News release from the TinCaps:
TinCaps and Lugnuts Split Pair of 3-2 Decisions
(August 4, 2013) – The TinCaps and Lansing Lugnuts split a doubleheader at Parkview Field on Sunday afternoon. The pair of seven-inning games were decided, 3-2, with Fort Wayne dropping the opener, but winning the finale to salvage the day.
Both TinCaps starting pitchers threw well, but came away winless. Joe Ross (4-6) started Game 1 and kept the Lugnuts off the board for the first five innings. However, in the top of the sixth inning, Carlos Ramirez drove in the game’s first run with a fielder’s choice groundout to first base. Santiago Nessy added to Lansing’s lead with a sacrifice fly. The Lugnuts scored their third run on Nessy’s flyout, too, in unearned fashion. Fort Wayne first baseman Luis Tejada cut off Alberth Martinez’s throw from right field and threw to third base attempting to retire Ramirez, who was tagging from second. But Tejada’s toss was errant and enabled Ramirez to score the run that made it 3-0. It was Tejada’s second error of the inning.
Meanwhile, the TinCaps offense was anemic against Lugnuts starter Daniel Norris (1-7), who pitched five scoreless innings to earn his first win of the season in his 18th start. With Efrain Nieves on in relief in the bottom of the sixth, though, Fort Wayne finally got on the board. Mallex Smith led off with a walk and made it to third base on a single by Diego Goris. Gabriel Quintana and Luis Domoromo both produced RBI singles to score Smith and Goris, respectively. With the TinCaps’ tying and go-ahead runs on base, however, Nieves beared down to preserve the Lugnuts’ 3-2 lead.
Arik Sikula closed Game 1 for Lansing with a perfect seventh inning to register his 17th save of the season.
Unlike the opener, Fort Wayne (15-27, 58-53) wasted no time scoring in Game 2. In the home first, Smith was again in the mix with a leadoff walk. The center fielder proceeded to swipe second base for his 49th stolen bag of the season. That total now leads the Midwest League, as he moved past Bowling Green’s Andrew Toles. Martinez doubled Smith home to give the TinCaps a 1-0 lead. After a sacrifice bunt by Goris, Quintana and Domoromo came up with consecutive RBI singles to increase Fort Wayne’s lead to 3-0 against Lugnuts starter Eric Brown (0-1).
That’s all the offense the TinCaps provided starter Walker Weickel, but it would prove sufficient. Weickel received a no-decision for his 4 2/3 innings of four-hit, one-run ball. An RBI single for Dwight Smith Jr. in the top of the third inning was the only run Lansing (17-26, 49-63) scored against the right-hander.
Weickel gave way to Chris Nunn for the final out of the fifth inning and all three in the sixth. Roman Madrid allowed a run in the seventh and let the tying run reach third base, but still closed the game for his 17th save.
Fort Wayne and Lansing reunite at Parkview Field on Monday night at 7:05. Zach Eflin (5-5, 3.02) starts for the TinCaps against Kendall Graveman (0-0, 5.56) for the Lugnuts. The game can be heard on The Fan 1380 and TheFanFortWayne.com, as well as viewed on XFINITY Channel 81.
Related Images:
