Wiggins Shines as Whitecaps Narrowly Skip Past Cubs 2-1
MWL South Bend Cubs

Wiggins Shines as Whitecaps Narrowly Skip Past Cubs 2-1

Published on April 17, 2025 under Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release


Comstock Park, MI - For the second time this week, the West Michigan Whitecaps scraped out a one-run victory over the South Bend Cubs by a final score of 2-1. Thursday night, it was West Michigan doing it again in comeback fashion, as they have taken the first three games this week in that style. After a quick South Bend lead in the 2nd, West Michigan tied it in the same inning, picked up the game winning run in the 7th, and held out late to secure the final.

Chicago Cubs number-ten ranked prospect Jaxon Wiggins got the start for the Cubs, and in his third outing of the year, set a season-high on strikeouts with seven. In a highly touted prospect match-up, the first batter that Wiggins faced was Detroit Tigers number-two ranked prospect Max Clark. In the first battle in the opening inning, Clark walked, but was subsequently caught stealing by catcher Miguel Pabon.

South Bend grabbed the lead in the top of the 2nd when Whitecaps starter Max Alba walked Drew Bowser, and then allowed a Carter Trice single. With two on, Edgar Alvarez smoked a ball to center field, where it was caught by Clark, but Bowser scored on the sacrifice-fly.

Up 1-0, South Bend did not hold the lead for long, as the Whitecaps evened things when Luke Gold launched his first home run of the season over the left field wall. It was 1-1, and the game would stay that way for four consecutive scoreless innings.

Alba threw four innings of one-run baseball for the Whitecaps, and then gave way to piggyback reliever Kenny Serwa. Serwa, the Chicago native, allowed the lead-off man to reach in three straight innings, but in two of them, West Michigan turned double-plays to quickly extinguish the threat.

Wiggins finished with five innings of one-run baseball, with the seven strikeouts. Chase Watkins was the only man to throw out of the Cubs bullpen, and Watkins also kept the game close with a shutout 6th inning. In the 7th, three Whitecaps singles produced the eventual game winning run, making it 2-1.

Down the stretch, Serwa ended up pitching five innings of scoreless relief, with no walks, and six strikeouts.

For the Cubs, it's their fifth consecutive defeat since winning four straight last week at Four Winds Field. They'll look to break through in the series on Friday night when these teams get together again at LMCU Ballpark at 6:35 PM.

Right-hander Nick Dean is the scheduled starter for the Cubs in Game 4 of this week's series.

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