Windham’s homer powers South Bend Cubs past Chiefs

PEORIA, Ill. -- South Bend got right back in the win column on Friday night, taking down the Peoria Chiefs by a final of 4-2.

Luis Vazquez (2-4, SB, 2 R) singled to start off the ballgame and promptly stole second base for his fifth steal of the year. He got caught with too big a secondary lead off second a few pitches later and looked like he was going to be out at third but the throw from Masyn Winn was chucked into the dugout and Vazquez instead scored the game’s first run.

Anderson Espinoza (4 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K) pitched masterfully through 3.2 innings but three straight reached in the fourth inning with two away, capped off by a two-run double from Matt Chamberlain to put the Chiefs ahead 2-1. The nine strikeouts from Espinoza were a new season high.

The very next half inning the Cubs got a pair of two-out runs of their own. Bryce Windham (1-4, HR, 2 RBI, R) hit an opposite field blast, his third homer of the season to give the Cubs the lead right back.

That’s all the Cubs offense would need on a night the staff allowed just four base hits. But South Bend would add an insurance run on a bases loaded bloop RBI single in the eighth inning for Alexander Canario (2-4, RBI) to make it 4-2.

Danis Correa, Jose Albertos and Eduarniel Nuñez combined to toss the final five innings scoreless out of the Cubs bullpen. Albertos came on with the bases juiced in the sixth inning and needed just one pitch to induce an inning-ending double play.

Vazquez’s single in the first inning gave him a 15-game on-base streak, as the Cubs shortstop who missed most of the year has reached base now in every game with South Bend this season.

Next up: Tomorrow night at 7:35 pm ET RHP Max Bain will take the hill for South Bend against RHP Wilfredo Pereira of Peoria.