(TIMBER RATTLERS) SOUTH BEND, IND – The South Bend Cubs beat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 7-4 in a seven-inning game on Thursday night at Four Winds Field. The Cubs took advantage of wildness from Wisconsin pitchers, two errors from the Wisconsin defense, and a lack of the big hit from the Rattlers offense for the win.
Brian Kalmer, who hit a two-run home run to break a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning in the of the suspended game to lead the Cubs to a 5-3 win, got things started in the regularly scheduled game. Kalmer stepped to the plate with runners at second and third with no outs in the bottom of the first and knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly. Drew Bowser added to the lead with a two-out, two-run single.
Wisconsin (54-73 overall, 20-42 second half) got on the board in the top of the second on a two-out, RBI double by Kay-Lan Nicasia.
The Cubs (55-73, 32-30) took scored an unearned run in the third. Miguel Pabon walked, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored when first baseman Juan Baez, playing first for the first time as a professional, couldn’t scoop a low throw from Jesús Made on what would have been the final out of the inning.
Marco Dinges, who had walked and scored in the second inning, led off the top of the fourth with a long home run to center. It was his ninth as a Rattler and pulled Wisconsin back to within two runs.
South Bend put more distance between themselves and the Rattlers when Ariel Armas doubled in two runs with two outs in the bottom of the fourth to give the Cubs a 6-2 lead.
The Rattlers best chance at a comeback came in the top of the sixth. Dinges walked to start the inning. Reliever Connor Spencer botched a grounder back to the mound from Baez and a wild throw put runners on second and third with one out. Luiyin Alastre singled to knock in Dinges. A walk to Nicasia loaded the bases to bring the go-ahead run to the plate.
There would be no comeback. Spencer got a strikeout for the second out. Grayson Moore took over and got the final out on a flyball to center.
Rafael Morel manufactured a run for the Cubs in the bottom of the sixth for one more bit of insurance. He walked, stole second, went to third on an errant pickoff throw by reliever Yerlin Rodriguez, and scored with a nifty slide to beat Baez’s throw home after a grounder to first by Edgar Alvarez.
The Rattlers tried again in their final at bat. Made walked and Andrew Fischer doubled off the wall in right to put runners at second and third with no outs. Josh Adamczewski drove in Made with a grounder to second and that was as close as Wisconsin would get.
The Timber Rattlers stranded eight runners and went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring positions. Five of the seven walks issued by Wisconsin pitchers scored in the game.
Dinges walked twice, homered one, and scored three runs as he went 1-for-2 in the game.
Game four of the series is scheduled for Friday night at Four Winds Field. Travis Smith (1-2, 4.09) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Brooks Caple (3-8, 6.44) is set to start for the Cubs. Game time is 6:05pm CDT.
Suspended game
South Bend 5, Wisconsin 3
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and South Bend Cubs completed Wednesday’s suspended game on Thursday afternoon at Four Winds Field, and it was a big home run by Brian Kalmer to give the Cubs a 5-3 win. Kalmer’s tenth home run of the season was a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to break a 3-3 tie.
Wisconsin grabbed the early lead with two runs in the first inning on Wednesday night. Jesús Made was at first base with two outs. Marco Dinges lined a ball off the wall in center 405’ from the plate. Made scored without a play, but Dinges slipped on a wet first base and went down. He would get back up and return to first for an RBI single.
Dinges showed no ill effects from the stumble as he went from first to third on a single to right by Josh Adamczewski. Luiyin Alastre drove in Dinges with a single for a 2-0 lead.
The Cubs got to Wisconsin starter Ryan Birchard in the bottom of the second as they loaded the bases with one out on two walks and a single. Kade Snell drove in a run with a sacrifice fly before Birchard ended the inning with a strikeout.
Wisconsin had a chance to break the game open in the top of the fourth as they loaded the bases with no outs. A strikeout and a 1-2-3 double play ended the threat. A hard downpour ended the game for Wednesday.
When play resumed on Thursday afternoon, the score stayed 2-1 until the bottom of the sixth.
Bishop Letson had Edgar Alvarez at first with two outs. Ariel Armas sent a routine fly ball to center that Daniel Guilarte dropped. Alvarez raced around to score the tying run. Miguel Pabon extended the inning with a single to send Armas to third. Then, Kade Snell singled on a 1-2 pitch to drive in Armas with the run to make it 3-2.
The Rattlers rallied in the top of the seventh with an unearned run. Luke Adams reached on catcher’s interference with one out and went from first to third on a single by Made. Andrew Fischer drove in Adams with a sacrifice fly to even the score.
Letson worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh to go four innings with one walk and five strikeouts.
The eighth inning was frustrating for Wisconsin. They loaded the bases with one out against Jackson Kirkpatrick, the fourth South Bend pitcher of the game. However, Kirkpatrick escaped by striking out Guilarte and getting Adams to ground out to short. Wisconsin left ten runners on base in the game.
Anthony Flores, who had not allowed a run over six innings in his last four outings, relieved Letson for the bottom of the eighth. Alvarez singled to start the inning. He would jog home after Kalmer’s home run to the left field bleachers gave the Cubs a 5-3 lead.
Kirkpatrick pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out the game.
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