South Bend Falls in Walkoff Fashion

Box Score

WP: Jonathan Cheshire (3-2, 4.38 ERA)

LP: Eury Ramos (0-1, 3.63 ERA) (BS, 1)

South Bend scored three runs to start the game, and Cedar Rapids scored three to end it as the Cubs lose their second game via walkoff this season.

Bocchi’s first start was buoyed by a three-run first inning, starting with a double steal by Delvin Zinn and Edmond Americaan, who stole home to make it 1-0. Zinn would steal third two batters later, and an errant throw by Kernels catcher Jair Camargo allowed Zinn to score and make it 2-0.

But the biggest hit of the inning was yet to come.

Yonathan Perlaza stepped up with two outs and sent a 1-0 pitch into orbit over the right-field fence. The solo jack was Perlaza’s third of the season, and the Cubs lead was up to 3-0 at the end of the top first. Unfortunately, that would be all the runs the Cubs would score.

Matteo Bocchi kept the Kernels quiet in his first career start and his first appearance with the Cubs since returning from Double-A Tennessee. He threw four innings, allowing three baserunners and striking out three.

Samuel Reyes relieved him in the fifth, beginning with an inning and two-thirds of scoreless baseball until a Wander Javier homer made it 3-1.

The game would remain scoreless until the ninth when Eury Ramos loaded the bases and walked Alex Isola to cut the Cubs lead to 3-2. The next batter, Michael Helman, worked a 3-2 count and turned on a heater down the alley in right to win it for the Kernels.

Yonathan Perlaza (2-4, HR, RBI) and Edmond Americaan (2-4, R) chipped in four of South Bend’s six hits, including the third homer of the season for Perlaza. Matteo Bocchi didn’t allow a run in his first career start, throwing four scoreless innings and striking out three Kernels. Burl Carraway added a strikeout in a scoreless seventh inning for South Bend as well.

Next Up: Max Bain (2-2, 5.86 ERA) vs Andrew Cabezas (2-1, 3.00 ERA).

South Bend looks to rebound on Thursday against Cedar Rapids, with the first pitch at 7:35 pm. You can listen to Darin Pritchett call every game of the series on the flagship station for the South Bend Cubs WSBT 96.1, or online at wsbtradio.com. The next home game for the Cubs is on Tuesday, June 22 as they take on the Fort Wayne Tin Caps. You can purchase tickets now at SouthBendCubs.com.