Espinoza Shines in South Bend Loss, Cubs Split the Day
June 3, 2022 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release
DAYTON, OH - The Cubs and Dragons each won once tonight after Wednesday night's game got suspended and finished up today before the teams met again for game three of the series.
RESUMPTION OF GAME 2:
D.J. Herz started off Wednesday's game and went the first five innings, tallying a career-high 12 strikeouts and at one point striking out eight batters in a row. The lefty allowed just one base hit and didn't walk a single batter.
Herz gave up a leadoff double to Justice Thompson on a 1-2 pitch and didn't give up a hit the rest of his outing. His strikeout total was the most for a South Bend Cub since Brailyn Marquez punched out 14 on July 25, 2019.
Bryce Bonnin matched Herz with five scoreless innings for Dayton but the Cubs immediately cashed in on the Dragons going to the bullpen. James Marinan came on and gave up a single to Fabian Pertuz and a triple to Jordan Nwogu to put South Bend in the lead. Yohendrick Pinango followed with a no-doubt homer to right that traveled 438 feet at 105 mph off the bat.
Then the inclement weather came in the bottom of the sixth and the game was suspended until 5:35 on Thursday.
Dayton rallied the following day with a run in the seventh and a two-run blast from Garrett Wolforth in the bottom of the ninth that tied the game.
But in extras it was all South Bend. Pablo Aliendo singled to start the 10th and Scott McKeon was hit by an 0-2 pitch to load the bases. Luis Verdugo drove in two with a single to the wall in left and then Pete Crow-Armstrong, in his high-A debut, doubled down the right field line to add another. A Nwogu sac-fly scored Verdugo and the throw home got just far enough away from the catcher for PCA to turn on the burners and score after starting the play at second.
South Bend tied the series with an 8-4 victory.
GAME 3:
This one was another pitcher's duel until late.
Thomas Farr got the starting nod for the Dragons and went a career-best six innings allowing just one run. That run came in the first inning on back-to-back two out hits from Pinango and Jake Slaughter. Pinango's single extended his hitting streak to 16 games, one shy of the most for a South Bend player since becoming a Cubs affiliate.
That was all the scoring until the seventh inning. Manuel Espinoza absolutely shined for South Bend, tossing six scoreless innings after Herz tossed five shutout the night prior. Espinoza punched out seven and walked just one batter, he also punched out Mat Nelson with the bases loaded in the fourth inning.
Nwogu homered in the seventh to double the Cubs lead and make it 2-0.
Eduarniel Nunez came on for the seventh. He allowed a single, walked a batter and plunked Nick Quintana to load the bases for the leadoff hitter Jose Torres. Nunez came right back, struck out Torres and Elly De La Cruz to end the threat.
The Cubs were not as fortunate though in the eighth.
With two outs in the eighth inning Allan Cerda doubled in a run to put Dayton on the board. A Nelson walk forced Lance Rymel to make a move to the bullpen. Bailey Reid came on and walked Thompson to load the bases for the third time in the game. The Dragons finally made it count, with Quintana delivering a bases-clearing double to make it 4-2. Two batters later De La Cruz broke it wide open with a three-run blast off the batter's eye.
It was the second game in the last five in which the Cubs had a two-run lead entering the eighth and then surrendered seven runs in the frame.
The 7-2 loss gives Dayton a 2-1 series edge with three games left. Game four is set for 7:05 ET Friday night.
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