Tincaps Baseball: Homers Key Another Win
FORT WAYNE – The TinCaps dug the long ball in an 8-4 victory over the Lansing Lugnuts (Toronto Blue Jays) Saturday night at Parkview Field as a sellout crowd of 7,752 looked on.
It’s the fourth straight win for the TinCaps and third straight sellout in the Summit City.
Second baseman Reinaldo Ilarraza, first baseman Brad Zunica, and shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. each blasted a home run to back starting pitcherLogan Allen (W), who struck out six batters while ceding two runs over six innings.
Bo Bichette’s RBI double gave Lansing (33-26) a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Fort Wayne (23-39) took control in the middle innings.
During the bottom of the third, Tatis Jr. stole third base and scored on a throwing error. In the fourth frame, Ilarraza bashed his first homer of the season and his career, and right fielder Jack Suwinski hit a sacrifice fly to score designated hitter Marcus Greene Jr. for a 3-1 edge.
Fort Wayne added another run during the fifth stanza on Zunica’s opposite-field shot, which was his team-leading eighth homer of the season.
Lansing pulled within 4-2 in the sixth inning, but Buddy Reed’s run-scoring double and Tatis Jr.’s sacrifice fly pushed the TinCaps to a four-run advantage.
Fort Wayne reliever Will Headean spun two scoreless innings before Tatis Jr. launched his seventh homer for an 8-2 lead. Diomar Lopez surrendered two runs but struck out three in the ninth.
The TinCaps tagged Lugnuts reliever Tayler Saucedo (L) for six runs.
Fort Wayne hosts Lansing again on Sunday at 3:05 p.m.