MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Rincon Shines, Loons Bounce Back

Published on April 21, 2017 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


MIDLAND, Mich. - He started the season with four home runs in four games and Great Lakes Loons outfielder Carlos Rincon doesn't look like he will be slowing down anytime soon. Three more hits and two runs batted in from Rincon helped propel the Loons to a 6-4 win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps at Dow Diamond on Friday evening.

Out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the 19-year-old had his fifth multi-hit game of the season going 3-for-4 to up his season batting average to .348. He has also driven in 13 runs, which ranks fourth in the Midwest League.

The Loons got off to a hot start jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the 1st inning when Gavin Lux, who joined the Loons from the Los Angeles Dodgers' Extending Spring Training facility on Wednesday, got his first hit of the season driving in Brendon Davis. It was Rincon who followed that up with another run-scoring hit to double the lead.

A.J. Alexy turned in his third consecutive solid start to begin the season for the Loons as he faced one over the minimum in his 3.1 innings pitched. The teenager from Honey Brook, Pa., struck out three batters which gives him 12 strikeouts over his first nine innings pitched in the 2017 season.

Fort Wayne, however, was able to push in front in the middle frames scoring a run in each inning from the 4th to the 8th. Those runs were charged to Loons relievers Willian Soto and Patrick Duester (W, 1-0). Home runs from Jack Suwinski (4th) and Jorge Ona (8th), both of the solo variety, kept the lead in the hands of the TinCaps until the 7th.

Against reliever Will Stillman (BS, 1; L, 0-1) the Loons were able to load the bases with a walk, hit by pitch and another walk. It was Mark Zimmerman (BS, 2) who was then inserted into the game, but nothing changed as he hit Rincon with a pitch and walked Cody Thomas to bring in two runs.

Brendon Davis added an insurance run with a bloop single to right field in the 8th inning that scored Gage Green. Despite runners reaching second and third, Parker Curry (SV, 1) struck out the side in the top of the 9th to close out the game for Great Lakes.

Not be lost on the night were the nine strikeouts from Fort Wayne starter Jerry Keel in his five innings of work. After the rocky 1st inning against the Loons lineup, the southpaw allowed just two baserunners the rest of the way with one hit and one walk.

With the series now even, the Loons and TinCaps will have the luxury of playing back-to-back day games at Dow Diamond to close out the series this weekend. Drafted 36th overall in the Competitive Balance Round (CBA) in 2016 out of Vanderbilt, righty Jordan Sheffield (0-0, 5.14 ERA) is slated to get the start for the Loons. For the TinCaps, 2015 San Diego Padres 2nd round pick Austin Smith (0-1, 9.45) will look to forget his previous outing on April 14 when he allowed six runs over four innings against the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

The 2016 Midwest League Champions and hosts of the 2017 MWL All-Star Game presented by GoGreat.com have been a Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team's inception in 2007. For tickets and more information about the Great Lakes Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.

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Midwest League Stories from April 21, 2017


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