Hearn Powers Cubs to 10-1 Shellacking of Whitecaps
SOUTH BEND, IN - So the saying goes, the offense was contagious for the Cubs tonight as they hammered the Whitecaps 10-1 to retake the series lead at 3-2 and giving them the chance with a win on Sunday to win a third straight series. Ethan Hearn led the way
SOUTH BEND, IN - So the saying goes, the offense was contagious for the Cubs tonight as they hammered the Whitecaps 10-1 to retake the series lead at 3-2 and giving them the chance with a win on Sunday to win a third straight series.
Ethan Hearn led the way with his best game of the season, finishing just a triple shy of the cycle, with a steal of home. The Cubs catcher’s line of 3-4, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, SB was eye popping. The former sixth round pick double to the wall in right to begin the third and then stole home as part of a double steal with Ed Howard taking second. His night was just getting started though.
In the sixth inning with the Cubs leading 3-1, he smacked a 2-out single up the middle to score Jordan Nwogu. Howard then doubled him home to make it 5-1.
One inning later, in an absolute downpour, raining harder than its rained during a home game all season, Hearn blasted a 0-2 pitch over the wall in right field off Max Alba. Another massive swing with two strikes from the 23 year old, with this making it a 10-1 lead and capping a 5-run frame.
Everyone in the Cubs offensive seemly was involved tonight, with eight of the nine reaching base and the 5-9 spot in the order combining to score eight of the 10 runs.
Brian Kalmer, off his heroics in extras last night, blistered two doubles to the wall in right, coming home to score on Hearn’s homer.
Jefferson Rojas reached three more times, picking up two singles, an RBI, a walk, and two stolen bases. The 19 year old extended his on-base streak to 20, as did Pedro Ramirez with a walk in the seventh. Parker Chavers notched his hit streak up to 9 games with a single in the sixth.
On the mound Nick Hull continued a dominant stretch for Cubs starters in this series with four framed of one-hit, one-run baseball. Between the Cubs five starters in this series they’ve combined for 25 IP and just six earned runs.
Jack Patterson made his return a month and a half after he was placed on the IL, tossing a scoreless fifth. Carlo Reyes added two more zeros on the board and Yovanny Cabrera tossed a scoreless eighth before the game was paused and eventually ended halfway through the eighth inning.