MWL South Bend Cubs

Whitecaps Take Perfecto into 6th, Shutout Cubs 4-0

Published on July 19, 2023 under Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release


SOUTH BEND, IN - Carlos Pena was simply sensational Tuesday night at Four Winds Field. The short lefty who pitched for ever full season Detroit Tigers affiliate put forth the best outing we've seen from anyone in 2023, retiring all 15 batters he faced and striking out eight of them.

West Michigan, in their first game at Four Winds Field, struck for three runs with two outs in the first inning and never looked back. Luis Devers had two down with a man at first and then five-straight reached against the 2022 Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Roberto Campos smacked a double down the line in left and a beautiful relay from Pinango to Made to Ballesteros was maybe just in time to snag Brady Allen at home but Ballesteros couldn't handle the one-hop throw. After an Izaac Pacheco homer, Lazaro Benitez singled home Campos. Back-to-back walks capped the scoring as West Michigan sent all nine to the plate in the first frame.

The Whitecaps stranded eight baserunners in the first three innings though, including the bases loaded in the first and the third frame. Brayan Peña's squad plated a run in the second, again with two down, on a Pacheco single to center but they wouldn't score the rest of the way.

In fact, neither side would score over the last 7.5 innings in front of a Tuesday night crowd of 6,241 that was ready to pop off for a comeback but just never got the chance.

After Pena went five innings, Michael Bienlien tossed the sixth and seventh and stranded three runners. A two-out walk to Christian Franklin in the sixth ended the perfect game and James Triantos then singled back up the middle to dispose of the no-hitter. That gave South Bend their best chance and they nearly capitalized. Kevin Made crushed a towering fly ball to left field but Allen made a leaping grab to rob him of extra bases, and surely a pair of RBIs as well.

Eric Pinales and Gabriel Sequeira took the visitors the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, the Cubs bullpen kept South bend within striking distance six shutout innings of their own. Jarod Wright worked two more scoreless framed and continued his lights out run on the mound, Max Bain worked around four walks in 1.1 innings, Chase Watkins finished off the seventh and held his own in the eighth, with Eduarniel Nunez sitting down the side in the ninth.

South Bend is back in action Wednesday at 12:05 ET.

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Midwest League Stories from July 19, 2023


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