South Bend Manufactures 7-6 Win Over Lansing With Ramirez’s Heroics

Lansing, MI - In by far the craziest game so far this year, Pedro Ramirez once again was the showstopper for the South Bend Cubs. Behind a dramatic late home run, the South Bend Cubs took care of the Lansing Lugnuts in Game 5 of this week’s series in a 7-6 final. With his second home run in as many days, Ramirez gave the Cubs the jolt they needed late.

The game started with Mitch Myers on the mound for Lansing, and Luis Devers going for the Cubs. For the third time this week, Brett Bateman led off the game by reaching base, this time with a single. Bateman extended his consecutive games on-base streak to 12. The next batter was Pedro Ramirez, who moved his hitting streak to 12 with a single of his own.

Later in that inning against Myers, the Cubs pulled off a double steal. Ramirez swiped second base, while Bateman took off towards home to score the game’s first run.

From that point, both starters locked in. Devers looked sharp, striking out four batters. He worked multiple scoreless innings, but surrendered Lansing’s first tally in the bottom of the 5th on an RBI groundout. Myers also worked five innings of one-run baseball.

Lansing took their first lead in the bottom of the 6th when they used a triple from Brayan Buelvas, and a double from Euribiel Angeles to take a 4-1 lead.

South Bend immediately answered back to lead off the top of the 7th when Felix Stevens led off the frame with his second home run of the week deep over the center field wall.

Now a 4-2 contest, the game took quite the turn in the 8th. As part of a couple close calls on the base paths, both managers, Craig Conklin for Lansing, and Nick Lovullo for South Bend were both ejected from the game. Still, the Cubs tied the game on Stevens’ second RBI in as many innings to make it 4-4.

Lansing would come up with another lead, however, with two runs in the bottom of the 8th. Down to their final three outs, South Bend came up in the 9th with a walk to Brian Kalmer, and then a single by Ed Howard.

Bench coach Kyle Moore was South Bend’s acting manager, and inserted Rafael Morel into the game to pinch run. With runners at first and second base, Ramirez came up and mashed a ball over the right field wall for a three-run homer and 7-6 advantage. It was Ramirez’s second home run in as many days, and he is now 25 for his last 48 at the plate.

In the bottom of the 9th, Grayson Moore was on the mound for the save, and worked around a lead-off single, and also had to pitch with the tying and winning runs on base. With runners at corners, Moore struck out Colby Halter looking to end the game.

With the win, South Bend is up to 10 victories on the season, and have won their first series of the year, no matter what happens Sunday in the finale. South Bend has taken four of the first five this series, and have a chance for a five win week in the final game Sunday at 1:05 PM. Right-hander Tyler Schlaffer will pitch for South Bend in the last game from Michigan’s capital.