By Mike Monaco

SOUTH BEND – Four days ago, Tyler Ihrig jumped out of a cab, hustled into the South Bend clubhouse and arrived in the bullpen just in time to ready for the ninth inning, in which he earned the save. Saturday at Four Winds Field, Ihrig tossed seven-and-a-third shutout innings, as the Cubs bested Lake County, 2-0, at Four Winds Field.

“I had both my off-speed pitches going, throwing first-pitch curveballs for a strike, changeup for a strike, keeping them off balance,” Ihrig said. “That’s what really got them.”

It’s been that sort of season for Ihrig, who grabbed the save Tuesday in the win over Fort Wayne after being added to the roster earlier in the day. The southpaw tossed 7.1 shutout innings Saturday and has now started at Triple-A Iowa, Double-A Tennessee, High-A Myrtle Beach and in South Bend.  In total, Ihrig has logged 14 relief appearances and four starts.

“It’s a little different, being a starter, then being in the bullpen, then being a starter again and all that, getting in a routine,” Ihrig said. “Usually I just listen to my arm and usually that tells me what to do.”

Ihrig allowed just five hits, walked three and punched out three before leaving with runners at first and second with one out in the top of the eighth. But reliever Corbin Hoffner and catcher Gioskar Amaya combined on a strike-him-out, throw-him-out double play to keep it 2-0 South Bend.

Ihrig flummoxed the Captains with a fastball in the mid-80s and off-speed pitches in the mid-60s.

“Just pitch to contact, let the hitters get themselves out,” Ihrig said of his approach. “They’re gonna get hits. But for the majority, I like to pitch to contact and let my defense work. They did tonight.”

Captains starter Thomas Pannone allowed one run in five innings.

After 4.5 scoreless stanzas, Cubs right fielder Jeffrey Baez tattooed an RBI triple to deep right-center field, scoring designated hitter Kevin Encarnacion, who walked, from first and handing South Bend a 1-0 lead.

Ihrig allowed a one-out double in the sixth, but the southpaw promptly tallied consecutive strikeouts to skirt the threat.

In the home half of the sixth, Cubs left fielder Charcer Burks led off with a towering home run — his second of the season — to left field, stretching the lead to 2-0.

“I’ve just been really selective, trying to look for a pitch to drive,” Burks said. “Right there, he gave me a pitch to drive. Whenever he does that, I have to do some damage.”

With a two-run lead, Hoffner collected the final three outs in the ninth.

South Bend and Lake County clash for game three in the four-game set Sunday at 2:05 p.m. ET at Four Winds Field. Cubs right-hander Trevor Clifton (4.81 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Captains righty Jordan Milbrath (5.51 ERA).