Cubs outduel Lugnuts, 4-1

LANSING, Mich. – 2019 Chicago Cubs first-rounder Ryan Jensen fired five hitless innings, helping the South Bend Cubs (12-13) top the Lansing Lugnuts (12-14), 4-1, on a rainy Wednesday night at Jackson® Field™.

Supported by a Delvin Zinn sac fly two batters into the game, giving the Cubs a quick 1-0 lead, Jensen held the Lugnuts’ offense to a Max Schuemann HBP in the first inning and a Drew Millas walk and a Jake Suddleson HBP in the fourth inning.

The Lugnuts’ pitching, with Seth Shuman working the first four innings and Bryce Nightengale following with a scoreless fifth and sixth, kept the deficit at one run into the late going.

Zinn gave the Cubs insurance in the seventh with a two-run homer off Michael Danielak, and a Bryce Windham RBI single in the eighth off Danielak increased the lead to 4-0.

Then the Cubs held on tight.

After leaving runners at second and third in the sixth against José Albertos and stranding runners at first and second in the seventh against Graham Lawson, the Lugnuts loaded the bases in the eighth inning against Lawson with two outs. An HBP of Lazaro Armenteros forced in Millas, ending the shutout, but Ryan Gridley’s fly to deep right-center was tracked by Edmond Americaan deep in the gap in a game-changing catch.

In the bottom of the ninth, Shane Selman singled and Millas walked to bring slugger Suddleson to home plate as the tying run, but Scott Kobos induced a flyout to Americaan to end the game.

The Lugnuts finished 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, stranding 11.

In defeat, Schuemann went 0-for-4 but his league-leading ninth HBP – one of four HBPs of Lugnuts hitters in the game — extended his on-base streak to 20 games.

Thursday, the third game of the six-game series, is a Labatt Blue Thirsty Thursday featuring $2 domestic drafts and $4 craft drafts! Gates open at 6 p.m. with a 7:05 p.m. start, as Lugnuts right-hander Richard Guasch (0.63 ERA) faces Cubs right-hander Chris Kachmar (4.94). To purchase tickets to Thursday’s game as well as any future Lugnuts home game, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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