Cubs Waste Fine Pitching Performance
By Mike Monaco
SOUTH BEND — Cubs starter Zach Hedges dazzled over seven innings, but South Bend dropped the series opener to Dayton, 3-1, on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field.
Hedges spun seven masterful innings in which he allowed just three hits and fanned six, surrendering only one unearned run. Hedges’ seven innings and six punchouts are both career highs.
The right-hander did not allow a hit until Dragons designated hitter Shed Long dribbled an infield single past the mound with two outs in the fifth inning.
But Dayton (35-30) plated two runs in the eighth to put away the Cubs (27-35) and spoil Hedges’ gem. South Bend has lost six of its last seven games.
Cubs third baseman Jesse Hodges (3-for-4, three singles) and catcher Gioskar Amaya (2-for-4) led the offensive effort. Dragons starter Junior Morillo scattered seven hits over six one-run stanzas.
Dayton jumped on the Cubs early, as third baseman Ronald Bueno worked a leadoff walk, stole second, moved to third on the throw, which deflected into center field, and scored on an RBI groundout.
South Bend knotted the game, 1-1, in the fifth. With two outs and nobody on, Cubs center fielder Rashad Crawford laced a single to right field. He then scored from first when South Bend second baseman David Bote clocked an RBI double off the wall in left field.
But the Dragons broke through in the eighth against Cubs reliever John Michael Knighton in his South Bend debut. Bueno doubled to start the frame and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Knighton then struck out Dayton first baseman Paul Kronenfeld on a low pitch. Amaya threw down to first on the dropped third strike, and Bueno scampered in from third and slid ahead of the tag on a bang-bang play to give Dayton the 2-1 lead. South Bend manager Jimmy Gonzalez argued the call and was ejected for the first time this season.
Dayton tacked on an eighth-inning insurance run on an RBI single by Dragons second baseman Avain Rachal.
Dragons reliever Conor Krauss sowed up the save.
South Bend and Dayton return to Four Winds Field for the middle game Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. ET. Cubs right-hander Trevor Clifton (4.67 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Dragons righty Tejay Antone (2.75 ERA).