Horn debuts, Beelsey homers, but Cubs fall to River Bandits

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (South Bend Cubs) - Quad Cities scored in bunches to become the first team in the High-A Central to reach sixty wins on the season. It was a pitcher’s duel to kick things off, as each starter began the game in dominant fashion. Through the first four innings, South Bend’s Max Bain had allowed just two hits with two strikeouts to match. Anthony Veneziano, the High-A Central’s strikeout leader, had six strikeouts before Bradlee Beesley led off the fourth inning.

Three pitches later, a run was on the board.

Beesley, in his third game back from an injury that caused him to miss over a month, sent the third pitch of the fourth inning into the left field stands for his third blast of the season. With one swing, the scoring started, and Beesley’s third home run of the year gave South Bend a 1-0 lead.

Quad Cities responded in a big way in the top of the fifth, getting to Bain and hanging five runs on South Bend in the inning. The first six River Bandits reached base, including a game-tying RBI single from Tucker Bradley. Nick Loftin came up next, and didn’t waste any time. Loftin took the first pitch he saw over the left field wall, and the grand slam gave Quad Cities their first lead of the game at 5-1.

South Bend chipped away in the home half of the inning, scoring a run on Beesley’s sacrifice fly to deep left field that scored Harrison Wenson from third and cut the deficit to 5-2, but it was all Quad Cities after that.

A two-RBI single from Michael Massey off of Bailey Horn in the seventh increased the River Bandit lead to 7-2. Horn made his South Bend Cubs debut after being traded from the White Sox at the trade deadline. He struggled at first, but after allowing four baserunners, the left-hander clamped down and struck out three straight hitters to end off his first inning as a Cub.

The next inning, Tucker Bradley hit a two-run home run that ricocheted off the railing in left to make it 9-2, and that would be the final score as South Bend dropped their fourth straight.

Bradlee Beesley (1-3, HR, 2 RBI, R) drove in both runs for South Bend and Jake Slaughter (2-4) was the only Cub with multiple base hits. Tanner Jesson-Dalton was a bright spot on the mound, turning in 1.1 perfect innings and striking out three of the four batters he faced.

Next up: Joe Nahas (2-1, 3.63 ERA) vs A.J. Block (3-2, 4.13 ERA) Joe Nahas looks to follow up a no-hit performance that earned him High-A Central Pitcher of the Week honors as South Bend hosts Quad Cities in the second game of the homestand. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a voucher for a 2016 World Series MVP Ben Zobrist bobblehead that commemorates his rehab stint here in South Bend during the 2019 season. Gates open at 6:00 pm for a 7:05 first pitch.

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