Cubs Topple Kernels 6-4 Behind Career Night from Sanders

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - Will Sanders stifled the Kernels through six dazzling innings on Thursday night, setting the tone as the Cubs retook the series lead with a 6-4 victory.

Sanders worked six innings for the second time in his career, allowing just one earned run (two total), on four hits, and no walks. The Cubs fourth round pick from last year registered a career-high eight strikeouts on another damp and rainy night in eastern Iowa. Tonight he squared off against Tanner Hall, who was selected 114th overall in the draft last year, exactly one pick after Sanders.

South Bend broke through against Hall, who was making his High-A debut, in his third inning of work. With a runner on and two down, Ethan Hearn smoked a single and Cristian Hernandez worked a walk to load the bases. Jacob Wetzel picked up an RBI as he got hit by a breaking ball on the leg to make it 1-0. Jordan Nwogu came up next and beat out a grounder to short to double the lead.

On the other side Sanders worked the first three innings in perfect fashion, tallying five punch outs along the way. It was Minor League Baseball’s No. 4 prospect who got to him first. Walker Jenkins tapped a soft grounder up the third base line that Pedro Ramirez barehanded but had no play on. With that Cedar Rapids picked up their first baserunner on a ball that rolled about 60 feet. An error on a throw to second from Hernandez at short gave the Kernels two men in scoring position with no outs. Rubel Cespedes brought home their first run with a grounder to second.

Up 2-1, the Cubs added a run in the fifth and sixth to extend the lead to 4-1. In the fifth Ethan Hearn drilled a 430 foot blast to right that left the bat at 108 mph. South Bend got a pair of two out walks from Jordan Carr in the pouring rain but the Cubs left the bases loaded. The next inning Andy Garriola picked up his fifth extra-base hit of the series, a ringing RBI double to left-center field that rocketed into the alley at 112 mph.

Back-and-forth the game went in the mid-to-late innings. The Kernels scored one of their own in the sixth. Jenkins kicked things off again with a soft base hit, this one a bloop double down the line in left. After a pop-up on the infield, Cespedes lined a single into left to plate a run and make it 4-2.

In the seventh it looked like the Cubs had put the game away. Nwogu got drilled in the back by a Xander Hamilton fastball and a few pitches later was standing on third after back-to-back stolen bases. With the infield drawn in and one down, Edgar Alvarez chopped one to second. Cespedes decided to come home with it and Nwogu beat the throw to make it 5-2. Pedro Ramirez singled to send Alvarez to third and he eventually scored on a passed ball.

But back came the home team in that same seventh inning. Agustin Ruiz drew a one out walk off Marino Santy which didn’t look like much, but a Jose Sals triple to the alley in right brought him all the way around to score. With two down Santy walked a pair and didn’t finish the frame. On came Mitchell Tyranski, who walked Cespedes to bring home a run. Ahead 2-and-0 in the count, Kevin Maitan flew out to right to end the inning.

Heading to the eighth the Cubs had a 6-4 lead. Nwogu reached for the fourth straight time to start the inning. He singled, moved to second on a Juan Mendez balk, and advanced another 90 feet on Ariel Armas’ first professional hit, a broken bat single to third. South Bend had an opportunity to extinguish all doubt, however, Alvarez struck out looking and Ed Howard caught a bad break on a line drive double play to end the inning.

But it didn’t matter as Brad Depperman came on and picked up the save, his first with South Bend since the spring of 2022.