Toyota Road Report: August 26-31
Published on August 25, 2025 under Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release
The 'Dash to September' in the Midwest League is in its waning stages, and the sense of urgency is heating up as the West Division playoff race is down to the last 12 games of this regular season. The South Bend Cubs, after taking four of six games away from the Cedar Rapids Kernels, are in a tie atop the division still with the Beloit Sky Carp. The final six-game road series of the campaign comes up this week, starting Tuesday night with the Cubs clashing with the Peoria Chiefs at Dozer Park.
Thanks to a miraculous comeback by Beloit yesterday over Wisconsin, that wrapped up with a walk-off home run by Wilfredo Lara, the Cubs are still in that tie at the peak of the division. That's the bad news. The good news is Beloit now has to go to Cedar Rapids, and the Cubs are hoping the Kernels can beat up the Sky Carp to make it easier on South Bend this week in Peoria.
That's how the complexion of this playoff chase has gone and has always been. Cedar Rapids is the first-half West Division champion, so whenever they are playing any other division opponent besides the Cubs, South Bend is big fans of the Kernels. Of course last week, not the case, as South Bend took care of business with its third straight series win. But now the Cubs have their hopes set on the Kernels sweeping the Sky Carp, and the same thing happening with South Bend earning a sweep in Peoria.
The Cubs have been close to a sweep twice this year on the road. They took five of six games over Fort Wayne in June, and then five of six against Wisconsin in July. From a South Bend perspective, this is a series they need to dominate. The Chiefs are 12 games back in the division. The Cubs need to be sure to respect the Chiefs as their opponent, but know that they should expect to win each game this week. That's how a playoff chase works. No overconfidence, just take care of business. That's the goal for this road trip.
Although Peoria has struggled, they have welcomed some new St. Louis Cardinals top prospects into the fold. That includes 20-year-old shortstop Jesus Baez. Traded over to St. Louis from the New York Mets in the Ryan Helsley deal, Baez has started hitting .209 in 16 games with two home runs and four RBI.
Another addition of note that has played good ball for Peoria since joining the Chiefs is infielder Deniel Ortiz. He has hit at both Low-A and now High-A, after batting .285 with 10 home runs and 36 RBI with Palm Beach, he has come to Peoria and has mashed. A .297 average in 19 games with a home run and five RBI has helped bolster what Peoria can do late in this season, even with the division gap deficit of 12 games.
Pair Baez and Ortiz with guys who have been in Peoria all year like Jon Jon Gazdar, Trey Richardson, Ian Petrutz, and Roberto Campos, and this is a team that can steal some wins this week. It's up to the Cubs to make sure that doesn't happen.
Peoria did struggle last week and in totality on its 12-game road trip in the state of Ohio. The Chiefs lost five of six at Lake County, and then were swept in Dayton at the hands of the Dragons in the last series; Including an 11-inning game on Sunday afternoon. Even with the struggles, the Chiefs are going to be hungry to get get on track, and you know they're going to have some motivation to spoil things for the Cubs on this playoff run. Most importantly of all of this, South Bend just needs to be ready to play.
Players to watch on South Bend...
Edgar Alvarez, INF/OF: Beware other Midwest League scoreboards. Edgar Alvarez is coming for you. His eighth home run of the season helped propel the Cubs over the Kernels on Sunday afternoon, and the home run was a scoreboard shot, taking a panel of the Four Winds Field scoreboard out! It was a majestic shot, and it continues what has been a terrific second half, and month of August, for Alvarez. It was around this time last year that Alvarez and Ariel Armas both arrived to South Bend after being drafted by the Cubs, and it's pretty amazing to think about how Alvarez and Amras too have become the veterans and experienced guys on this team. Since starting the season 0/24 at the plate, and his first hit in West Michigan leading to a kooky injury, Alvarez has looked like a different guy. He has taken the guidance of hitting coach Nate Spears and has ran with the approach that has suited him well since midsummer. The eight home runs for Alvarez now has the active team lead, since Carter Trice departed for Double-A Knoxville. An underrated part of what Alvarez also brings to the table is his ability to seemingly by the day play a different position on the field and A) never complain about it and B) play that position with skill. He has bounced all over this season from first base, third base, left field, and even some right field. He is giving the Cubs an opportunity to win no matter where he is, and the clubhouse vibes on him have been terrific too. Give huge credit to Alvarez on what he is able to do leading this team, it's special.
