QC Walks it Off on South Bend, Again

W: Nathan Webb (4-1, 4.40 ERA)

L: Eduarniel Nunez (1-2, 4.46 ERA)

BOX SCORE

For the first time in his pro career Jordan Wicks allowed a base hit. And this time the first-round pick from the 2021 Draft got roughed up to the tune of four hits and three earned runs over 1.2 innings pitched.

He got the first two batters he faced but then allowed three straight hits with two outs, including a two-RBI triple from John Rave that opened the scoring. The next inning he got the first two batters again but walked Tucker Bradley on a full count pitch and then allowed a full-count single to Maikel Garcia to end his night. Tyler Santana replaced the lefty out of Kansas State and allowed an RBI-single to Rubendy Jaquez on the first pitch he threw.

That single broke a 2-2 tie after Jake Slaughter had launched an opposite field two-run homer to tie up the score in the second inning. For Slaughter the homer ended a streak of 28 games in a row without an RBI and was his first homer since July 8.

South Bend came back and tied the game again in the sixth inning, this time on a Bryce Windham double down the left field line that scored Tyler Durna from first base.

With the game tied 3-3 South Bend appeared to get a stranglehold on the game in the top of the eighth. Nathan Webb came in for the eighth, allowed a Durna double and then a Slaughter single to send Durna to third. Windham followed with his third hit of the game, a grounder up the middle that Garcia dove to stop but couldn’t manage to get an out on. So the Cubs had a 4-3 lead and two on and still no outs. But Webb battled back, struck out the next two batters and got Alexander Canario to ground out to end the inning and strand two in scoring position.

The lead was short lived.

Kale Emshoff blooped a ball into shallow left field to start the home half of the eighth inning. Yohendrick Pinango called off shortstop Miguel Pabon but ultimately missed the ball and it was a ruled a double. Tyler Tolbert came in to pinch run for Emshoff and swiped third base with ease. Bigge then lost a breaking ball upstairs that Pablo Aliendo couldn’t handle and the game was tied, 4-4.

Eduarniel Nunez entered for the bottom of the ninth and allowed the first two batters to reach on an infield single and a hit-by-pitch. With one out and runners at first and second, Rave ripped a line drive down the line in right field to end the ballgame.

The Cubs have lost six times in total at Modern Woodmen Park this year, three via a walkoff base hit.

Next up: Max Bain (5-8, 5.18 ERA) will make his final start of his rookie season tomorrow when he takes on Charlie Neuweiler (2-2, 5.26 ERA) of Quad Cities.