SB Cubs Take Series At Fort Wayne
By MIKE MONACO
FORT WAYNE — South Bend scored four runs in the second inning and three more in the seventh, and three pitchers combined on a one-hitter, as the Cubs claimed the series with a 7-1 win over Fort Wayne on Sunday afternoon at Parkview Field.
Cubs starting pitcher Ryan Williams (2-0, 0.46 ERA) allowed just one baserunner — a two-out double to left field in the third inning — over six shutout innings in which he struck out three. In four appearances (three starts) this season, the 23-year old right-hander has posted a 0.46 ERA, allowing just one run in 19.2 innings. The former East Carolina standout and 2014 10th-round pick has issued just two walks.
South Bend relievers Francisco Carrillo and Tommy Thorpe did not allow a hit over the final three frames.
Cubs center fielder Trey Martin (2-for-4, one run, two RBI, one walk) and shortstop Gleyber Torres (3-for-4, three singles, one walk, one run) set the tone atop the South Bend order in the first and second spots, respectively.
South Bend (9-9) threatened with runners at second and third and no outs in the top of the first inning, but Fort Wayne starting pitcher Taylor Cox worked around trouble to keep the Cubs off the board. That didn’t last long, however, as Cox walked the bases loaded to start the second inning. Cubs designated hitter David Bote hit a comebacker to Cox, who gunned home but threw it away, allowing both Jesse Hodges and Gioskar Amaya to score to push South Bend ahead 2-0. The Cubs have scored first in 16 of 18 games this season.
Two batters later, Martin ripped a two-run single to left field and extended the margin to 4-0.
Williams handled the first eight TinCaps (5-10) he faced before allowing a two-out double to Fort Wayne second baseman Felipe Blanco in the bottom of the third. From there, Williams set down the next 10 TinCaps he faced.
The Cubs were quiet in the middle innings but loaded the bases again in the seventh after Martin and Chesny Young walked and Torres singled. With a 2-2 count and no outs, Cael Brockmeyer smacked a two-run single into left field to bump the lead to 6-0. Hodges then ripped a groundball to third, and Fort Wayne couldn’t nab Hodges for the double play at first as Young jogged in from third.
Carrillo spun a 1-2-3 seventh inning, but the TinCaps grabbed a run on a passed ball in the eighth after Carrillo walked the bases full. Thorpe got out of the eighth and worked a clean ninth.
With back-to-back victories, the Cubs are back to the .500 mark.
With 18 games in the books, South Bend has its first off day Monday. The Cubs start a three-game series with the West Michigan Whitecaps on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. ET at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, Michigan. Cubs right-hander Jake Stinnett (0-1, 4.38 ERA) is scheduled to oppose West Michigan righty Ross Seaton (2-0, 0.69 ERA).