TinCaps Baseball: Caps Outhit Dragons, Still Fall
DAYTON, Ohio – The TinCaps picked up two more hits than the Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds), but Fort Wayne lost the second game of a three-game series to Dayton, 4-2, on Saturday night at Fifth Third Field.
Dayton (35-20) took its first lead of the series in the bottom of the first inning. With runners on first and second base and two outs, James Vasquez lined a pitch to second baseman Eguy Rosario. The ball deflected off Rosario’s mitt and hit the ground, allowing T.J. Friedl to score from second for a 1-0 Dragons lead.
Fort Wayne (19-37) tied the game in the top of the second inning. Third baseman Hudson Potts led off the inning with a single. Two batters later, Potts advanced to second base on a ground out. First baseman G.K. Young followed with a hard-hit single to center field, scoring Potts to knot the game, 1-1. Young has now picked up an RBI in six straight games, garnering 10 total RBIs over that stretch.
The TinCaps took the lead in the top of the fourth. With one out, center fielder Buddy Reed hit a ball deep to right field that caromed off Dragons right fielder Michael Beltre’s glove and rolled towards center field. The error allowed Reed to race around the bases and score on the play to give Fort Wayne a 2-1 advantage.
The Dragons regained the lead right back in the bottom of the fourth. A two-out walk was followed by a Luis Gonzalez two-run home run that put Dayton ahead, 3-2.
The home run was only the second hit allowed by TinCaps starting pitcher Reggie Lawson (L) in four innings on the mound. Lawson struck out five batters in the game for the second straight start he’s made.
Dayton added another run in the seventh. With runners on first and second and one out, Hector Vargas doubled off the left-field wall to score John Sansone and put the Dragons in front 4-2.
The TinCaps picked up five hits off Dragons starter Matt Blandino (W), but the right-hander struck out six batters in five innings. Fort Wayne had some opportunities with runners in scoring position, but the TinCaps went 1-for-5 in those situations.