Cubs Ride Five-Run Sixth to 5-3 Win in Home Opener
April 8, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release
On Tuesday night, the South Bend Cubs announced their return to Four Winds Field with their first victory of 2025. The Cubs defeated the Peoria Chiefs by a 5-3 score, tallying all five runs in the sixth inning to erase a 2-0 deficit. South Bend now stands at 1-3 on the year, while Peoria remains winless at 0-4.
On the mound, Cubs right-hander Tyler Schlaffer made the start, his first of the season, and pitched well. Working efficiently to the tune of just 40 pitches through four frames, the Chicagoland native covered 5.1 innings with five strikeouts and two runs allowed. After he retired each of the first six hitters he faced in the first and second inning, Peoria broke the scoreless stalemate on a Tre Richardson single in the third. However, the Cubs finished the half-inning with two stellar defensive plays. First, right fielder Ivan Brethowr erased a potential run with an outfield assist to home plate. Then, before even throwing another pitch, Schlaffer picked off Richardson at first to record the third out.
Meanwhile, Hansel Rincon put up zeros in his first Peoria start of the year, dealing four scoreless frames with six strikeouts. The Cubs threatened against him a couple of times, putting multiple runners aboard in the second and third innings, but the right-hander navigated out of trouble in both instances.
The Chiefs would plate another run in the sixth via an Ian Petrutz double, chasing Schlaffer from the game. Jozhan Oquendo entered and held Peoria at a 2-0 lead, getting the top of the Cubs order up to the dish for the bottom of the sixth. That's when the game changed, beginning with shortstop Christian Hernandez's second double of the night, a blooping two-bagger that required some hustle and a swim-move slide. Designated hitter Andy Garriola plated him with an opposite-way single a few pitches later, getting the Cubs on the board for the first time at home.
South Bend's sixth-inning surge then slowed down for a moment, as Peoria reliever Jawilme Ramirez retired two men ahead of a pitching change. On came former South Bend Cub right-hander Angel Gonzalez, whom first baseman Brian Kalmer greeted with a go-ahead, two-run triple to right field. Brethowr dribbled the next pitch down the third-base line for his first Four Winds Field hit, an RBI single. Third baseman Reginald Preciado put a bow on the offensive outburst with a run-producing double into the right-field corner.
Although Peoria closed within a 5-3 score in the top of the eighth, the Cubs bullpen fared well once again. Oquendo, the first man out of the 'pen and the winning pitcher, punched out three in an inning and two thirds scoreless. Vince Reilly later handled a couple of baserunners in the ninth to earn his first save as a South Bend Cub, getting a flyout to right that ended the game.
Cubs pitching finished the night with 10 strikeouts, five attributed to their starter and the remaining half to relievers. Hernandez and Kalmer each contributed two-hit efforts to South Bend's offense, Kalmer driving in a team-best two runs on his sixth-inning triple. The Cubs, after going 6 for 36 with runners in scoring position during their 0-3 opening series at Beloit, made the most of such situations on Tuesday, recording three hits in four chances.
The Chiefs and Cubs will square off again at 7:05 PM on Wednesday night for game two of the series. Right-hander Darlin Saladin will start on the mound for Peoria against South Bend righty Nick Dean. Both pitchers ate up more than 90 innings and posted earned run averages below 3.60 a season ago.
Midwest League Stories from April 8, 2025
- Loons Knock 15 Hits, Win 10-5 in Road Opener over Lugnuts - Great Lakes Loons
- Big Inning Downs Chiefs Tuesday - Peoria Chiefs
- Six-Run Eighth Propels 'Caps - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- River Bandits Shut out in First Loss of 2025 - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Sky Carp Suffer First Defeat - Beloit Sky Carp
- Fort Wayne Scores 6 in 8th to Defeat Dragons 8-4 on Opening Night - Dayton Dragons
- 'Caps Conquered by Captains in 6-4 Loss - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Cubs Ride Five-Run Sixth to 5-3 Win in Home Opener - South Bend Cubs
- Olivares Shines, Amick Drives in Three, Kernels Win Home Opener over Beloit 3-2 - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Hardin Shines in Rattler Debut, Wisconsin beats Quad Cities - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Green Homers Twice, But Loons Double up Lugs - Lansing Lugnuts
- Ruoff Mortgage Homestand Preview: April 8-13 - South Bend Cubs
- Dayton Dragons GameDay Notes for Tuesday, April 8 (7:05 PM) - Dayton Dragons
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
