TinCaps Baseball: Bats Afire
LANSING, Mich. – With a 14-hit attack, the TinCaps clobbered the Lansing Lugnuts (Toronto Blue Jays), 10-2, on a pleasant Monday night at Cooley Law School Stadium.
Fort Wayne (14-23) broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the third inning when Cuban right fielder Jorge Oña launched a two-run homer to left-center field. The 20-year-old Oña had given the TinCaps a 1-0 lead in the first, scoring shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. on a groundout. Oña, the No. 7-ranked Padres prospect, now has two homers in 20 games. He also singled on Monday and is 9-for-20 (.450) during a five-game hitting streak.
Oña’s long ball, which scored Tatis — who had tripled — came with two outs, and Fort Wayne still wasn’t done against Lansing (19-15) starter Mike Ellenbest (L). Third baseman Hudson Potts followed with a triple of his own, and then center fielder Jack Suwinski did the same. Second baseman Eguy Rosario ended the triple train, but still brought Suwinski home with a single to make it 5-1.
The TinCaps kept their foot on the pedal in the fourth, putting up for more runs to increase their lead to 9-1. Designated hitter Reinaldo Ilarraza provided an RBI single, while Potts plated a pair with a single. Suwinski scored on a passed ball.
Although the Lugnuts got a run back in the home fourth, Fort Wayne stretched its lead back to eight runs in the sixth when Suwinski drove in his 10th run of the season with a single.
Jerry Keel (W) was his typical steady self on the mound. The 6-foot-6 lefty went seven innings and struck out six batters. He induced 10 groundouts to one flyout. Diomar Lopez put the finishing touches on the victory with two no-hit frames.
Offensively, seven TinCaps had at least one hit and eight reached base. Potts headlined things with a season-high four hits.