TinCaps Grind Out 4-3 Comeback Victory
Credit: TinCaps
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Behind solid starter Gabe Mosser and an effective bullpen, the TinCaps’ offense overcame a 3-0 deficit; scoring runs late in the game to capture a 4-3 series-opening win over the Lake County Captains.
Down three runs heading into the bottom of the sixth, the TinCaps began to have some success on Captains’ starter Luis Oviedo, who had held the offense to two hits through five innings. Aldemar Burgos drew a one-out walk, and shortstop Justin Lopez doubled to right field. With the Captains’ outfield shifted toward left, it took extra time to field the hit, allowing Burgos to come all the way around and score. Cleanup batter Blake Hunt then tripled to right field, bringing the TinCaps within one.
After reliever Aaron Pinto struck out the side in the seventh, the offense recovered in the eighth.
With Kyle Marman taking over for Pinto, Jawuan Harris was hit by a pitch and then moved to second on a Xavier Edwards ground out. Burgos then lined a single to left to collect both his first hit and first RBI as a TinCap.
Justin Lopez then walked, and Hunt hammered a single of the left field wall. Harris slipped and fell rounding third, but he was able to make it back to bag to load the bases with only one out. Augustin Ruiz hit a deep sacrifice fly to left, allowing Harris to score easily and giving the TinCaps a 4-3 lead.
TinCaps closer Austin Smith sealed the victory with a one-two-three inning in the ninth which included two Ks.
Smith’s pitching capped a good outing from the mound, as Gabe Mosser went 6 and 1/3 innings for his longest start of the season. Although he gave up three runs on six hits, Mosser also notched eight strikeouts while walking none. Mosser was particularly effective in the first two innings, throwing only five pitches in the first and nine in the second.
The Captains’ lineup had more success against Mosser the second time through the order. With one out in the fourth, Tyler Freeman was hit by a pitch, and Ruben Cardenas followed with a single. Will Benson hit a blast that bounced off the right-field wall and away from Ruiz for a stand-up triple to give the Captains a 2-0 lead. The Captains added a run in the sixth when Jose Fermin hit a lead-off single. After Mosser retired the next two batters, Fermin stole second on a questionable safe call that extended the inning. Benson came through again, hitting a ground-ball single that took a funky infield bounce that went over first baseman Lee Solomon’s head and into right. Mosser forced a pop up to end the inning, setting the stage for the TinCaps’ comeback.
GAME NOTES
–Announced attendance was 3,871.
—Jose Quezada had a solid, if brief, appearance in middle relief, retiring all four batters he faced.
–The TinCaps defense turned two difficult double plays during the game. In the third inning, Solomon and Lopez teamed up for a 3-6-3, and in the seventh, Burgos made a great left-field catch and then fired the ball to Solomon, doubling off the runner, who had already rounded second when the catch was made.
–Hunt led the TinCaps offense, going 2-for-3 with a walk. Burgos and Lopez were the only other players to get on base twice, with a hit and a walk each.
–Ketchup won the Condiment Packet Race, drawing within three of Mustard for the season. Relish remains winless.
Ken A. Bugajski lives and works in Fort Wayne, Indiana. An English professor by trade, he spends many summer nights with his wife and daughter at Parkview Field, home of the TinCaps.