Wisconsin Holds On in 9th to Beat Cubs 4-2

South Bend, IN - In what is the biggest home series of 2023 against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the South Bend Cubs tied the game early, but never led in their 4-2 loss on Wednesday evening. The game went down to the wire, and South Bend had a chance at the end with the winning run at the plate. However, Wisconsin survived and evened up the series at one win apiece.

For South Bend, it was the second day with Chicago Cubs 1st-round pick Matt Shaw, and 3rd-rounder Josh Rivera on the roster. Cade Horton officially made his Double-A debut with the Tennessee Smokies, so the roster has changed in multiple ways.

Brody McCullough took the mound for the Cubs, fresh off one of his best outings of the year last time out against the Peoria Chiefs. He went 4.1 innings of one-run baseball that night, and he started his game on Wednesday as well with a 1-2-3 inning.

Wisconsin sent right-hander Cam Wagoner to the mound for the Game 2 start. In his prior two outings against the Cubs this year, it was about as Jekyll and Hyde as you could get. His first start, he gave up seven runs and left the game in the 1st inning. His second featured five shutout innings.

He looked like the latter on Wednesday. Wisconsin picked up the early lead in the top of the 2nd via an Alex Hall RBI single for a 1-0 advantage. The Cubs tied the game in the bottom half of the 2nd when Felix Stevens doubled home Yohendrick Pinango against Wagoner. Stevens extended his hitting streak to 12-straight games.

The 4th inning is what ultimately held for Wisconsin’s victory. Eduardo Garcia tripled home Darrien Miller to swipe the lead right back, and then Jose Acosta plated another run because of an RBI sac fly. The third RBI from the sac fly stood as the game winning run.

Out of the bullpen, Adam Laskey worked two shutout innings in one of his best outings of the year. Yovanny Cruz also added a season-high 1.2 scoreless fames, to give South Bend a chance.

The Timber Rattlers picked up a key insurance run in the top of the 9th when a run came home on an error. Still, the Cubs came close to getting the game end as a win in the bottom of the 9th.

James Triantos started the 9th with a base hit, Moises Ballesteros then walked, and then a pitching change was made. Tanner Shears, Wisconsin’s new closer, entered the ballgame. Shears got Josh Rivera to fly out, but then walked Pinango to load the bases.

A wild pitch by Shears then brought Triantos home to make it 4-2. With runners at second and third base, the tying run was in scoring position, and the winning run was at the plate. Shears locked things down though, and Wisconsin held on to finish the game.

With the loss, the series is tied 1-1, and South Bend is three games back of a playoff spot, held by Wisconsin. Game 3 of the series will follow on Thursday night at 7:05 PM. Right-hander Brandon Birdsell is the expected starter for the Cubs.