Cubs can't comeback and fall in Great Lakes 8-3

Midland, MI: The South Bend Cubs were hopeful that they could put last night's 10-1 loss in their back pocket and move onto tonight's important game two against the Great Lakes Loons with a clean slate. Unfortunately for the Cubs, the Great Lakes bats came out hot again and beat South Bend for a second straight day in a 8-3 final.

Starting pitcher Derek Casey had a solid start to the night with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 1st inning at Dow Diamond. He ran into trouble in the next three innings and gave up four combined runs. The Cubs could never take Casey off the hook, as he took the loss with the four earned.
Jack Patterson gave the Cubs a chance to win with his solid piggyback effort out of the bullpen. The trusty lefty went three innings for South Bend after Casey departed and added six strikeouts. In 10 of 11 appearances this season, Patterson has given up a run or less.
Eugenio Palma tossed the final 1.1 innings, but had an uncharacteristically off night. The lefty gave up three runs as the score escalated to 8-3.
At the plate, the Cubs have scored a combined four runs to start the first two games of this series. Catcher Rafelin Lorenzo drove in all three runs with a RBI sac fly in the 4th and then a two run home run in the 7th inning to make it a one-run game.
Lorenzo's third homer of the year brought the Cubs within reached of the lead, but the Loons had an answer against Palma.
With the loss, South Bend falls to 33-27 on the year but are still just 1.5 games back of the wild card after Lake County also lost tonight.
The Cubs will be back in action tomorrow afternoon at 2:05 PM from Dow Diamond. Right-hander Cam Sanders is the expected starter in game three of the series.