Clinton’s Tanner Andrews threw admirably Sunday in a 3-2 loss to Cedar Rapids. Clinton is trying to advance to the Midwest League Championship to face off against South Bend, which advanced to the finals Sunday night. (Photo courtesy the Clinton Lumberkings)

SOUTH BEND – The South Bend Cubs are in the Midwest League Championship for the first time as a Chicago Cubs affiliate and for the first time since 2013 as a franchise with their 7-4 victory over the Great Lakes Loons Sunday night. South Bend is currently 4-0 in the post-season.

The Cubs will host games one and two at Four Winds Field while game three and if necessary, games four and five, will be held at the winner of the Western Division Championship. Game one will be on Wednesday, Sept. 11, and game two will be on Thursday, Sept. 12. Gates open at 6 p.m. and first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. for both home games. The Western Division title game will be decided tonight between Cedar Rapids and Clinton.

Dugout box seats are $14 and field box seats are $12 in advance. Ticket prices will go up one dollar on the day of the game, so fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance. Tickets can be purchased right now at SouthBendCubs.com. The South Bend Cubs Box Office opens at 10 a.m. every day for fans wanting to purchase tickets in person.

To honor those who continue to defend our country and are the first on the scene of a crisis, the South Bend Cubs will offer two free tickets to all First Responders, Veterans and Active Duty military for the game on Sept.11. Those tickets must be picked up at the box office and cannot be claimed online; must show military or first responder identification to claim your tickets.

To keep the playoff tradition alive, both games will have a special Thirsty Thursday promotion. Fountain sodas (20oz.) and domestic draft beer (16 oz.) will be available for $2 each on Wednesday and Thursday.

South Bend has won the Midwest League Championship three times in their 31 years, most recently coming in 2005. South Bend’s all-time playoff record is now 42-27. The Cubs will face the winner of Monday night’s Western Division Championship between the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Clinton LumberKings.

The Western game this evening has local relevance as Tippecanoe Valley graduate Tanner Andrews is a member of Clinton. Andrews pitched Sunday in game two of that series, giving up just one run on four hits in six innings of work in a no decision. Andrews struck out eight and walked just one in his outing, that had Clinton leading 2-1 heading into the ninth, but gave up two runs to the Kernals in the bottom of the ninth to force a deciding game three tonight.

Clinton did not indicate if Andrews would pitch in South Bend if the team advances. For the season at Clinton, Andrews is 8-5 with a 3.52 earned run average in 22 appearances. He has struck out 110 batters and walked just 38 in 128 innings of work.