Cubs Split Saturday Twin Bill With TinCaps

FORT WAYNE, IN - In game one Saturday night the Cubs offense shined, scoring six runs in a seven inning game and coming through in the clutch after Fort Wayne stormed back.

In the first inning the Cubs scored twice with Luis Verdugo's double scoring Pete Crow-Armstrong with two outs to get the away side on the board. Owen Caissie then ripped a ball to first that was nearly whiffed entirely by Cole Cummings as it went behind him and a run scored on the error. Jordan Nwogu doubled to start the fourth inning and with two outs and Nwogu still at second, Crow-Armstrong smoked his second of three singles.

Fort Wayne scratched their way back with a three-spot in their half of the fourth. The runs came on the backs of the first five batters reaching, including four-straight walks from Kohl Franklin. Riley Martin came in with nobody out, the bases loaded, and two runs already home. Martin escaped allowing just one more run.

Tied at three the Cubs busted things back open in the fifth. South Bend sent nine batters to the plate and got RBI hits from Caissie, Kevin Made, and Crow-Armstrong.

Martin would go three shutout innings in relief and get the win, as Eduarniel Nunez tallied his fourth save of the season with a three-up, three-down seventh.

In game two though, the Cubs offense was shutout for just the third time this season.

Richard Gallardo dazzled on the mound, tossing 5.2 innings and allowing just one run in his first road start with the team. But the 20-year-old took the loss and Jackson Wolf, the 6-foot-7 left went six scoreless for the TinCaps.

The lone run of the night came as Carlos Luis blooped a jam-job single with two outs in the third, scoring Jarryd Dale from second.

South Bend managed just three hits with B.J. having a pair of them.

The Cubs lead the series 3-2 going into the Sunday finale.