River Bandits Erupt Late to Take Game 1 From Cubs 8-3

The South Bend Cubs lost Game 1 of the Midwest League West Division Championship Series to the Quad Cities River Bandits on Tuesday night at Modern Woodmen Park. In the 8-3 result, Quad Cities erased a 3-1 deficit by scoring seven unanswered runs between the sixth and seventh innings.

Click here to view Tuesday’s box score.

The Game 1 pitching matchup featured right-hander Jostin Florentino, the No. 22 Chicago Cubs prospect, and left-hander David Shields, the No. 4 Kansas City Royals prospect. Florentino got the better of Shields, striking out six in 4.0 innings while allowing just one run. Meanwhile, an elevated pitch count limited Shields to 3.0 innings, in which he struck out five and conceded two runs.

Both teams missed major scoring opportunities in the first inning. The Cubs loaded the bases with one out on two singles and a walk, but Shields retired designated hitter Logan Poteet and right fielder Alexey Lumpuy to escape. For Quad Cities, center fielder Asbel Gonzalez led off with a walk and reached third with one out, but Florentino struck out both catcher Blake Mitchell and designated hitter Derlin Figueroa to end the inning.

The River Bandits would strike first in the second inning, using another walk to jump ahead. This time, third baseman Jose Cerice got on with one out and came around to score, as shortstop Austin Charles dropped an RBI single into left field.

South Bend answered and took the lead in the third inning before adding a run in the fifth. In the third, left fielder Kade Snell worked a one-out walk, setting up a two-run home run from shortstop Angel Cepeda. The Cepeda long ball went to the opposite field, narrowly clearing the wall in right field. First baseman and top Cubs prospect Josiah Hartshorn followed with a solo shot in the fifth, nearly hitting the Ferris wheel in left field.

Just before the Hartshorn home run, Florentino wiggled out of a big spot in the bottom of the fourth, striking out back-to-back Bandits to leave two runners in scoring position. That sequence ended his night, as right-hander Brayden Spears came on and pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

The game got away from the Cubs from there, as six consecutive River Bandits reached against Spears to start the bottom of the sixth. Mitchell led off with a single, Ramirez reached on an ensuing error, and first baseman Derlin Figueroa walked, setting up the bases loaded with nobody out. Spears then hit Cerice with his first pitch, forcing in a run to make it 3-2 Cubs. The next two hitters — right fielder Nolan Sailors and Charles — would each deliver RBI singles, giving Quad Cities the lead and keeping the bases packed with nobody retired.

After the second bases-loaded single, right-hander Ethan Bell took over on the mound and denied any further damage, getting three quick outs to keep the Cubs within a run. He undid that effort in the seventh inning, though, allowing four runs. The big swings came from Cerice on an RBI double to left-center and Charles on a three-run home run to left, sending Quad Cities into an 8-3 lead.

All the while, the River Bandits’ bullpen quieted the Cubs, accounting for 6.0 innings of one-run ball. Despite allowing the Hartshorn home run, left-hander Dash Albus retired the other nine hitters he faced, contributing 3.0 solid frames. Right-handers Kamden Edge, Yimi Presinal, and LP Langevin combined for the remaining nine outs to wrap up Game 1.

Up next, the best-of-three series heads to Four Winds Field for Game 2 and Game 3 (if necessary). Game 2 is scheduled for 7:05 PM, with right-hander Nazier Mulé set to start for South Bend against Quad Cities righty Kendry Chourio.