TinCaps starting pitcher Victor Lizarraga spun six shutout innings and Fort Wayne belted three homers, cruising to a win over the Dayton Dragons, 6-1.
Game recap from the Fort Wayne TinCaps:
TinCaps ReCap: Fort Wayne 6, Dayton 1
Fort Wayne, Indiana (August 20, 2023) – TinCaps starting pitcher Victor Lizarraga (No. 15 Padres prospect) spun six shutout innings and Fort Wayne belted three homers, cruising to a win over the Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds affiliate), 6-1, on Sunday afternoon at Parkview Field. The TinCaps won four of six in the series.
Lizarraga fanned five with only one walk and three singles allowed. It was also the third time this season Lizarraga has completed six frames in a start.
Fort Wayne (27-21, 59-55) started the game with a bang. Center fielder Jakob Marsee (No. 12 Padres prospect) roped a solo bomb to right center on a 3-2 pitch in the first inning, and then shortstop Nerwilian Cedeño (No. 27 Padres prospect) blistered one nearly to the same spot, marking the fourth time the TinCaps have hit back-to-back homers this season. It’s the first time they’ve done it since July 29 at Lake County.
Marsee is one of only nine players in all of Minor League Baseball and MLB who’ve hit at least 13 homers, while also stealing 41 or more bases. Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves is the only big leaguer in that club.
Fort Wayne exploded in the sixth for four runs. Left fielder Graham Pauley (No. 11 Padres prospect) launched a two-run tank to right field, scoring first baseman Nathan Martorella (No. 10 Padres prospect) after a leadoff double. Later, third baseman Kervin Pichardo and Marsee each banged out run-scoring singles to make it 6-0.
Since June 29, Pauley’s 16 homers with the TinCaps are the second most among all players in Minor League Baseball. Among MLB players, Matt Olson of the Braves has hit 17 in this range, while Shohei Ohtani, Pete Alonso, and Austin Riley have hit 15.
Dayton (25-23, 58-56) pushed across its only run of the game in the seventh courtesy of a sacrifice fly from shortstop Edwin Arroyo (No. 3 Reds prospect).
Relievers Carter Loewen and Cole Paplham each worked scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
The ‘Caps are now 18-9 in day games this season.
On a Hispanic Heritage Celebration Day, the TinCaps played as Las Manzanas Luchadoras (“Fighting Apples” in Spanish) Sunday, wearing special jerseys and hats that originally debuted last August. It was the last of four Hispanic Heritage games this season, part of a season-long event series around Minor League Baseball called Copa de la Diversión (Fun Cup) that’s specifically designed to embrace the culture and values that resonate most with teams’ local Hispanic communities.
The TinCaps remain 1 ½ games behind the West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers affiliate) for first place in the Midwest League East Division second-half standings. There are 18 games remaining in the regular season at the High-A level.
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