Verdugo Grand Slam Powers Cubs To 6-1 Win

DAVENPORT, IOWA - The first hit of the game was a grand slam. That's a new one.

A dropped third strike allowed Kevin Made to reach first base with one out in the first inning. After a fly out and two walks issued by No. 5 Royals prospect Frank Mozzicato, up stepped Luis Verdugo. With the count full and the runners in motion on the pitch, Verdugo crushed a grand slam just over the yellow line in left-center.

The hit marked the second-straight at-bat with a homer for Verdugo and his fourth-straight at-bat with an extra-base hit.

With how well the Cubs pitched Saturday night, they really didn't need to push across any more runs; but they did.

Ezequiel Pagan took Mozzicato deep in the 2nd for his third homer of the season. Mozzicato, the seventh overall selection from the 2021 MLB Draft, was making his second start in the Midwest League and his Modern Woodmen Park debut. South Bend gave him quite the rude welcome.

Michael Arias took the ball for South Bend, and produced a rather strange line. Arias entered the night leading all Cubs MiLB pitchers with 40+ innings pitched in K/9 and strikeout percentage, but he only struck out one batter across four innings tonight. That said, he also only gave up just one run, and it was unearned.

The flame-throwing right-hander walked Javier Vaz to begin the third inning and then on the third pickoff attempt over to first base, launched the throw toward the Cubs pen. Vaz scampered all the way to third base and scored on a River Town ground out to short.

From then on it really was a game dominating by both pitching staffs. Mozzicato settled in and somehow managed to log five innings, allowing just one hit in his final three frames. The Cubs managed two homers in the first two innings and then just two hits the rest of the game.

South Bend's bullpen was nearly perfect. Max Bain faced one over the minimum in two scoreless innings after replacing Arias, with the help of a beautiful back pick of Vaz at first base by Moises Ballesteros. Eduarniel Nunez followed with two perfect innings and Sheldon Reed tossed a scoreless ninth to cap the night. The bullpen combined to retire 13 of the final 14 Quad Cities hitters.

Ballsteros, who walked twice on the night, added an RBI double with two outs in the eighth, giving the Cubs some added insurance late.

With the win the Cubs hopped the River Bandits into solo fifth place, five back of first.