Chilly Weather Cools Loons
Published on April 20, 2015 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release
South Bend, Indiana - On a cloudy night with temperatures in the upper 40s, the South Bend Cubs handed the Loons their first road loss of the season by a 3-0 margin on Monday night.
The Loons still take the series, but the loss snaps a three-game winning streak. The team falls to 6-3 on the season.
South Bend third baseman Jesse Hodges was the thorn in the Loons' side on Monday. The Canadian drove in three runs on a pair of singles, including a two-RBI knock in the bottom of the first inning.
Lefty Victor Gonzalez (0-1) labored threw a two-inning outing in his second start of the season and took the first loss by a Loons' starter this season. Gonzalez threw nearly 60 pitches in two frames and found himself in a bind to start the second. The native of Mexico walked the first two batters of the inning and allowed a single to load the bases.
Gonzalez' outing ended on a positive note. A fantastic catch in right field by Alex Verdugo held the runners in place for the first out. The next batter, Chesny Young, sent a bouncer to third, but Michael Ahmed fired home for the force at the plate. Gonzalez then escaped with an 11-pitch strikeout of Gioskar Amaya to end the inning with the score still at 2-0.
Although the Loons outhit South Bend, Great Lakes could not tally the scoreboard or capitalize on two South Bend errors. Reliever James Norwood, the number-29 prospect in the Cubs' system, retired the Loons in order over the final two innings to record his first save of the season and make a winner out of the starter, Ryan Williams (1-0).
Two Loons made their season debuts in the ballgame. Outfielder Johan Mieses played his first professional game in the United States and finished 1-for-4 with an infield single and two strikeouts. Mieses was added to the roster on Monday when outfielder Yadir Drake departed for Advanced-A Rancho Cucamonga. The 19-year-old started in center field and did not make an error in spite of a drop in the fourth inning.
Right-hander Kyle Hooper made his first appearance in relief of Gonzalez. Hooper began the season on the disabled list but became active when fellow righty Jeff Brigham received a promotion to Advanced-A Rancho Cucamonga. The Californian threw three innings and allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts.
The Loons return to Dow Diamond on Tuesday, April 21 to open a three-game homestand against the West Michigan Whitecaps. First pitch on Tuesday is at 6:05 p.m.
The Great Lakes Loons are a ninth-year Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. For tickets and more information about the Loons, visit Loons.com, or call 989-837-BALL.
Midwest League Stories from April 20, 2015
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