Lugnuts Rally Past Cubs
LANSING, Mich. – Lansing overcame a two-run deficit and used an eighth-inning flurry to power past South Bend, 6-4, in the opener of a three-game series Wednesday night at Cooley Law School Stadium.
South Bend (10-10 second half, 39-48 overall) led 4-2 in the fifth, but Lansing (10-10 second half, 52-38 overall) tied the game in the seventh and jumped ahead in the eighth.
The Lugnuts scored the final four runs.
Cubs starter Erick Leal allowed two earned runs (three total) in six innings. The righty allowed seven hits, walked one and fanned one. South Bend left fielder Yasiel Balaguert (2-for-5, one run), designated hitter Kevin Encarnacion (2-for-4, one run) and right fielder Jeffrey Baez (2-for-3, two outfield assists) led South Bend.
With runners at the corners and two outs in the top of the first, Lansing starter Jesus Tinoco attempted a pickoff throw to first, but Ryan McBroom couldn’t handle it cleanly, and Cubs leadoff man Charcer Burks scored from third to make it 1-0.
In the second, Baez stayed hot with an RBI single up the middle to plate first baseman David Bote and extend the margin to 2-0.
Lugnuts third baseman Alex Maldonado punched an RBI single to right field with the bases loaded in the second, but Baez hosed center fielder D.J. Davis at the plate, maintaining, for the time being, the 2-1 South Bend lead. Later in the frame, left fielder Chris Carlson singled to right, scored shortstop Dawel Lugo but not Maldonado, who was also thrown out at the plate by Baez, keeping the score 2-2.
With his single in the third inning, Balaguert extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
In the fifth, Bote bounced an infield single up the middle to score Balaguert, who singled to begin the inning, and push South Bend back ahead, 3-2. Third baseman Vimael Machin then reeled in Encarnacion from third on a fielder’s choice and an error.
Lansing nabbed one back to cut the deficit to 4-3 in the last of the fifth when designated hitter Greg Harris’ groundout scored right fielder Josh Almonte, who reached on an error.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Lugnuts tied the game, 4-4, on an RBI infield single by No. 3 hitter Jason Leblebijian against Cubs reliever Jordan Minch.
South Bend hit into inning-ending double plays, including a final third out at the plate in the eighth, in the seventh and eighth innings.
In the home half of the eighth, Lansing catcher Michael De La Cruz rapped a run-scoring single to propel the Lugnuts up, 5-4, their first lead of the game. After the Cubs called righty Daniel Lewis out of the bullpen, a wild pitch scored Maldonado and stretched Lansing’s lead to 6-4.
Lugnuts righty Dusty Isaacs worked the final three innings without allowing a run.
South Bend and Lansing clash Thursday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Cooley Law School Stadium in Lansing, Michigan. Cubs right-hander Jake Stinnett (5.24 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Lugnuts righty Conor Fisk (4.30 ERA).