The South Bend Cubs are Midwest League Champions!

The South Bend Cubs are the Midwest League Champions after a 5-0 shutout of the Clinton LumberKings (Marlins). The Cubs swept the best-of-five title series three games to none.

South Bend starter Riley Thompson had the start of his career tonight, pitching five innings of no-hit baseball. The only baserunner Thompson allowed over those five innings came on an error by Thompson himself. But Thompson later picked that runner off of first base so he faced the minimum 15 batters. Thompson struck out 10 batters, which is a career-high for him.

Meanwhile, third baseman Levi Jordan gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead with a two-run home run in the top of the second inning.

Shortstop Andy Weber tacked on two more runs with a two-run home run in the fifth.

Thompson gave way to Fauris Guerrero in the sixth inning and Clinton got their first hit with a two-out single in the sixth, which amounted to nothing. Guerrero gave up another hit with two outs in the seventh inning, which was Clinton’s final baserunner of the game. Guerrero pitched two inning and allowed two hits. He struck out three.

South Bend would tack on a fifth run when Weber hit a bad hop two-out single, scoring Jordan

Eugenio Palma pitched a perfect bottom of the eighth and Brian Glowicki was perfect in the ninth to close out the game. Palma struck out one and Glowicki did not have a strikeout.

The South Bend pitching staff combined on a two-hit shutout. They struck out 14 and did not walk a single batter.

Weber was 2 for 5 with the home run and three RBI.

Jordan went 2 for 4 with the home run and two RBI. He scored twice.

Nelson Velazquez went 2 for 3 with a walk and a double. He scored once.

The South Bend Cubs were 7-0 over their three playoff series. This comes a year after the Eugene Emeralds, with many of the same players, went 5-0 in the postseason to win the Northwest League title.

It’s the 7th-straight year a Cubs affiliate has won a title.

2013—Daytona Cubs (Florida State League)

2014—Kane County Cougars (Midwest League)

2015—Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Carolina League)

2016—Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Eugene Emeralds (Northwest League), Chicago Cubs (MLB)

2017—AZL Cubs (Arizona League)

2018—Eugene Emeralds

2019—South Bend Cubs

It’s the first Midwest League title for South Bend since 2005 when they were a Diamondbacks affiliate.

I have a video of the final out.

And here’s a video of the team celebrating with the Championship Cup.

And on this happy note, the 2019 Minor League season is over. As always, thank you for reading and we’ll have more minor league content over the winter. Thank you for reading and I’ll see you again in 2020.