Cubs Fall 9-5 To Kernels In Front Of 6,078 At FWF
SOUTH BEND, IN - It was another great start for Brandon Birdsell, who shoved another five scoreless innings on the first Education Day at Four Winds Field in 2023. Birdsell exited a scoreless game with an ERA of 0.44 on the season. But a six-spot in the ninth inning turned
SOUTH BEND, IN - It was another great start for Brandon Birdsell, who shoved another five scoreless innings on the first Education Day at Four Winds Field in 2023. Birdsell exited a scoreless game with an ERA of 0.44 on the season. But a six-spot in the ninth inning turned a 3-3 tie into a Kernels game two victory.
Alejandro Hidalgo, at just 19-years-old, dealt a total gem on Wednesday morning, going 5.1 innings of shutout work and tying a career high with nine strikeouts. Neither team scored a run off of the opposing starter and continued to be a scoreless affair with both bullpens taking over.
Frankie Scalzo Jr. was first out of the bullpen for the Cubs and after quickly retiring the first couple batters, gave up back-to-back homers to Kala'I Rosario and Jose Salas. The next frame they got to the right-hander again in the form of back-to-back doubles from Keoni Cavaco and Charles Mack, scoring another run.
With Cedar Rapids taking control of a 3-0 lead into the seventh, the Cubs, as they did so many times in 2022, stormed back. South Bend managed three-straight singles to start the seventh coming from the bottom three in the order in Ethan Hearn, Liam Spence, and Jacob Wetzel. Wetzel's single made it 3-1 and two batters later Scott McKeon laced a triple to right-center that tied the game. McKeon finished the day 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Dider Vargas entered a 3-3 affair in the ninth and the inning quickly unraveled on the young lefty. Cavaco walked to start the inning, advanced to second on a wild pitch, stole third, and then scored on a Charles Mack sac-fly to left. Cedar Rapids led 4-3 but there were two outs and no one aboard. The next five would reach however as Ben Ross, Tanner Schobel, and Rosario singled, followed by a walk to Salas and a bases-clearing double from Tyler Fedko that scored three.
Jarrod Wright came on to clean up the mess but Willie Joe Garry Jr. plated another run with a single and capped a six-run ninth for the Kernels.
Down 9-3 the Cubs did show some signs of life in the ninth.
Wetzel tripled with one away to center and then scored on a sac-fly from Kevin Alcántara. With two outs and no one on, similar to the Kernels, the Cubs offense sparked a rally out of seemingly nowhere. McKeon singled for the third time in a row, Yohendrick Pinango singled behind him, and Fabian Pertuz plated a run with a broken bat blooper to shallow right field. Ezequiel Pagan followed with a walk and with the bases loaded the Cubs brought the tying run to the plate in the form of Kevin Made. The 20-year-old shortstop popped out on the infield though and that was the ballgame.
A pitcher's duel quickly turned into a slugfest in the later innings and the Cubs just couldn't get the final out of the ninth before allowing the game to get just out of reach.
The series is tied at a game apiece heading into Thursday's 7:05 ET contest.