Yenrri Rojas, RHP: Another start, another dominant outing by the 21-year-old right-hander Yenrri Rojas. How about this for your second Midwest League win: 7.0 innings, one run, four hits, one walk, six strikeouts. You really have to remind yourself that Rojas is 21-years-old, and this is still within his first month of action in the Midwest League. And even with a 0.98 ERA< Rojas should have two more perfect innings on his resume, if not for that cancelled game in Dayton in July, where he pitched that day, but the stats didn't count. Simply put, Rojas has an arsenal that will help him dominate against both sides of the plate. His low-90s sinker paired with a wipeout, vanishing changeup is devastating to lefties. And he can still pair both pitches to righties, and then utilize the mid-90s four seam fastball and his slider to get swings and misses from the right side. Rojas has an arsenal that reminds you of peak Luis Devers from 2022, but then he comes around with that slider and it's reminding you of what Porter Hodge did with the South Bend Cubs in 2022 as well. With playoffs looming, the Cubs will have to make a decision on a possible Game 1 starter for the first round, and even though Rojas has typically been the Sunday guy for the Cubs in the last month or so, if there was any choice for Game 1 arm, it's Rojas easily. He has earned it, and continues to breakout from a prospect standpoint in 2025.
Jackson Kirkpatrick, RHP: Start calling Cubs right-hander Jackson Kirkpatrick 'The Swiffer' because he cleans up messes on the base paths like its his job. Will never forget what happened a couple Tuesday's ago when Kirkpatrick saved the day for the Cubs in Beloit, helping South Bend win the opener of that series, which was one of the game changers of earning that series victory on the road. Bases loaded full of Sky Carp, nobody out, 9th inning, tying and winning runs on. Kirkpatrick comes on, strikes out Micah McDowell, and then gets Wilfredo Lara to ground into a game ending double play. Holy smokes. Like are you serious? What guy can come into that situation as calm as he was and get that done? Kirkpatrick can. He's been excellent since debuting in the Midwest League in the middle of summer, posting a 1.53 ERA in 15 games with 20 strikeouts in 17.2 innings pitched. And he did it again on the last homestead too. This time it was Saturday night in the 8th inning, giving up a couple base hits to start that frame, and with runners on second and third, he retired three Kernels in a row like it was a day at Silver Beach. You need all facets and phases of your game to be on point on a playoff chase. Right now, the Cubs have got things clicking. 12 games to go for the top spot, we'll see if they can make it happen.
Schedule and Probables...
Tuesday, August 26 - 7:35 PM ET: TBA vs TBA
Wednesday, August 27 - 7:35 PM ET: TBA vs TBA
Thursday, August 28 - 7:35 PM ET: TBA vs TBA
Friday, August 29 - 8:05 PM ET: TBA vs TBA
Saturday, August 30 - 8:05 PM ET: TBA vs TBA
Sunday, August 31 - 7:35 PM ET: TBA vs TBA
Of note on the series as well, each game in Peoria will be a night game. 7:35 PM EST starts are schedule for Tuesday through Thursday, as well as Sunday. Friday and Saturday's first pitches will be thrown at 8:05 PM EST.
Catch the entire six-game series at Peoria via the live radio play-by-play with Brendan King on Sports Radio 960 AM WSBT, or SportsRadioWSBT.com
Midwest League Stories from August 25, 2025
- Cedar Rapids Kernels Announce 2026 Schedule - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Dragons Carter Graham Named Midwest League Player of the Week - Dayton Dragons
- Toyota Road Report: August 26-31 - South Bend Cubs
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.
