took the time in the off-season to tone his body and get leaner, but also stronger. He’s still at top-30 Cubs prospect as per MLB.com, and their latest report says, “Howard's outstanding defense and makeup have prompted Chicago to challenge him with aggressive assignments. He hasn't disappointed with the glove, showing twitchy actions, range to both sides, quick hands and a plus arm capable of making strong throws from a variety of angles. He complements his tools with instincts and intelligence and looks like a future Gold Glover.”

Joe Nahas, RHP: Sort of like his personality and mantra, Joe Nahas has very uniquely and pleasantly dominated hitters in 2023. Joe is so competitive, but he’s also so respectful and gentle as he goes about his daily routine. It’s a cool compliment of emotions to have. Nahas, who is the South Bend Cubs Swiss army knife, showing an ability to start, relieve, go long relief, short, and anything else on a moment’s notice, has had his best start to a year since he became a Chicago Cubs prospect in 2019. On the year, Nahas has skipped his ERA to under two at just 1.99 in 15 games. Batters are only hitting .205, and he’s got just 13 walks in 31.2 innings pitched. His stuff keeps hitters off-balanced with his ability to change speeds so well, and his preparation is second to none. It’s great to see Nahas get rewarded, and you have to think with everything he can do on the mound in all kinds of roles, Double-A Tennessee should be getting his services at some point, it’s just a matter of time. Nahas has now gone 8.2 straight innings in five appearances without giving up a run. He also hasn’t walked a batter since May 14. Let’s see if he can lead the bullpen charge and help the Cubs find success in Cedar Rapids.

Luis Verdugo, 3B: It’s been fantastic to see Luis Verdugo back in South Bend and getting back to the consistent play we knew and loved from him in 2022. A key part of the South Bend championship team, Verdugo played third base nearly everyday, was one of the most dangerous hitters in the lineup down the stretch, and in that Game 3 against Cedar Rapids last year in the Division Series, he had what felt like the knockout blow in the 1st inning on a big double off of Orlando Rodriguez. Verdugo is arguably the best third base glove in the Cubs system, and he is a human vacuum cleaner at the hot corner. He has the ability to make tough plays look routine, and as soon as hit bat comes along this summer, he’s going to help South Bend a ton. Of course, the hope is that he can get back to the Tennessee Smokies. But for while he is here in South Bend, we’re not going to complain one second. Verdugo is still only 22, he won’t be 23 until October. What is most optimistic from his series against Lansing last week was that his walk total matched his strikeout total with six each. With Tennessee, Verdugo had four walks in 18 games, and he already has those six in nine games with the Cubs. A second straight summer of Verdugo-isms with the South Bend Cubs should give the Cubs a great opportunity to compete down the stretch.

Schedule…

Tuesday, June 13 - 7:35 PM ET: RHP Connor Noland vs. RHP Mike Paredes

Wednesday, June 14- 1:05 PM ET: RHP Luis Devers vs. RHP Cory Lewis

Thursday, June 15 - 7:35 PM ET: RHP Cade Horton vs. LHP Christian MacLeod

Friday, June 16 - 7:35 PM ET: RHP Brandon Birdsell vs. RHP Marco Raya

Saturday, June 17 - 7:35 PM ET: RHP Richard Gallardo vs. LHP Jaylen Nowlin

Sunday, June 18 - 2:05 PM ET: RHP Connor Noland vs RHP Kyle Jones

Catch the entire six-game series in Cedar Rapids on Sports Radio 960 AM WSBT, online at wsbtradio.com, or on MiLB.com with Max Thoma on the call.