Hot Start Not Enough as Cubs Drop Second Straight

Box Score

WP: Derek Molina (2-1, 6.55 ERA)

LP: Bryan King (0-1, 12.27 ERA)

Another day with a three-run first for South Bend, another loss in Veterans Memorial Stadium.

After a 40-minute rain delay, it was déjà vu all over again for South Bend. A Delvin Zinn triple started things off for South Bend, and he scored the next batter when he beat out a throw home on a Tyler Durna grounder. Following him would be Yonathan Perlaza, who continued his hot streak with a two-run blast that carried over the centerfield wall. It was Perlaza’s second homer in as many days that made the score 3-0 Cubs.

But a new day truly made for a new game.

The Kernels got it all back in the fifth inning when Seth Gray broke his bat but still managed to hit a double down the right-field line to cut South Bend’s lead to 3-1. Two batters later Gabe Snyder knocked one off the first base bag to score Gray but was thrown out at second by Nelson Velazquez. Two pitches later, Wander Javier scored the tying run on Michael Helman’s sacrifice fly.

The tie wouldn’t last long, as Nelson Velazquez made the Kernels’ starter Andrew Cabezas pay for a leadoff walk, lining a shot up the middle to score Delvin Zinn and give South Bend a 4-3 lead.

Cedar Rapids came right back in the home half, drawing three walks to tie the game and taking a 5-4 lead on a wild pitch by Bryan King. Logan Steer scored on a sacrifice fly hit by Javier to give the Kernels their second straight three-run inning and a 6-4 lead. They would add another in the seventh on a Gabriel Maciel RBI single before Spencer Steer broke the game open with a three-run home run to make it 10-4.

For the fourth time this season, a position player took to the mound for South Bend. This time it was Raymond Pena, who allowed two runs on a deep single to left by Max Smith to make it 12-4.

Yonathan Perlaza (1-2, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB) hits a home run in the first inning for the second straight game, and Nelson Velazquez (2-4, RBI) had a multi-hit game for the Cubs. Max Bain followed up a ten-strikeout outing with six strikeouts and three runs allowed in five frames.

Next Up: Derek Casey (3-3, 4.04 ERA) vs Ben Gross (0-0, 3.86 ERA)

South Bend looks to rebound on Friday 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.