By Mike Monaco

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. – After a lifeless end to the homestand Thursday, South Bend jumped on West Michigan from the first pitch and topped the Whitecaps, 6-2, in the series opener Friday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Cubs starter Tommy Thorpe delivered six shutout innings of two-hit ball, and South Bend (15-14 second half, 44-52 overall) scored four first-inning runs to defeat the Whitecaps (17-11 second half, 50-47 overall). The Cubs dropped the final two games of their previous series against Great Lakes and surrendered 18 unanswered runs.

Thorpe fanned four in his third start – of five – against West Michigan. The southpaw only gave up a single in the second and a double in the fourth while logging a career-best six frames.

Cubs leadoff man Jeffrey Baez (3-for-5, two runs) and center fielder Charcer Burks (2-for-4, one run, one RBI, one walk) paced the offense.
South Bend began the night tied for fourth place in the second-half Eastern Division standings.

With runners at the corners in the top of the first, Cubs shortstop Gleyber Torres swiped second. As the ball deflected away from Whitecaps shortstop Garrett Mattlage, Baez sprinted home from third to make it 1-0. Later, with Burks at third, West Michigan starter A.J. Ladwig balked, and Burks tapped home to push the lead to 2-0. Cubs catcher Gioskar Amaya then tugged a two-run single through the left side to stretch the margin to 4-0.

In the top of the fifth, Whitecaps catcher Arvicent Perez tried to pick off Cubs left fielder Rashad Crawford at second base. But the throw skittered into left field, where Christin Stewart bobbled the ball and allowed Crawford to score to make it 5-0.

Cubs third baseman Jesse Hodges laced a two-out, two-strike RBI single to plate Baez and widen the margin to 6-0 in the seventh.

West Michigan edged onto the scoreboard in the eighth on an RBI triple by No. 3 hitter Mike Gerber, pulling the Whitecaps within five, 6-1. Joey Pankake’s sacrifice fly to right field made it 6-2.

Cubs righty Corbin Hoffner recorded the final out in the eighth and spun a 1-2-3 ninth.

South Bend and West Michigan clash Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, Michigan. Whitecaps right-hander Jeff Thompson (4.64 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Cubs righty James Norwood, who was activated from the disabled list Friday.