TinCaps Baseball: Reed’s Hits Not Enough
COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. – A tight game at the stretch turned into a lop-sided, 12-3 loss for the TinCaps against the West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers) at Fifth Third Ballpark on Tuesday afternoon.
The Whitecaps (11-8) broke open a 4-3 game with six runs in the bottom of the seventh and two in the eighth.
The TinCaps (7-12) scored all three of their runs in the top of the seventh. Catcher Marcus Greene Jr. extended his on-base streak to nine games with an RBI single that brought in center fielder Buddy Reed, who had singled to start the frame and advanced to second base when first baseman Brad Zunica drew a walk.
Reed was 2-for-3 on the day, plus a walk. The second-round pick from 2016 has hit safely in four of his last five starts.
Right fielder Alan Garcia then added an RBI single to plate Zunica. Following a single by left fielder Jack Suwinski , second baseman Reinaldo Ilarraza grounded out to bring Greene Jr. home and make it a one-run game.
Fort Wayne had fallen behind as West Michigan scored once in the fourth and three times in the sixth against starter Jesse Scholtens (L). The right-hander caught some tough luck with two outs in the sixth. With the Whitecaps leading, 2-0, and with runners at second and third, Will Savage hit a grounder that took a bad hop in front of shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and went into center field to score a pair.
On the other side, Whitecaps starter Kyle Funkhouser (W) shut the TinCaps out for six innings as he struck out nine and scattered four hits and three walks.