Wiggins Strikes Out Career High 8 in 7-4 Cubs Win
South Bend, IN - Much like last night, prior to the walk-off grand slam by Pedro Ramirez, the Great Lakes Loons had a short lived lead over the South Bend Cubs. It came early on Saturday night, but then South Bend controlled things the rest of the way. Now with
South Bend, IN - Much like last night, prior to the walk-off grand slam by Pedro Ramirez, the Great Lakes Loons had a short lived lead over the South Bend Cubs. It came early on Saturday night, but then South Bend controlled things the rest of the way. Now with back-to-back victories on the week, the Cubs defeated the Great Lakes Loons by a final of 7-4.
Jaxon Wiggins got the start for the Cubs, and worked around an early run threat, after Josue De Paula walked, stole second, and reached third on a throwing error. With the go-ahead run at third base and only one out, Wiggins punched out both Kyle Nevin and Jake Gelof to strand the runner 90-feet away.
In the 2nd, Great Lakes did get that first run, thanks to a solo homer by Jordan Thompson. It was Thompson’s second home run of the series, and 1-0 Loons the game stood at heading to the bottom of the 2nd.
The bottom of the 2nd was where things flipped. The Cubs started the inning with a base hit from Edgar Alvarez off of the starter Christian Romero. Ed Howard then laced a single past third base, and Brian Kalmer walked. With the bases loaded, it was last night’s hero again, Pedro Ramirez, tying the game on a sliced single into left-center.
Bases still loaded, here comes Cam Smith. The Chicago Cubs 1st-round pick did it again, pounding a base hit to left-center for South Bend’s first lead. It was 3-1 Cubs, and Smith finished the night with two hits; Which marks four of five games with South Bend being multi-hit efforts.
On the mound, Wiggins continued to dominate, and faced the minimum in both the 3rd and 4th innings. He wound up with eight strikeouts, which was a new career high, lashing his previous best of six. He also won his second career game, finishing with five innings of one run baseball.
Out of the bullpen, Marino Santy worked two shutout, hitless innings, and South Bend would grab some insurance as well. In the 7th, Alvarez smacked his second hit of the game, scoring a run, and after a double steal and a throwing error, Cristian Hernandez jogged home for a 5-1 lead.
Great Lakes wound up putting a position player, Juan Alonso, on the mound for the 8th, and South Bend scraped across two more runs for a 7-1 advantage. Tyler Santana recorded the final six outs of the night, and the Loons did get it closer, thanks to a home run by Nick Biddison, but the Cubs closed things out of the win.
Now with back-to-back victories this week, the Cubs can split the series against the Loons on Sunday night in the final home game of 2024 at Four Winds Field. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM, with right-hander Erian Rodriguez on the mound.