Rojas Ties Hit-Streak Record as Cubs Fall to Lugnuts 2-1
Lansing, MI - In a game where a few softy tapped base hits were the difference by the Lansing Lugnuts, the South Bend Cubs came up just short from their first three-game winning streak of the season. A 2-1 final, South Bend hit the ball hard nearly a dozen times
Lansing, MI - In a game where a few softy tapped base hits were the difference by the Lansing Lugnuts, the South Bend Cubs came up just short from their first three-game winning streak of the season. A 2-1 final, South Bend hit the ball hard nearly a dozen times straight to Lugnuts out in the field, and four consecutive singles by Lansing produced two runs in the 3rd inning, which was the difference.
South Bend also made a handful of dazzling defensive plays to keep Lansing rallies off the board. Brody McCullough got the start, and took an unfortunate loss with just two runs allowed in four innings.
Tyler Santana kept South Bend right in striking range with four innings of scoreless relief out of the bullpen. In his best outing of the year, Santana walked two and struck out five in all blanking work against the Lugnuts.
The lone run came for the Cubs as South Bend was led by Pedro Ramirez, who extended his hitting streak to 10-straight games, and he doubled in the 6th inning. Ramirez went to third base on a wild pitch, and scored on the same result.
For the most part, South Bend’s offense was stifled by lefty Will Johnston in his Midwest League debut. Yohendrick Pinango just missed a home run, as a ball was drilled off the top of the wall, he settled for a double, and brought his hitting streak to nine games, while his on-base streak is at 17 in a row.
Johnston pitched five shutout innings in his first High-A game. However, the big storyline of the night was Jefferson Rojas. With an 0/3 day heading to the 9th inning, South Bend gave it one last rally down 2-1, with Brett Bateman drawing a walk to move his on-base streak to 10 games.
Rojas stepped in and laced a ball to right-center, dropping for a hit. His hitting streak is a Midwest League and High-A best 17 games now. It also ties the South Bend Cubs team record since becoming a Chicago Cubs affiliate in 2015.
Rojas joins Eloy Jimenez (2016), Roberto Caro (2018), and Yohendrick Pinango (2022) for the best hitting streak mark. He can break the record with a base hit on Friday night at Jackson Field in Lansing.
Further in the 9th, right-hander Hunter Breault escaped with the save as South Bend had runners at first and third base. With the win, the Lugnuts are in the ‘W’ column for the week, and the two clubs will be back at it Friday at 7:05 PM. Drew Gray gets the start for the Cubs on the mound.