Pitching shuts down Hot Rods as Cubs win 2-1

South Bend, IN: Faustino Carrera has become the first South Bend Cubs pitcher to four wins this season after a dazzling performance at Four Winds Field against the Bowling Green Hot Rods on Wednesday night. In a very brisk 2-hour-and-five-minute game, Carrera went six innings of shutout baseball in the 2-1 win. The lefty added four strikeouts. 

Out of the bullpen, Jose Albertos continued his strong comeback bid in 2.2 innings of one run ball. The run charged to Albertos was scored off of Eugenio Palma, who got the final out of the game. Before Albertos departed, he hit Michael Smith to put a runner on first. Wander Franco singled him home off of Palma.
Offensively, the Cubs used a few early offensive chances to their advantage against one of the top pitching prospects in the Tampa Bay Rays system Shane McClanahan. In the second inning, Christopher Morel hit a line shot into the left-center field gap to score Brennen Davis for a 1-0 lead. 
Before scoring, Davis picked up another hit tonight for his 14^th in 11 games played with the Cubs. The tall center fielder has his batting average all the way up to .378.
The game winning run was produced and scored by catcher Gustavo Polanco, who hit a solo home run over the right field wall on a fastball from McClanahan. Polanco, who smashed a dramatic game-tying home run over West Michigan last month, has the power working for him in a South Bend uniform.
With the win, the Cubs bring their record to 32-25 on the season in the midst of their biggest week yet. After tomorrow's game against Bowling Green, the Cubs will head up to Midland, Michigan to face the Great Lakes Loons for four games. Both Bowling Green and Great Lakes are in front of the Cubs in the Eastern Division.
Tomorrow's game is not only a chance at the sweep, but also Buddy Bailey's first opportunity to earn career win number 2,100. Tonight's win marked 2,099. Right-hander Riley Thompson is the expected starter for the Cubs tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m.