TinCaps Baseball: Caps Mash Lugnuts [VIDEO]
FORT WAYNE – The TinCaps jumped on the Lansing Lugnuts (Toronto Blue Jays) early and often in a 13-4 win Monday afternoon at Parkview Field. Fort Wayne racked up 15 hits en route to a season-high for runs scored.
Rain delayed the start of the game by 28 minutes, but Fort Wayne (12-7, 38-51) pushed three runs across in the first inning. Right fielder Jorge Oña singled in second baseman Reinaldo Ilarraza, who had doubled. Third baseman Hudson Potts blasted his 10th home run of the season, scoring Ilarraza.
In the bottom of the second, Oña hit a two-run single that brought home catcher A.J. Kennedy and shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.
Left fielder Nate Easley added to the lead with a solo home run during the fourth inning, giving TinCaps starter Michel Baez (W) plenty of run support. Baez struck out seven batters and allowed just one hit and one walk over six stanzas of work.
Lansing (6-13, 43-42) pushed across three runs in the seventh frame to make it 6-3, but Fort Wayne responded with four of its own during the bottom half to extend the TinCaps’ advantage to 10-3.
In the seventh inning, Kennedy was hit by a pitch before Tatis launched a run-scoring triple. Then Ilarraza looped a single to plate Tatis. After a double play, first baseman Brad Zunica doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Potts single. Center fielder Buddy Reed drove home Potts with an RBI triple for a 14-3 advantage.
The TinCaps tacked on three more runs during the eighth inning. Ilarraza, who finished the contest 4-of-5 with a double and three singles, plated Easley and moved Tatis to second with a single. Ona then ripped a single to score Tatis, and Zunica’s sac fly scored Ilarraza.
Lansing managed one run in the ninth inning off Fort Wayne reliever Blake Rogers, who followed Will Headean.
Fort Wayne pounded Lugnuts starter Andy Ravel (L) for six runs.
The TinCaps, who have Tuesday off and then play their next six on the road, have won 11 of their last 13 at Parkview Field.