Club Wins Marathon, Loses Race
FORT WAYNE – The TinCaps welcomed another sell-out crowd to Parkview Field on Saturday night and eclipsed 3,000,000 in all-time ballpark attendance, as the Bowling Green Hot Rods pulled out a 6-2 win.
In just 7.5 years in their downtown ballpark, the TinCaps reached the milestone, as a crowd of 7,934 watched the Hot Rods (36-32) win their third game in as many tries in the four-game series with the TinCaps (36-33).
The Hot Rods grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Fort Wayne countered with two in the second, as left fielder Tyler Moore clobbered a two-run triple off the wall in deep left-center field to tie the game.
Bowling Green reclaimed the lead in the third, 3-2, added two more in the fifth and an insurance tally in the eighth to secure the victory.
Hot Rods lefty Mike Velasquez (W, 2-6) allowed two unearned runs over six strong innings. TinCaps southpaw Jerry Keel (L, 3-6) surrendered five runs on three walks and eight hits in 4.2 innings.
Fort Wayne relievers Elvin Liriano (2.2 innings, one run) and Lou Distasio (1.2 innings, no runs) were solid down the stretch.
The final game of the first half for the two teams is Sunday at 1:05 p.m.