Cubs blast three home runs and topple Loons 9-5

Midland, MI: The South Bend Cubs smacked three home runs in a game for the first time in 2019 and beat the Great Lakes Loons on Sunday afternoon 9-5 to go up two games to none in their four game series.

The Cubs picked up 16 hits in the game and also keep their two game wild card lead over Lansing. With Bowling Green also losing, South Bend is just one game back of the Eastern Division lead.
Sunday's game got off to a late start because of heavy rain moving through Northern Michigan. After a 45 minute rain delay to start, the first pitch of the game was made at 2:51 PM.
South Bend's offense got off to a blazing start with three runs in the first four innings of the game. In the top of the 1st, Clayton Daniel hit his first Midwest League home run off of Jasiel Alvino on a line drive shot over the left field wall. In the 3rd, newcomer Chase Strumpf followed suit and drove his first home run with the club out of the ballpark.
The Chicago Cubs 2019 second round pick was on base three times in the game. Because of the wind blowing out towards left field all day, it was a productive day for the South Bend right-handed batters.
The early run support assisted starter Cam Sanders in another quality outing. With five innings pitched and just one earned run allowed, the All-Star Sanders earned his seventh win this year.
South Bend made sure to get enough run support for their starter with a monster top of the 5th inning off of piggyback reliever Jose Chacin. The Cubs batted around in the inning and scored six times. On three doubles, three singles, and a three run home run, the Cubs put together one of their best half-innings at the plate all season.
The three-run blast belonged to right-handed slugger Nelson Velazquez. On a 450-foot moonshot, he pushed the Cubs lead to 9-2.
Out of the bullpen, Brendan King and Sean Barry tossed the final four innings of the day to secure the victory. With the win, the Cubs improve to 68-55 on the season and can win the series tomorrow in game three. Righty Carlos Vega is the expected starter for South Bend.