Chiefs Take Opener vs Cubs, 5-2
SOUTH BEND, IN - The Cubs fell tonight in the series opener vs Peoria, as the Chiefs snapped their losing streak at three games and South Bend's skid fell to a fifth in a row. Pete Hansen had his last start against South Bend cut short just one out into
SOUTH BEND, IN - The Cubs fell tonight in the series opener vs Peoria, as the Chiefs snapped their losing streak at three games and South Bend's skid fell to a fifth in a row.
Pete Hansen had his last start against South Bend cut short just one out into the fourth inning due to rain, but looked real solid tonight, picking up his second win of the season. The lefty mixed his speeds well and allowed just two runs in five-plus innings.
The Chiefs struck for a pair of runs right out of the gate against Erian Rodriguez. Brody Moore singled two batters in and Leonardo Bernal came up next, drawing a walk. A wild pitch, the first of three on the night for the home team, moved up both runners and allowed Peoria to open the scoring on a routine groundout to short. Won-Bin Cho then laced a double to the gap in left-center to double the lead.
South Bend as a staff on the night would go on to walk six batters, toss three wild pitches, balk once, and hit a batter.
Rodriguez really settled in quite nicely and retired the next eight batters. After a one out single in the fourth he induced a routine 4-3 double play to cap his night.
Ed Howard sent a high towering blast down the line in left to put the Cubs on the board in the second. Howard entered the game hitting .373 off lefties and finished 1-for-2 with a homer against the southpaw starter, Hansen.
In the fifth South Bend tied it on a two-out single from Pedro Ramirez off Tanner Jacobson.
Peoria loaded the bases in the sixth inning against Angel Gonzalez and reclaimed the lead. Gonzalez walked Darlin Moquete to begin the frame, and after a walk and a single the bases were loaded with one down. With Cho down in the count and two strikes on him, Gonzalez lost a pitch to the backstop to put the Chiefs ahead 3-2.
With the deficit standing at just one, miscues on the mound again doomed the Cubs again in the eighth. Five straight batters reached with one down and two runs came home on just one base hit. Moore walked, Bernal singled, and Chris Rotodo got plunked in the back by a Jose Romero slider to load the bases. A walk and a balk brought home the two runs that put the game out of reach.