MWL South Bend Cubs

Birdsell Tallies First Career Win and Alcántara Homers, Again

Published on April 27, 2023 under Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release


SOUTH BEND, IN - Brandon Birdsell dazzled yet again, with another simply dominant outing in the Cubs' 3-1 win over the Chiefs.

The former Red Raider went a season/career-high five innings, allowing just two hits (one in controversial fashion), and no runs. Birdsell went out and matched exactly what Luke Little did last night, with both entering their fourth start of the year with a 0.84 ERA and tossing five shutout innings to improve their ERA's to 0.57. Birdsell, who said after the game he didn't have his best stuff, just continues to stymie Midwest League bats.

Kevin Alcántara provided all the offense the Cubs would need with a no-doubt homer to left-center that plated a pair. The homer capped off a stretch in which the Cubs number two prospect went 7-for-8 with two homers, five extra-base hits, and six RBIs.

Birdsell and Frankie Scalzo Jr. took it from there, with Scalzo tossing the final four innings and picking up the third save of his career, first with South Bend.

South Bend added a run of insurance in the eighth inning. Yohendrick Pinango singled to start the frame, Haydn McGeary walked, and a double steal put them in scoring position with nobody out. Two batters later Kevin Made brought home Pinango with a ground ball to short, getting a needed insurance run that evaded the Cubs the previous night.

Back-to-back two-out hits from Nathan Church and Jeremy Rivas in the ninth inning produced the lone run of the game for the Chiefs.

The Cubs now enter Friday night's game with a 2-1 series advantage. Friday night's affair starts at 7:05 ET and can be heard on 960 AM WSBT.

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Midwest League Stories from April 27, 2023


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