Cubs Lead Early but Fall 8-4 to Wisconsin

W: Victor Cantañeda (3-4, 3.54 ERA)

L: Max Bain (2-6, 6.83 ERA)

Box Score

The South Bend Cubs (32-38) fell to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (34-36) on Saturday night and now trail in the series for the first time, three game to two.

Both starters were grooving in the early going, especially Max Bain for South Bend who needed just 15 pitches to get through the first couple innings. Him and Victor Catañeda combined to take a scoreless game through the first four innings for both teams.

South Bend opened the scoring in the fifth. Yonathan Perlaza and D.J. Artis singled, and after Artis stole second they were both in scoring position with just one down. Tyler Durna singled in Perlaza to make it 1-0 and a wild pitch from Catañeda made it 2-0 Cubs.

Bain allowed a solo-shot to start the Timber Rattlers half of the fifth, a blast to left from Nick Kahle. The right-hander retired the next two batters but the two after that both walked on five pitches. A single from Thomas Dillard brought in a run and tied it, and a throw down to second from Cubs catcher Harrison Wenson wasn’t handled cleanly and the Timber Rattlers brought home two on the play, taking a 3-2 lead.

The next inning Wisconsin did some more damage with no one out. Joe Gray tripled to centerfield, just passed the outstretched glove of Neslon Velazquez. The next batter was Carlos Rodriguez who single him in to make it 4-2 Timber Rattlers. Later in the inning Wisconsin got their second triple of the frame, a two-RBI three-bagger from David Hamilton. Hamilton then scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-2.

Yonathan Perlaza his a two-run homer in the ninth, his second homer is as many nights, but the Cubs lost their second game in a row.

Next Up: TBA vs RHP Reese Olson (4-4, 4.64 ERA). The Cubs and Timber Rattlers conclude their series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch at 2:05 p.m. ET, South Bend has yet to announce their starter.