Leal Shines, South Bend Wins Opener, 5-0

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - South Bend starter Erick Leal posted his best outing of the season, and the Cubs ran past Great Lakes, 5-0, in the series opener Tuesday night at Four Winds Field.

Leal turned in a career-high eight innings, and the righty did not allow a run for just the second time this season. The 20-year old from Venezuela surrendered seven hits, walked one and fanned a season-high eight, his most since Aug. 2013 in the AZL. Leal set the tone with a five-pitch first inning and supplied a similar efficiency the rest of the short-lived evening.

"It feels really great," Leal said. "I feel happy because my teammates helped me a lot."

The Loons threatened with runners at second and third thanks a balk, infield single and error, but Leal escaped trouble by collecting his fifth strikeout of the night. He later used an inning-ending double play to finish the fifth frame.

"I was working faster," Leal said. "I worked in my curveball too. My curveball was very good today."

South Bend scored in the first, fifth, sixth and seventh innings, and the Cubs (14-12 second half, 43-50 overall) bounced back from consecutive losses that closed out the West Michigan series.

Cubs leadoff man Jeffrey Baez, the reigning Midwest League Player of the Week, began the bottom of the first with a sharp single up the middle. After stealing second, Baez moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a fielder's choice from No. 3 hitter Charcer Burks, pushing the Cubs ahead 1-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, Cubs center fielder Rashad Crawford led off with a double off the right-field wall. He advanced to third on a sacrifice fly and scored on a groundout by second baseman David Bote.

The Cubs placed runners at the corners with one out in the sixth, and cleanup man Yasiel Balaguert delivered an RBI single through the box against Loons reliever Matt Campbell, lifting South Bend up 3-0. Burks then scored from third on a sacrifice fly by catcher Gioskar Amaya.

In the last of the seventh, Crawford walked, stole second, moved to third on a flyout and scored on a dropped third strike.

Cubs right-hander Ryan McNeil struck out two in a scoreless ninth.

South Bend and Great Lakes meet Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Four Winds Field in the middle matchup of the three-game series. Cubs right-hander Jake Stinnett (5.00 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Loons righty Pablo Fernandez (6.75 ERA).