Sports stats



MWL Great Lakes Loons

Taylor Scores Four in Thursday Win

August 5, 2021 - Midwest League (MWL)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


MIDLAND, MI - The Great Lakes Loons (45-36) took a game advantage over the Fort Wayne TinCaps (37-44) with a 5-1 win at Dow Diamond Thursday night. Catcher Carson Taylor finished with four RBI to match a season-high, driving in three runs with a bases-loaded double with two outs in the third. Jonny DeLuca swatted his fifth Loons long ball to raise the team's season total to 121. Great Lakes moves closer to the previous franchise record set in 2010 of 127 home runs in a single season.

In 11 games with Great Lakes, DeLuca has 12 hits, amassing 29 total bases. After acquiring a .968 OPS with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga, DeLuca has tripled once and homered five times

Andy Pages reached three times in Thursday's win, singling and scoring in the third on the Taylor double. Pages finished with two walks in four trips to the plate, only being retired in his first at-bat of the night. A pair of streaks were extended for Pages with a 1-for-2 night with two walks, as he's reached base safely in his last 23 games and recorded a hit in his last nine.

Zac Ching was the third Loons batter to reach base more than once in Thursday's win, walking in the second and was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ching has reached base safely in his last 12 games, a span of games where he's 17-for-39 with five walks.

Clayton Beeter made his team-best 20th start Thursday night with three scoreless innings, striking out four. Logan Boyer followed up with the next two innings with two strikeouts, allowing one run with a solo fly from Tyler Malone. Franklin De La Paz (W, 1-2) struck out three batters in the next two innings, walking one and surrendering two hits. Zack Plunkett tied the pitching effort together with his two innings, striking out two batters and holding Fort Wayne scoreless.

Great Lakes pitching combined for 11 strikeouts, surrendering two walks in Thursday's win. On the mound, the Loons held Fort Wayne 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, stranding nine men aboard.

Left-hander Noel Vela (L, 0-1) made his High-A debut Thursday night with four innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits. In two innings, Sam Keating ended with a walk and a strikeout, giving up DeLuca's solo homer in the fourth. TinCaps relievers Wen-Hua Sung and Ramon Perez finished the final two innings on the mound for Fort Wayne, combining for three strikeouts in the seventh and eighth innings.

The top four TinCaps hitters of Grant Little, Reinaldo Ilarraza, Agustin Ruiz and Justin Lopez finished a combined 2-for-16, with both hits belonging to the center-fielder Ilarraza. The bottom five hitters for Fort Wayne contributed seven of the final nine hits and walked once.

With a runner at first, Thursday's game ended with a three-unassisted double play when Little lined a ball sharply into the glove of first baseman Deacon Liput, with TinCaps shortstop Chris Givin holding his lead off first base.

A pair of right handers headline tomorrow's Friday night showdown at Dow Diamond between Great Lake's Jesus Vargas and Fort Wayne's Carlos Guarate. A 2019 Fort Wayne returner, Guarate began the year with Lake Elsinore before making his High-A debut in the Padres system on July 20. Guarate has received a loss in all three of his TinCaps starts, allowing seven runs on 16 hits in 14 innings. Vargas enters Friday's contest as the Loons' team leader in innings pitched (68 1/3) and wins (5), ranking second in strikeouts (50) behind Alec Gamboa's 54.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 P.M. from Dow Diamond with gates opening an hour earlier. Coverage begins on the Loons On-Deck Circle, Built by Three Rivers, at 6:30 P.M. EDT.

The Great Lakes Loons have been the Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team's inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team's home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.

Check out the Great Lakes Loons Statistics



Midwest League Stories from August 5, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central