SOUTH BEND, IN – The West Michigan Whitecaps managed only four base hits as part of a 7-1 loss to the South Bend Cubs in front of 6,817 fans at Four Winds Field on Friday night.
The Whitecaps were stifled by South Bend pitching throughout the contest, as Cubs pitchers
SOUTH BEND, IN – The West Michigan Whitecaps managed only four base hits as part of a 7-1 loss to the South Bend Cubs in front of 6,817 fans at Four Winds Field on Friday night.
The Whitecaps were stifled by South Bend pitching throughout the contest, as Cubs pitchers Brandon Birdsell, Stephen Gonsalves, Yovanny Cruz, and Sheldon Reed combined to total nine innings without giving up an earned run on four hits while walking two and striking out nine batters, helping South Bend draw even through the first four games of the series with their second win.
South Bend opened the scoring when Moises Ballesteros hit the first pitch of the second inning for a solo homer, his first as a Cub, to take a 1-0 lead. The Cubs added two more in the third frame on run-scoring singles by James Triantos and Ballesteros, who reached base safely in all four of his plate appearances in the contest. In the sixth, the Whitecaps got their only run on back-to-back singles by Carlos Mendoza and Eliezer Alfonzo, who capitalized on a throwing error by South Bend right fielder Ezequiel Pagan to plate Mendoza and trimmed the Cubs lead to 3-1. In the seventh, Yohendrick Pinango drove home an insurance run with a single before Trevin Michael allowed a run on a wild pitch before a two-run single by Liam Spence, who was playing in his first game with the Cubs since June 4, to extend the lead to 7-1 and end the scoring in the contest.
The Whitecaps record falls to 42-45 overall and 10-12 in the second half, while the Cubs jump to 38-49 and 8-14 in the second half. Birdsell (2-5) gets his second win by tossing six innings and giving up an unearned run while striking out five. ‘Caps starter Troy Melton (1-1) managed to throw 4.2 frames while giving up three runs (two earned) while striking out eight in his first loss with West Michigan. Mendoza finished 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Whitecaps offense in a losing cause.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps play the penultimate game of this six-game series Saturday night against the South Bend Cubs from Four Winds Field at 7:05 pm. Righty Williander Moreno gets the start for West Michigan against the Cubs Michael Arias. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network beginning at 6:50 pm. Get your tickets for all 2023 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.