The Fort Wayne TinCaps celebrated clinching its playoff berth Sunday after the ‘Caps lost, but Dayton also lost, sending Fort Wayne to the playoffs that start next week. (Photo provided)

LANSING, Mich. – The TinCaps topped the Lansing Lugnuts, 11-9, in their longest nine-inning game of the season on Monday night at Cooley Law School Stadium. Fort Wayne overcame deficits of four and two runs, respectively, in the 3 hour, 44-minute affair.

Coupled with a West Michigan loss at Great Lakes, the TinCaps lead the Whitecaps by four games for first place in the Eastern Division with seven games remaining in the regular season.

With the game tied, 9-9, in the top of the ninth inning, center fielder Michael Gettys drove in catcher Jose Ruiz for the game-winning run. Ruiz was at third base after knocking a one-out single and advancing on a hit by shortstop Rey Bruguera. Gettys hit a grounder to first to score Ruiz, who was running on the pitch. Bruguera was out on the play but Gettys reached safely. Josh VanMeter then hit a run-scoring double to bring in Gettys for insurance.

Early on, it was all Lansing (29-33, 71-61). The Lugnuts scored two runs in each of the first two innings to grab a 4-0 lead.

Fort Wayne (41-22, 73-58), however, rallied with a five-run third inning that included a three-run double by third baseman Luis Tejada that made it 5-4.

Like two boxers trading blows, the Lugs came back with a three-spot in the home third. The first three innings took 96 minutes to play.

The TinCaps scored twice in the top of the fourth to tie it, 7-7. VanMeter had an RBI single and first baseman Trae Santos provided an RBI double.

Left fielder Edwin Moreno tripled to begin the fifth and scored on a Tejada groundout to put Fort Wayne in front, 8-7.

The offenses then settled down for a while. Taylor Cox kept Lansing in check with three scoreless innings of relief. Yimmi Brasoban followed with two blank frames.

Santos tagged his team-leading 14th home run of the year in the top of the eighth off Phil Kish (L, 1-4), extending the lead to 9-7.

Although Lansing put up two runs against Colby Blueberg (W, 4-1) in the last of the eighth, Fort Wayne once again responded the next half inning. Blueberg bounced back, too, with a perfect ninth.

The TinCaps go for a series win in the rubber match on Tuesday night at 7:05. The game can be heard on ESPN Radio 1380, TinCaps.com, and the TuneIn Radio app.