MWL South Bend Cubs

Road Report: Cubs Finish up 12-Game Road Trip at West Michigan

Published on August 14, 2023 under Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release


South Bend finished up their bizarre road trip Sunday in Lake County, going 1-4 in a series that featured three rain delays, two suspended games, and a cancellation.

With 24 games to go the Cubs find themselves 7.5 games back of Peoria for the final playoff spot in the West. Reinforcements have joined the team in the last two weeks including the likes of 1st round pick Matt Shaw and 3rd rounder Josh Rivera, plus two promoted starting pitchers from Low-A in Grant Kipp and Nick Hull, and the Cubs saw the return of Kevin Alcántara who was activated this past Friday and played his first game July 19 in game two of Sunday's doubleheader.

Now the Cubs will make the short drive north to Comstock Park to take on arguably the hottest team in the Midwest League: West Michigan. The Whitecaps began August with a 5-game sweep of the Captains and with their 3-2 at Great Lakes on Sunday, they're coming off a 4-2 series victory over the postseason bound Loons. In August the Whitecaps are 9-2.

The Whitecaps have been buoyed by their potent offense all year that ranks first in the league in batting average (.248), second in OPS (.727), second in slugging (.390), third in on-base percentage (.337), and fourth in homers (87).

A massive cog in the heart of their order is gone in Jace Jung, who was promoted to AA Erie right after the Cubs and Whitecaps completed their series three weeks ago. But this team hasn't broken stride, in fact they're playing their best baseball in August.

Who to look out for on West Michigan...

Who to look out for on South Bend...

Matt Shaw, SS: I mean, wow! This kid is electric. In his first two weeks in High-A Matt Shaw, the Cubs 1st round pick from this year and the number 13 overall pick in the draft, has been unstoppable. Thursday night he tallied his first homer with South Bend, as well as his first 3-hit game as a pro, and his first 3-RBI game in the minors. He finished a double shy of the cycle on the night and his triple and homer were near carbon copies of each other, low liner hammered to the opposite field down the line. In his next start he mustered up three more hits and in the series finale he homered for the second time in three games, again on a line drive smashed to right field. In two

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Midwest League Stories from August 14, 2023


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