Twelve Runs Not Enough for South Bend
August 1, 2021 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release
In the aftermath of a busy trade deadline, some new prospects shined brightly. New acquisitions for both the Cubs and the Royals farm systems debuted today and played big parts in the series finale between Quad Cities and South Bend. Every batter reached base in an offensive explosion in which the Cubs ended up on the losing end.
For the second straight day, South Bend got the scoring started, this time on a well-executed hit-and-run. Tyler Durna drove in D.J. Artis with an RBI single to make it 1-0 South Bend, and then a big first for South Bend. Bryce Ball took a 1-0 pitch to dead centerfield for his first home run as a member of the Cubs Organization to triple the Cubs lead and make it 3-0 South Bend after half an inning.
But Quad Cities would strike back in the home half, with the first two batters reaching base, on a single and a Nathan Eaton triple to cut the lead to 3-1. The River Bandits would add another run on a two-out single by Maikel Garcia.
This matinee continued the trend of back-and-forth contests, as the Cubs struck again in the top of the second. Dean Nevarez took the first pitch he saw for extra bases, scoring Ryan Reynolds to make it 4-2 Cubs. In the home half, Logan Porter hit a solo shot on the second pitch of the inning, bringing the Cubs' lead down to 4-3. Two batters later, Nick Loftin tripled in a run to tie the game up at four.
That tie wouldn't last long, as John Rave smacked a three-run shot in the bottom of the third to break the tie, and give Quad Cities a 7-4 lead. South Bend responded in the fourth, with an RBI single from D.J. Artis cutting the lead to 7-5. Alexander Canario hit next and repeated the at-bat. His first hit as a member of the Chicago Cubs farm system plated Artis to shrink the lead to one run. That hit came off of Kasey Kalich, who was making his debut in the Royals farm after coming over from the Braves in the Jorge Soler deadline deal.
After Kalich reached his pitch limit, Dean Nevarez smacked his second RBI double of the game, tying the game up at seven with Bryce Ball legging out a run from first. The very next batter, Josue Huma knocked an 0-2 pitch into left and Dean Nevarez hustled in the go-ahead run from second to give South Bend an 8-7 lead. Canario added his first run as a Cub in the top of the sixth, scoring on a wild pitch to increase the Cubs lead to 9-7. Jake Slaughter joined the party with an RBI double, scoring Tyler Durna from second before Ball was thrown out at the plate. Despite the out, the Cubs lead grew to 10-7.
Quad Cities tied it back up in the sixth, with John Rave scoring on a ground ball to make it 10-8. But the next batter was Seuly Matias, who hit his fourth homer in as many days to knot it up at ten apiece. Michael Massey broke the tie for Quad Cities with his first hit of the game, an RBI base hit with two outs in the seventh that gave the River Bandits an 11-10 lead.
Nelson Velazquez gave the Cubs the lead right back, clubbing a home run over the left field wall to give South Bend a 12-11 lead in the eighth. The next six batters were recorded out, but in the ninth inning Quad Cities dealt the final blow.
All three River Bandits reached base in the ninth, after Canario missed a diving play in shallow right that led to a leadoff triple. Logan Porter scored in the next at-bat, an RBI single from John Rave. On a 3-1 count, Nick Loftin ended the game, completing his cycle with a walkoff home run for a 14-12 final.
The Cubs had multi-hit games from four different hitters, including the Cubs debut of Alexander Canario (2-5, R, RBI) and Tyler Durna (2-3, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB), and home runs from Bryce Ball (1) and Nelson Velazquez (12). Two of the five pitchers turned in scoreless outings, with one strikeout in a scoreless eighth from Burl Carraway and two strikeouts in two scoreless innings from Eduarniel Nunez.
Next Up: Ryan Jensen (2-7, 4.97 ERA) vs TBA. After twelve straight games on the road, South Bend returns home to face the Cardinals Affiliate Peoria Chiefs, who has the worst record in the High-A Central. First game is a Tail-Wagging and Triple Play Tuesday on August Third. If you buy the triple play package in advance, you can get a ticket, hot dog and a drink for just twelve dollars. And if you have, bring your furry friends! First pitch is at 7:05 on Tuesday, August Third at Four Winds Field.
Midwest League Stories from August 1, 2021
- Loftin Completes Cylce with Walk-Off Blast in Series Finale - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Tena and Delgado Go Yard as Captains Clinch Series - Lake County Captains
- Snappers Win Secures Series over Chiefs - Peoria Chiefs
- Twelve Runs Not Enough for South Bend - South Bend Cubs
- Snappers Win Fourth In-A-Row With Another Offensive Outpouring - Beloit Sky Carp
- Captains Top Dragons 7-2 Despite Two Dayton Home Runs on Sunday - Dayton Dragons
- Homestand Ends with Shutout Loss to Cedar Rapids - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Simoneit Does It All in TinCaps Triumph - Lansing Lugnuts
- Beck Opens 3-0 Kernels Shutout - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Beeter Waives Five in Three Innings for 5-1 Win - Great Lakes Loons
- TinCaps Dominate In Series-Splitting Win - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Whitecaps Settle for Split in Midland - West Michigan Whitecaps
- High School Baseball All-Star Games at Neuroscience Group Field on August 8 - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- TinCaps Game Information: August 1 at Lansing - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Dayton Dragons Game Notes for Sunday - Dayton Dragons
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.
