Cedeño Grand Slam Ignites Fort Wayne in 9-2 Win Over South Bend

FORT WAYNE, IN - A similar script has developed in this series where the Cubs have a lead when the game is put in the hands of both bullpens, and then from the there the TinCaps bullpen stymies South Bend’s offense while home team’s offense is sparked to life late.

That’s what played out again Saturday night.

Sam Armstrong was sensational again. He was back in a starting role for the fourth time this season and delivered five shutout innings, scattering three singles and a walk, while facing just two over the minimum thanks to a couple more caught stealings from Casey Opitz.

Opposite Armstrong was a top-100 pitcher in all minor league baseball in Dylan Lesko. The 20-year-old right-hander entered the game with a 9.00 ERA despite a batting average against of .165 thanks to a walk rate of over one per inning. Well he walked four in his five innings, while striking out seven, and allowed just one run in an impressive performance.

South Bend got to him in the fifth as Opitz belted a double off the wall in right to leadoff the inning and moved to third on a line drive single from Ed Howard. Rafael Morel brought home the Cubs catcher with a sac-fly to center. That gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead that held until the bottom of the sixth.

Koen Moreno came out of the bullpen first and allowed five hits, leading to three runs, in his lone innings. Ethan Salas tied the game with a double and the TinCaps took their first lead on a two-run single from Albert Fabian. Fabian entered the series with 2 RBIs on the year, and now in the last two days alone he’s driven in seven.

Moreno escaped the inning with a double play and then Chase Watkins tossed a scoreless seventh inning, inducing a 6-3 double play to end the inning.

In front of a massive crowd of 8,402, the home team delivered some magic in the eighth. With two outs and a runner at second, Fort Wayne would go on to put up a six-spot in the inning. Fabian delivered an RBI single, Jay Beshears followed with a run-scoring double, and Devin Ortiz walked to make the Cubs go to Angel Hernandez. The left came in, walked the first batter, and then Nerwlian Cedeño took him deep to left with a grand slam that landed just above the yellow line.

Brian Kalmer picked up an RBI double in the ninth to make it 9-2.

Parker Chavers had a great night at the plate in the loss, going 2-for-2 with a single, double, two walks, a run scored, and a stolen base.