Cubs Spin Shutout and Whitewash ‘Bandits 6-0
South Bend, IN - In his first start of 2024, Brody McCullough got a little bit of a head start before Thursday’s match-up against the Quad Cities River Bandits. McCullough pitched 2.2 shutout innings of relief at Beloit last week. That little warm-up act served as a great jump start,
South Bend, IN - In his first start of 2024, Brody McCullough got a little bit of a head start before Thursday’s match-up against the Quad Cities River Bandits. McCullough pitched 2.2 shutout innings of relief at Beloit last week. That little warm-up act served as a great jump start, as McCullough combined with Sam Armstrong and Chase Watkins for a shutout, the South Bend Cubs’ first of 2024, in a 6-0 win.
McCullough spun together a scoreless 1st inning, and then the Cubs went right to work versus right-hander Steven Zobac. The reigning Midwest League Pitcher of the Week, Zobac allowed a double to Brett Bateman to start the Cubs half of the 1st, and immediately South Bend was in business.
Jefferson Rojas singled to extend his hitting streak to 12-straight games, and then Yohendrick Pinango also singled, while Felix Stevens walked. Pedro Ramirez grounded into a force out, along with an error made by QC for a couple runs. Then Jonathon Long clubbed his first home run of 2024 for a 5-0 lead.
With the five-run lead, McCullough cruised along from there, tossing four innings of shutout baseball with four strikeouts. In the 5th, Rafael Morel reached base on a walk. Rojas then came up and blooped a single to left-center. As Morel was stealing second base, the ball dropped in the outfield and Morel scored all the way from first base.
Out of the bullpen, right-hander Sam Armstrong worked 4.2 scoreless innings. His slider was vanishing consistently, and he used his fastball to keep Quad Cities hitters off-balanced all throughout. Armstrong earned the victory, striking out six. Through 14 innings on the year, Armstrong has not allowed a run.
Armstrong was taken out with two outs in the 9th as he hit his pitch limit, and Chase Watkins recorded the final out, which was recorded by Rojas on a 6-3 putout on his 19th birthday.
With the win, the Cubs are back in this week’s series and can tie things up with another victory on Friday. Left-hander Drew Gray will get the start for the Cubs, facing the River Bandits for the second time this season.