News release from the TinCaps:
TinCaps Close Regular Season With 11-10 Win
(September 2, 2013) – In the final game of the 2013 regular season, the TinCaps slithered by the Great Lakes Loons, 11-10, Monday at Parkview Field. The victory was Fort Wayne’s 72nd of the season, tying for the fifth-highest win total in franchise history.
The TinCaps broke a 10-10 tie in the bottom of the seventh inning with the help of two Loons errors on one play. Fort Wayne (29-41, 72-67) catcher Rodney Daal was leading from second base when Great Lakes (40-29, 68-71) reliever Arismendy Ozoria (2-7) threw a wild pickoff attempt into center field. Daal advanced to third base on Ozoria’s error and then scored on a throwing error by center fielder James Baldwin, who overthrew the cut-off man. For the game, the Loons committed a season-worst six errors, leading to four unearned TinCaps runs.
At one point in the game, it seemed unimaginable that Fort Wayne would need to score late to squeak out a win. Keyed by an eight-run third inning, the TinCaps led the Loons 9-0 after three, and 10-1 after five. Fort Wayne’s eight runs and eight hits in the third were both season bests for a single inning, as 13 batters came to the plate. However, with five runs in the top of the sixth inning and four more in the seventh, the Loons improbably tied the game, 10-10.
Eight TinCaps batters contributed to a 14-hit effort, while the Loons, who went hitless through four frames, ended up with 12 hits. For Fort Wayne, the bottom third of the batting order carried the load. Luis Tejada (3-for-4), Tyler Stubblefield (2-for-3, walk), and Rodney Daal (3-for-4) combined for three doubles, six runs, and five runs batted in.
On the mound, the TinCaps used seven different pitchers to tune up for the playoffs. Eventually, though, it was reliever Trevor Gott (2-2) who earned the win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. The rookie right-hander struck out a team-high three batters. Roman Madrid threw a perfect ninth inning to record his Midwest League-best 22nd save of the year.
Parkview Field’s Labor Day crowd of 6,083 brought the TinCaps’ season attendance total to 403,596, marking the second time Fort Wayne has exceeded the 400,000 fan mark in . The TinCaps also welcomed their 2,000,000th fan to Parkview Field on Monday. Since opening in 2009, the downtown ballpark has greeted 2,002,519 fans.
With the regular season completed, the TinCaps are off Tuesday before beginning their playoff quest for the franchise’s second Midwest League Championship trophy. Fort Wayne travels to take on the Bowling Green Hot Rods in Game 1 of the best-of-three 2013 Midwest League East Division Semifinals on Wednesday at 8:05 p.m. Midwest League All-Star Joe Ross is scheduled to start for Fort Wayne against Bowling Green’s Jeff Ames. The game can be heard on The Fan 1380 and TheFanFortWayne.com. Game 2 between the TinCaps and Hot Rods will be played at Parkview Field Thursday at 7:05 p.m. If necessary, a decisive Game 3 will also be played in Fort Wayne Friday night at 7:05.
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