Canario’s career night leads Cubs route of Chiefs

PEORIA, Ill. -- South Bend (43-53) took command of the series opener last night in the sixth inning and then kept their foot on the gas in the resumption of that same game tonight, beating Peoria (37-60) by a final of 14-2 at Dozer Park. The 14 runs for the Cubs was their biggest run output of the 2021 season.

Alexander Canario (2-6, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R) launched a 473-foot homer to the opposite field in the sixth inning last night and then tonight in the ninth inning of the game cranked a grand slam just over the left field wall. It was Canario’s fourth career multi-homer game, his first at the high-a level and first with the Cubs farm system. He also notched a career-high six RBIs.

Canario homered before the game got suspended last night and then Bryce Ball (2-4, HR, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 2B), who was up with a 0-1 count when the game got suspended last night, started today off with an opposite field homer two pitches later.

Joe Nahas (5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K) picked up his third-straight win, with the two runs he allowed coming on a Jordan Walker homer in the fourth inning after Nahas went perfect through the first three innings.

The game was tied 2-2 into the sixth inning when the Cubs put the game away with a six-run frame. Pablo Aliendo (1-3, 2 R, 2 BB) scored what wound up being the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the sixth and then with two outs Tyler Durna singled in two more to make it 5-2. After the single Canario and Ball went back-to-back and vaulted the Cubs to an 8-2 lead.

Every Cubs hitter reached base at least twice, including Aliendo and Yohendrick Pinango (1-3, 2B, 2 R, BB, HBP) who both scored twice and reached a combined seven times in their high-a South Bend Cubs debuts.

Tanner Jesson-Dalton and Tyler Santana combined to pitch the final 3.1 innings scoreless before the players had to clear the field due to lightning and inclement weather in the area. The game was called with one out in the bottom of the ninth and the game went final.

The originally scheduled Wednesday night game was postponed and will instead be a part of a doubleheader tomorrow. There will be two seven-inning games with first pitch starting at 6 p.m. ET.