Bullpen Stumbles Late in 7-4 Loss to Peoria

SOUTH BEND, IN – After sweeping the Chiefs in a six game series last time they came to town, the Cubs dropped first game one of this six-game series.

South Bend had a 4-1 lead going into the eighth inning but allowed three runs in the eighth and another three in the ninth inning, dropping their third game in a row to fall to .500 at 32-32.

With one out and no one on base in the eighth Hunter Bigge walked Mike Antico and Tyler Reichenborn. Osvaldo Tovalin, in just his fourth game at this level, doubled in a run to bring the score to 4-2. Lance Rymel went to the bullpen again and called upon Sheldon Reed who has been nearly untouchable across two levels in 2022. Todd Lott got jammed on an inside fastball but muscled it deep enough to left to bring home Reichenborn on a sac-fly.

With two outs L.J. Jones crushed one off the very top of the wall in left-center field to tie the game.

Peoria kept the pedal to the floor in the ninth inning, with the first five batters reaching base. Francisco Hernandez drew a walk, Noah Medlinger was hit by a pitch, and Ramon Mendoza dropped down a sacrifice bunt that ended up with everyone safe and the bases loaded with nobody out. Antico, who came in riding the longest active hitting streak in the league at 12 games, shot one up the middle passed a a drawn in infield to extend his streak to 13 and put Peoria up 6-4. A fielder's choice off the bat of Tovalin produced the final run of the game.

Manuel Espinoza bounced back with a great start in front of the home crowd at Four Winds Field. The right-hander tossed five innings and allowed just one run on four hits.

The Cubs struck first in the second inning. Pablo Aliendo singled with one away, his fifth straight at-bat with a single, and Jonathan Sierra launched a double to the gap in right-center to give the Cubs the lead.

But Peoria tied it up in the fifth on a solo blast from Mendoza.

The Cubs stormed back with a three-spot in the bottom of the inning. B.J. Murray opened up the frame with a double in his Four Winds Field debut and the clutch hit came from Yeison Santana, who tripled down the line in right to plate two and put the Cubs up 3-1. Yohendrick Pinango, who finished the night 4-for-4, added a single to bring home Santana and give South Bend their biggest lead of the night.

From there it was all Peoria. The last time these two sides met for a series the Cubs swept the Chiefs in six games and South Bend's staff allowed just 11 runs over the entire series. Tonight they allowed seven runs in the final five innings.

With two games left in the first half of the season the South Bend Cubs turn to Daniel Palencia tomorrow night at 7:05 ET.