Chicago Cubs High-A minor league squad the South Bend Cubs forced a winner-take-all game three with a 4-3 victory over the Lake County Captains Tuesday.
The game started rough for the Cubs as the normally untouchable Luis Devers surrendered a pair of runs over his four innings of work, planting South Bend in an early 2-1 hole. That would change in the sixth inning.
With the bases loaded, Kevin Made struck out swinging, but Captains catcher Micael Ramirez dropped the third strike and threw the ball away allowing the tying run to score and all ru to move up a base.
South Bend didn't do any further damage in the sixth but struck in the seventh on a Luis Verdugo line-drive single to right that scored Owen Caissie and gave the Cubs a 3-2 lead.
Pete Crow-Armstrong gave South Bend its fourth run of the game on his first postseason home run in the ninth, a run the Cubs ultimately needed as Lake County scored its third run of the game in the bottom of the ninth, but closer Michael McAvene would keep the Captains at bay for the save.
Pete Crow-Armstrong's home run was his third knock of the night. The lefty also doubled and singled, finishing with seven total bases while Lake County as a team had eight.
The win sets up a decisive game three for the High-A Midwest League Championship at 6 p.m. CDT Wednesday in Eastlake, Oh.
Also on the farm:
Triple-A: Iowa Cubs (65-77) at Omaha Storm Chasers (69-77): W 12-11
- Alex Canario went 3-for-5 with a walk and all of his knocks going for his first three home runs in Triple-A. The 22-year-old now has 34 home runs across three minor league levels this season.
- John Hicks also homered, bringing his total in Iowa to 19. Hicks also doubled and walked.
- Matt Mervis went 1-for-3 with two walks and a hit-by-pitch. The first baseman is walking in over 10% of his plate appearances in Triple-A, his highest rate at any level this season.
- Darius Hill also walked twice and had one hit in four at-bats.
- Brennen Davis went 1-for-3 with a double, RBI, and a walk.
- Iowa as a team walked nine times.
Double-A: Tennessee Smokies (0-1) vs Rocket City Trash Pandas (1-0): L 9-5
- This was game one of the Southern League Divisional Series. The loss means the Smokies will look to avoid elimination in the second game at 6:35 CDT Thursday in Madison Ala.
- Yonathan Perlaza went 3-for-4 with a walk and a home run. Chase Strumpf also went 3-for-4 with a walk and had two doubles.
- Cole Roederer's lone knock was a three-run home run in the sixth inning. The 22-year-old has six longballs since Sept. 9.
- Dalton Stambaugh pitched three scoreless relief innings, striking out six, walking none, and allowing just two hits.
High-A: South Bend Cubs (1-1) vs Lake County Captains (1-1): W 4-2
- BJ Murray continued his torrid stretch, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a double. The first baseman is batting .714 in the postseason.
- Seven of South Bend's nine batters had at least one hit.
- The Cubs bullpen trio of Riley Martin, Jake Reindl, and Michael McAvene combined to pitch five innings, allowing one run and striking out four batters.
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