News release from the TinCaps:
TinCaps sweep a doubleheader from the Whitecaps
(May 31, 2015) – With nearly impeccable pitching and just enough offense, the TinCaps swept a doubleheader from the West Michigan Whitecaps on Sunday afternoon at Parkview Field. Fort Wayne won the front-end, 3-0, and finished off the finale, 2-1. TinCaps pitchers haven’t allowed an earned run over their last 23 innings.
The TinCaps have won three games in a row are 9-4 since May 21 — no team in the Midwest League has more victories during the span.
Michael Kelly and T.J. Weir teamed up for Fort Wayne’s first shutout victory of the season to start Sunday. Kelly (W, 1-0) worked five scoreless innings as he scattered three hits and a walk, while striking out three batters. Weir (S, 1) also struck out three in his two innings.
The TinCaps broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. Second baseman Chase Jensen put Fort Wayne on the board with an RBI fielder’s choice grounder. Shortstop Ruddy Giron then gave the TinCaps some breathing room with a two-run home run to left field. The 5-foot-11 18-year-old — who describes himself as a line-drive hitter, not a power bat — has hit four home runs through his first 16 games with the team.
Fort Wayne (21-29) kept it going in the second game behind Thomas Dorminy (W, 5-3). The left-hander allowed only one hit and one unearned run in six innings. The one hit came against the first batter of the game, center fielder Derek Hill.
Just as he did in the opener, Jensen drove in the first run of the game. His second-inning single made it 1-0. West Michigan (25-26) tied the game in the third after two Fort Wayne errors.
The TinCaps retook the lead in the sixth inning. Left fielder Nick Torres doubled to begin the frame and moved to third base when first baseman Trae Santos singled. Right fielder Franmil Reyes, who had two hits in the game, hit a sacrifice fly to right field for what proved to be the game-winning RBI.
Colby Blueberg (S, 3) pitched a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts to put the finishing touches on Fort Wayne’s third consecutive win over West Michigan.
The dominant pitching on Sunday followed after a 5-4 win in the series-opener on Friday night. TinCaps pitchers went the final eight innings of that one without allowing a run, and nine without an earned run.
Jeff Thompson (2-5) and Spencer Turnbull (3-2) were the hard-luck losers for West Michigan in that order.
The TinCaps go for a four-game sweep of the Whitecaps at Parkview Field as they wrap up their nine-game homestand at 7:05 p.m. on Monday. Fort Wayne is 6-2 so far on the homestand, which included a seven-inning victory for right-hander Ernesto Montas (3-2) last Wednesday against Great Lakes. He’s set to start on Monday against righty A.J. Ladwig. The game can be seen on Comcast Network 81 and heard on ESPN Radio 1380, Box Score, and the TuneIn Radio app.
Related Images:
