TinCaps vs. Lugnuts | Gore returns/playoff picture
Parkview Field Fort Wayne, Indiana. Photo: Mitch J. Brunner
For the last time in 2021, the Fort Wayne TinCaps return to Parkview Field for a series.
They finish off the year at home with the Lansing Lugnuts. The Lugnuts are the High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. These two clubs met last in May in Fort Wayne. They also played in July in Lansing. Fort Wayne went 6-6 in those games as both series were splits three wins and three losses.
Going into last weekend, both clubs were at the bottom of the standings in the highly competitive East division.
Top Prospects Assigned to TinCaps:Â
As Fort Wayne returns home, fans will be treated to an entire series of Robert Hassell III.
However, fans need to soak up his tenure with the TinCaps, as it is improbable Hassell is on the TinCaps 2022 opening day roster. The outfielder was the San Diego Padres 2020 first-round draft pick, No. 8 overall. In his small sample size with Fort Wayne, the left-handed hitter is currently batting .214 with four extra-base hits. In a game last week with the Great Lakes Loons, he had a three-home run game performance.
MacKenzie Gore makes a return to Fort Wayne. He got the start in Great Lakes on Sunday. The lefty went five innings pitched, giving up three runs, four walks, and five strikeouts. For his career, before Sunday’s start, he is 12-10 with a 2.79 ERA, with 219.1Â innings pitched, and a 1.08 WHIP in his minor league career.
Gore was a 2017 first-round draft pick, No. 3 overall, to the Padres.
There was talk in spring training he could make the Padres opening day roster. Gore was eventually assigned to Triple-A El Paso instead. The highly-touted prospect was eventually put on the disabled list with reoccurring blisters on his pitching finger. Blisters can be one of the most frustrating injuries for a young pitcher trying to make his way up through the organization. Physically you feel fine, and it is usually out of your control when they pop up.
Playoff Picture:
Even though the High-A Central is split into two divisions, the playoffs spots will be determined by overall league winning percentage. Eight games separate all the teams in the East, while 31 games separate first to last in the West. Quad Cities (Royals) have all but wrapped up the top spot, while Great Lakes (Dodgers) and Cedar Rapids (Twins) are tied for second place. One game behind them is the Lake County Captains (Indians). The Dayton Dragons (Reds) are also in a reachable position, currently only three games out of second place. At 51-57 overall, the TinCaps are eight games out.
|
A+ Central |
W | L | W-L% |
| Quad Cities River Bandits | 70 | 36 | 0.66 |
| Great Lakes Loons | 59 | 49 | 0.546 |
| Cedar Rapids Kernels | 59 | 49 | 0.546 |
| Lake County Captains | 58 | 50 | 0.537 |
| Dayton Dragons | 56 | 52 | 0.519 |
| West Michigan Whitecaps | 53 | 55 | 0.491 |
| Wisconsin Timber Rattlers | 52 | 55 | 0.486 |
| Fort Wayne TinCaps | 51 | 57 | 0.472 |
| Lansing Lugnuts | 51 | 57 | 0.472 |
| Beloit Snappers | 49 | 59 | 0.454 |
| South Bend Cubs | 48 | 59 | 0.449 |
| Peoria Chiefs | 40 | 68 | 0.37 |
High-A Central Week Matchups:
- Dayton @ Lake County
- Great Lakes @ West Michigan
- Lansing @ Fort Wayne
- Peoria @ Quad Cities
- Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin
- South Bend @ Beloit
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Series Information:
Where:Â Parkview Field: Fort Wayne, Indiana
When: 9/7/2021 – 9/12/2021
How to Follow: MiLB.TV, ESPN 1380 Fort Wayne, or check out the East Village Times nightly Down On the Farm updates.
I was born, raised, and still reside in the Hoosier state. I am a 2008 graduate of Ivy Tech Community College. I am married to my beautiful wife Kristen, father to Garrett, with another child on the way. A baseball enthusiast covering the Fort Wayne TinCaps, High A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.