Rojas Homers Twice In 6-2 Victory Over Wisconsin
July 12, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release
Appleton, WI - The South Bend Cubs have won five straight games, and already with four wins this week on the road in Appleton taking on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, South Bend has earned a season win. In nonstop rain showers in Northern Wisconsin Friday night, the Cubs defeated the 'Rattlers again, this time by a final of 6-2.
In three of four games this week, South Bend has multiple home runs in a single game, and has scored in the 1st inning. Friday was the same way, with Jefferson Rojas leading off the game with a solo home run against Wisconsin starter Manuel Rodriguez. For Rojas, it was his 10th homer of the season, and sixth since June 20.
The Rojas home run gave Cubs starter Erian Rodriguez an immediate lead to work with. The first two innings of the night for Rodriguez were both perfect, and South Bend added to their run total in the 2nd via an RBI-triple by Drew Bowser, after a double from Edgar Alvarez. In the 4th, Ariel Armas crushed his second home run of the week, making it 3-0.
Wisconsin slowly started to grind their way back into the game, picking up two runs off of Rodriguez in the 4th and 5th innings. Rodriguez hung tough though, stranding the tying and go-ahead runs on in the 5th to keep South Bend in front 3-2.
Out of the Cubs bullpen, Chase Watkins had one of his best outings of the season, working three shutout innings to keep the Timber Rattler bats quiet. The performance by Watkins gave the Cubs plenty of wiggle room to plate insurance runs.
The 8th inning featured an RBI-single by Alvarez, and then in the 9th, Rojas launched his second home run of the game over the left-center field wall to expand the lead to 6-2. With 11 home runs on the season, Rojas now has four round-trippers in this series alone. Closing out the win in the bottom of the 9th, Johzan Oquendo struck out Eduardo Garcia to end the game.
In four games this week, South Bend as a team has crushed 10 home runs. That's a season best in such short of a span of days.
South Bend will enter Saturday night in Appleton just 1.5 games back of a playoff spot, with first place still occupied by the Quad Cities River Bandits. The All-Star break begins after the game on Sunday, and the Cubs have already guaranteed themselves a series win this week.
Game 5 of this series begins at 7:40 PM EST on Saturday, with right-hander Ryan Gallagher on the mound for South Bend.
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- Rojas Homers Twice In 6-2 Victory Over Wisconsin - South Bend Cubs
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