TinCaps Baseball: Fort Wayne Wins Third Straight
MIDLAND, Mich. – The TinCaps topped the Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers), 7-5, in 11 innings on Thursday night at Dow Diamond for their third consecutive win.
Right fielder Jorge Oña broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the 11th inning with an RBI single to left that scored center fielder Jack Suwinski. The go-ahead hit came off Loons backup catcher Stevie Berman (L), who entered the game in the 10th and threw a scoreless frame. However, Berman, 22, pitching for the first time since he was at Saratoga High School in California, would be charged with three runs in the 11th. TinCaps third baseman Hudson Potts added a two-run single.
David Bednar (W) put a 0 on the board in both in the ninth and 10th. Although he yielded a run in the 11th, Bednar struck out four and finished the game.
Not to be overshadowed by how the game eventually unfolded, Fort Wayne starter Logan Allen threw five no-hit innings as he struck out seven. His only blemish was three walks.
The TinCaps (6-8) broke a scoreless tie in the fifth when Suwinski singled in a pair.
The Loons (4-10) answered back with three runs in the sixth and another in the seventh to take a 4-2 advantage.
Fort Wayne rallied to tie the game, 4-4, in the eighth. Oña led off with a single. Things got interesting when Potts drove one that landed on the warning track in right-center. But he wound up out on the play as Oña had retreated to first base, apparently thinking the ball had been caught, and Potts passed him; thus, violating Rule 7.08 (h). The TinCaps bounced back, though, with RBI doubles from designated hitter Fernando Tatis Jr. and first baseman Brad Zunica — the latter of which came with two outs.
Former Fort Wayne Mastodons pitcher Evan Miller worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in the seventh and eighth in his 2017 season debut.
Fort Wayne out-hit Great Lakes 13-6. Shortstop Reinaldo Ilarraza had a game-high three hits.