Cubs Outslugged 12-5 in 8-Homer Game
June 8, 2022 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release
SOUTH BEND, IN - Wednesday night at Four Winds Field the Cubs outhit the Kernels 11 to nine but dropped game two of their crucial series versus the first place team in the West.
Cedar Rapids launched six homers on the night, easily the most allowed by South Bend Cubs pitching this season, and the Cubs had two of their own; the eight homers was the most in a Cubs game this season.
The offensive surge from the road side came early and often. Christian Encarnacion-Strand launched his 11th homer of the season in the first inning to get the scoring started. Three batters later Seth Gray hit one right on the screws and sent a two-run shot to right to make it 3-0. The Kernels doubled the lead in the second with two more long balls. Dylan Neuse's first hit in high-A ball was another solo-homer that came with two outs after Cubs starter Manuel Espinoza struck out the first two batters of the inning. A two-out walk to Alerick Soularie extended the inning and gave Encarnacion-Strand an at-bat with a runner aboard. He took full advantage, ripping a two-run blast to left and giving the Kernels a 6-0 lead.
The Cubs chipped away with a run in the second and the third. A two out rally in the second sparked by an opposite field Owen Caissie double and capped by a Fabian Pertuz single got one run back. In the inning that followed Pete Crow-Armstrong golfed a low and inside breaking ball, yanking it over the wall down the line in right. It was PCA's first homer at Four Winds Field and brought the Cubs to within four at 6-2.
Cedar Rapids wasn't done delivering the round-trippers. They put up a four-spot in the fifth, highlighted by a Charles Mack three-run homer on the first pitch Hunter Bigge threw out of the bullpen. Jefferson Morales put the game to bed with a two-run blast in the seventh that produced the final couple runs for the Kernels on their most potent night of the season at the plate. The six homers were a season high for the visitors.
Give the Cubs credit though they stayed in the game late. PCA tallied a multi-hit effort with a single in the seventh, preceded by a Yeison Santana single. With two outs Pablo Aliendo blooped a shallow liner into center to score them both. In the eighth inning the bottom three batters in the Cubs lineup all reached with nobody out but Orlando Rodriguez came out of the bullpen and struck out three-straight batters to end the Cubs final chance at clawing back and making it a game down the stretch
Caissie put the finishing touches on a stellar night with a two-out homer he clobbered out to right field in the ninth.
South Bend extended their season long losing streak to six games with the loss. Tomorrow night's game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and is the first of nine South Bend Cubs games this year to air on Marquee Sports Network.
Midwest League Stories from June 8, 2022
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