Salas, Saladin Silence Cubs Bats in 5-2 Triumph
July 5, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
SOUTH BEND, IN - Gerardo Salas and Darlin Saladin teamed up to limit the South Bend Cubs to four hits on Saturday night, as the Chiefs emerged with their fifth straight win by a final score of 5-2.
South Bend briefly grabbed the lead Saturday when a second-inning double from Brian Kalmer gave the Cubs a 2-1 edge. From there, the Chiefs were in control. Salas retired the final 10 batters he faced on Saturday. He punched out a season-high seven batters over five innings to lock down his third High-A win. Darlin Saladin allowed just one hit across the game's final four innings to secure a 12-out save. Saladin whiffed six Cubs hitters to earn his second save of the year.
The Chiefs quickly regained the lead in the third inning. Back-to-back hits put runners on second and third to start the inning. Ian Petrutz brought home the tying run with a groundout to third, and Zach Levenson followed with a single to left field, giving Peoria a 3-2 lead.
Peoria added insurance in the fourth inning. Miguel Villarroel led off the inning with a single and reached third on a Michael Curialle base hit. With two outs, a wild pitch brought Villarroel home to extend the lead to 4-2.
In the seventh inning, Petrutz struck again. He launched a solo home run to right field, pushing the lead to 5-2 and ending the night for Cubs starter Ryan Gallagher. Gallagher allowed 10 hits, five earned runs, and struck out six over 6 1/3 innings.
With the win, the Chiefs equaled their longest winning streak of the season. The Chiefs have won eight of their last nine contests and are alone atop the Midwest League's West Division second-half standings. Peoria has now outscored South Bend 43-11 in this week's series.
Peoria will go for the six-game sweep of South Bend on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 PM EDT / 1:05 PM CDT. Right-hander Cade Winquest, who beat the Cubs on Tuesday, is the probable starter for the Chiefs.
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