Cubs Top Kernels 4-3 in Canterino’s Return to the Mound
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Matt Canterino returned to the mound for the first time since 2022, tossing a scoreless seventh inning, but the Cedar Rapids comeback effort fell short Wednesday night in a 4-3 loss to South Bend. Cesar Lares got the start for Cedar Rapids and pitched 4.2 strong
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Matt Canterino returned to the mound for the first time since 2022, tossing a scoreless seventh inning, but the Cedar Rapids comeback effort fell short Wednesday night in a 4-3 loss to South Bend.
Cesar Lares got the start for Cedar Rapids and pitched 4.2 strong innings, allowing one run on four hits while matching a season-high with six strikeouts.
The Cubs scored their lone run against Lares to open the scoring in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Michael Gupton ripped a triple in the left-centerfield gap and scored on a Kade Snell RBI single to lift South Bend in front 1-0.
In the sixth inning, South Bend opened it up. A Jose Escobar walk and a Matt Hallback double put two on for Justin Stransky, who smashed a three-run home run to left to grow the lead to 4-0.
That stayed the score until the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the seventh, rehabbing Matt Canterino made his first regular-season appearance since 2022 and picked up a strikeout while facing the minimum in a scoreless inning of work.
Cedar Rapids got on the board in the eighth. Vahn Lackey walked to start the inning, and after a wild pitch moved him to second, he went to third on an error and scored on an Eduardo Tait RBI groundout to cut the deficit to 4-1.
The rally continued in the top of the ninth. Andy Lugo tripled to start the frame and scored a batter later on a Yilber Herrera sacrifice fly to make it 4-2. Herrera recorded a hit and an RBI in his high-A debut. The next batter, Yasser Mercedes, walked, stole second, and moved to third on a wild pitch in front of Lackey, who worked a walk to put runners on the corners. A double steal of second and home closed the gap to 4-3 and put the tying run on the second with one out. But South Bend’s JP Wheat struck out back-to-back batters to lock down the 4-3 win.
The loss is the Kernels second to start the series in South Bend and drops Cedar Rapids to 47-79 on the season. The final series of the year continues Thursday at 6:05. Reed Morning gets the start opposite Nazier Mulé.