Wild Pitches Wear Down Cubs in 5-2 Loss to West Michigan

The South Bend Cubs (66-47) coughed up a 5-2 result to the West Michigan Whitecaps (55-60) on Thursday night at Four Winds Field. South Bend lost a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning, giving up four runs and the game to West Michigan.

Click here to view Thursday’s box score.

Right-hander Nazier Mulé made the start for the Cubs, matching a career high with 5.1 innings. Mulé struck out six along the way, cruising through his first five frames after a bumpy start. In the top of the first, he allowed the first two Whitecaps to reach before striking out three in a row to end the inning. Later, in the fourth, he teamed up with catcher Justin Stransky and second baseman Jose Escobar for a strikeout-throwout double play. On that play, West Michigan pulled off a successful steal of second, but Escobar threw back to the plate to catch the runner coming down from third.

West Michigan would break through in the top of the sixth, as Mulé again allowed the inning’s first two hitters to reach. Shortstop John Peck, who led off with a hit by pitch, scored from second on a wild pitch that plugged against the corner of the backstop near the visiting dugout. Right-hander Luis Rujano relieved Mulé after that and made sure the Whitecaps didn’t produce a second run, stranding a runner at third with back-to-back strikeouts.

Left-hander Win Scott started the game for West Michigan, holding the Cubs scoreless across 3.1 innings. South Bend had the leadoff man on against him in both the first and the fourth but could not deliver, as Scott struck out five Cubs. The Cubs found another great chance to strike against the Whitecap bullpen on first baseman Josiah Hartshorn’s second hit of the day in the sixth, but they left him at third after his one-out double.

South Bend finally pulled through in the seventh, plating a pair to take a 2-1 lead. With one out, center fielder Alexey Lumpuy, shortstop Michael Hallquist, and Stransky provided three consecutive singles, the last of which drove in the tying run. Right fielder Leonel Espinoza then brought in the go-ahead run on a groundout.

Back on the Cubs mound, Rujano followed Mulé by striking out four in 2.2 scoreless innings. He now has a shutout streak that spans six outings and more than 10 innings. Right-hander Jose Romero came on for the ninth and struggled badly, allowing five of the first six Whitecaps to reach and issuing a pair of costly wild pitches. The first wild pitch tied the game, and the second gave West Michigan the lead

With West Michigan leading the series 2-1, the Cubs and Whitecaps will take their tussle into the weekend at 7:05 PM on Friday, August 21. Left-hander Cole Reynolds is scheduled to start for South Bend against West Michigan lefty Jojo Ingrassia.