The TinCaps blasted a trio of homers Friday night and starting pitcher Austin Krobdominated, paving the way to a blowout win over the West Michigan Whitecaps, 8-0.
Game recap from the Fort Wayne TinCaps:
TinCaps Belt 3 Homers, Krob Dominates in Shutout Win
By Derek DeckerComstock Park, Michigan (July 28, 2023) – The TinCaps blasted a trio of homers Friday night and starting pitcher Austin Krobdominated, paving the way to a blowout win over the West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers affiliate), 8-0, on a hot night at LMCU Ballpark.
Krob, an Iowa native who played his college ball at TCU, tossed seven shutout frames in his best start for Fort Wayne (17-11, 49-45) since his promotion from Single-A Lake Elsinore in late June, striking out eight along the way. His seven frames matched the longest start of the season by a TinCaps pitcher, and the longest of his pro career. His eight strikeouts also equaled a professional best.
Meanwhile, third baseman Graham Pauley (No. 30 Padres prospect), a former Duke Blue Devil who was promoted to Fort Wayne at the same time as Krob, delivered the first TinCaps run of the contest in the second inning when he hit his eighth long ball in just 24 games at the High-A level. It also came a day after Pauley launched a go-ahead bomb in the top of the ninth in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader.
Moments later, first baseman Carlos Luis destroyed the next pitch out to right-center, marking the third time Fort Wayne has hit back-to-back home runs this season. Pauley and Luis both finished with three-hit nights.
With a 2-0 lead in the third, left fielder Nathan Martorella (No. 23 Padres prospect), who leads the Midwest League in homers, clobbered his 16th of the year with a two-run shot, scoring right fielder Kai Murphy, who was called up from Single-A Lake Elsinore on Tuesday. Later in the frame, Luis singled to plate Pauley, extending the lead to 5-0.
The TinCaps added on three more runs in the top of the fifth, highlighted by another Luis RBI single and catcher Anthony Vilar’s two-run hit.
Designated hitter Albert Fabian was one of three TinCaps who posted multi-hit games, finishing 2-for-4 with a double. All nine batters in the order reached base at least once.
Reliever Carter Loewen provided a pair of scoreless innings out of the bullpen to complete the shutout, Fort Wayne’s sixth of the year.
The TInCaps have won three of the first four in this series and lead the Midwest League East Division by two games over the Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds affiliate).
Fort Wayne is currently tied with Cedar Rapids for the most home runs hit as a team (92), while also having allowed the fewest (49).
Next Game: Saturday, July 29 @ West Michigan (7:05 p.m.)
- TinCaps Probable Starter: LHP Miguel Cienfuegos
- Whitecaps Probable Starter: RHP Jackson Jobe (No. 3 Tigers prospect)
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