Dean Shuts Down ‘Rattlers in Debut, Cubs win 4-3

South Bend, IN - With two wins in the first three games of this week’s series against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the South Bend Cubs continue to set the tone early in games, with another dominant starting pitching performance on Thursday night. Right-hander Nick Dean tossed five shutout innings to earn a victory in his Midwest League debut, as the Cubs held on down the stretch to beat Wisconsin 4-3.

Dean was promoted from Low-A Myrtle Beach on Tuesday, and continued strong work that he had posted with the Pelicans, after going 5.2 scoreless frames in his final Carolina League start. Dean set the tone early, but Wisconsin starter Will Rudy was just as good. Both starters posted three shutout innings to get rolling.

Displaying a solid mix of all of his pitches, including a sharp 12-6 curveball, along with a vanishing changeup, Dean carried the Cubs along and got some run support when the bats came alive in the middle frames.

The Rattlers starter, Rudy, was pitching against the Cubs for the second time in the last month. In the 4th, Pedro Ramirez started the frame with a triple bouncing up the line in right, and then Jefferson Rojas brought him home with a single. Later, Rojas scored when Reivaj Garcia smoked a ball up the middle for a 2-0 lead.

The two runs was plenty for Dean, who went his five shutout frames with no walks and five strikeouts. South Bend added onto their lead in the 6th via a two-run single from Jonathon Long. Long is heating up, after a three-hit game on Wednesday afternoon.

Wisconsin did mount a comeback, plating three combined runs in the late frames, but Carlo Reyes shut the door in his Four Winds Field debut, earning the save.

South Bend now has won two of the first three games this week, and will face off again with the Timber Rattlers on Friday evening at 7:05 PM. Left-hander Drew Gray is the expected starter for the Cubs in Game 4 of the series.