SOUTH BEND – Eloy Jimenez socked the first pitch he saw to lead off the ninth inning for a home run as the South Bend Cubs beat the Bowling Green Hot Rods, 7-6, Monday before 1,366 fans at Four Winds Field.

With one out, Jimenez rocked his first homer of 2016 off right-hander Diego Castillo (0-1) and it made a winner in relief of South Bend right-hander Michael Wagner (1-0).

“He was just looking for a pitch that he could drive,” Cubs manager Jimmy Gonzalez said of the Jimenez game-winner to lifted South Bend to 2-2. “Jimenez has the power to end the game at any given time. It’s an awesome feeling.”

South Bend Cubs outfielder Eloy Jimenez, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off home run against Bowling Green. (Photo provided by South Bend Cubs Media Relations)

The 19-year-old Dominican, in his third season in the Chicago Cubs organization, now has 11 minors homers in 103 games.

Bowling Green got the score to 6-6 in the ninth off Wagner. A two-out groundout RBI by David Rodriguez drove in Brandon Lowe (on base with a single) with the tying tally.

South Bend’s Eddy Julio Martinez went 2-for-4 with his first professional home run and made a running catch in center field to close out the Bowling Green eighth with two runners on base.

Martinez is now hitting .375 (6-of-16) with three two-hit games.

“He’s been putting together good at-bats,” Gonzalez said of Martinez, a 21-year-old Cuban playing in his fourth professional game. “It seems like each at-bat, he’s getting better and better.
“That’s all we can ask of these guys. Getting that home run was huge.”

Martinez talked about the homer and the catch after the game.

“I never thought I would get a home run at that moment,” Martinez told an interpreter. “I just tried to take a good swing.”

He said his ability to track the ball was how he was able to rob Manny Sanchez of a hit and likely RBI.

Besides the Martinez catch in the eighth, Cubs first baseman Jose Paniagua made a scoop at first base to help squelch a Hot Rods rally in the second. Paniagua scooped a throw out of the dirt to retire Law for the third out.

Bowling Green (3-2) scored the game’s first run off South Bend starter Adbert Alzolay in the third inning.

Angel Moreno singled up the middle to score Michael Russell from second base. Russell led off the frame with a double down the left field line.

The Hot Rods went up 3-0 in the fourth inning when Zacrey Law belted his first home run of 2016 — a two-run shot. With two outs, Law socked a 1-0 Alzolay pitch over the left field fence. Rodriguez (on with a one-out single) scored ahead of Law.

Bowling Green starter Genesis Cabrera worked in and out of a jam in the third. After surrendering a lead-off double to Ian Rice and two-out walks to Andrew Ely and P.J. Higgins to load the bases, the southpaw fanned Jimenez to end the threat.

South Bend broke loose for three runs its half of the fourth.

The Martinez led off the Cubs fourth. He took a 1-0 Cabrera offering to left-center field.

South Bend cut the gap to 3-2 with a sacrifice fly by Ian Rice that plated Matt Rose (on base by error).

The Cubs tied the game at 3-all on a two-out double by Donnie Dewees, sending home Bryant Flete (on base with an infield single).

Bowling Green went up 4-3 in the fifth when Alzolay balked home Moreno (on base by error).

South Bend pulled even at 4-4 with a groundout RBI off Jose Alvarado by Dewees to score Jose Paniagua (on base with an infield single).

The Hot Rods went up 5-4 in seventh thanks to a bases-loaded sacrifice fly off Craig Brooks by Joe McCarthy to plate Brandon Lowe (on base with an infield single).

A two-out rally in the eighth against Castillo allowed South Bend to take a 6-5 lead.

Rice walked and later scored the tying run when Bowling Green misplayed a grounder by Dewees.

Flete doubled, moved to third on the error and scored on a Castillo wild pitch.

The second game of the three-game Bowling Green-South Bend series is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Tuesday, April 12 at Four Winds Field. Probable starting pitchers are right-hander Alexis Tapia (0-0) for Hot Rods and left-hander Carson Sands (0-0) for the Cubs.