Peña Punishes Cubs [VIDEO]
FORT WAYNE – Jhonatan Peña hammered a solo home run and ripped a two-RBI double to propel the TinCaps past the South Bend Cubs, 3-1, on Tuesday night at Parkview Field.
South Bend (9-4, 50-32) pushed one across during the top of the first inning, but Fort Wayne (6-7, 42-41) answered in the second frame.
With two outs, Peña crushed a line drive to left field that crested the wall, evening the score. The home run was the right fielder’s fifth big fly since the All-Star break.
Two innings later, he smacked a two-out double that plated Brad Zunica and Marcus Greene Jr.
That was all the support TinCaps pitchers needed.
Austin Smith (W, 2-5) surrendered one run throughout five frames, allowing just two hits and issuing only one walk. Jose Castillo (H, 1) pitched three scoreless innings in his first appearance with Fort Wayne this season.
Nathan Foriest (S, 1) escaped a bases-loaded jam during the top of the ninth to close out the win.
Cubs starter Ryan Kellogg (L, 3-5) gave up three runs over five innings.
The TinCaps have won the first two contests of the four-game set and improved to 8-1 at Parkview Field this season against division-leading South Bend.
The TinCaps and Cubs continue its series in Fort Wayne Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.