TinCaps Game Information: July 17 at Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics Affiliate)
MWL Fort Wayne TinCaps

TinCaps Game Information: July 17 at Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics Affiliate)

Published on July 17, 2026 under Midwest League (MWL)
Fort Wayne TinCaps News Release


Fort Wayne TinCaps (36-51, 9-12) @ Lansing Lugnuts (35-50, 6-15)

Friday, July 17 | Jackson Field | 7:05 PM | Game 88 of 132

RHP Bryan Balzer (0-1, 12.1 IP, 5.84 ERA) vs. RHP Zane Taylor (5-6, 76.0 IP, 3.43 ERA)

WATCH: Bally Sports Live, MLB.TV, MLB+ | LISTEN: 1380 The Fan & 100.9 FM & TinCaps.com/Listen

Game Notes | 2026 TinCaps Media Guide | TinCaps.com/Pressbox

WE MEET AGAIN: Fort Wayne continues their nine-game road trip after the All-Star break with a three-game set in Lansing. The TinCaps and Lugnuts haven't squared off since the first full week of the season back in April in downtown Fort Wayne, where Lansing won 4 of the 6 contests. The Caps got their first home victory of the campaign in the series (April 9), with a walk-off single from Rosman Verdugo to score Oswaldo Linares in the bottom of the ninth inning. Fort Wayne will end the regular season at Jackson Field Sept. 1-6, their second-straight campaign ending the regular season away from Parkview Field.

ABOUT LAST WEEK: The TinCaps are coming off a six-game series at LMCU Ballpark against the West Michigan Whitecaps. Fort Wayne had not seen West Michigan at all in 2026 before last week, and they won't see them again until Aug. 4-9 at Parkview Field. The TinCaps won the Friday and Sunday games of the series, with the season-high in hits (16) being tied in last Friday's 6-3 win.

BRYAN'S BEST WORK YET: TinCaps right-hander Bryan Balzer struck out a career-high 8 batters last Saturday at LMCU Ballpark in five innings. Balzer gave up five hits and one run in his third High-A start after making his Midwest League debut on June 27 at Classic Auto Group Park against Lake County. The 21-year-old led the California League with six wins and tossed a second-most 60.1 IP in his time with Lake Elsinore. Among qualified starters in the league, Balzer ranked 3rd in BAA (.243) and WHIP (1.24), and 4th in ERA (4.48)

ANOTHER FUTURE STAR: Last Sunday, the 2026 MLB All-Star Futures Game, presented by Nike, took place at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Among the participants was Fort Wayne TinCaps left-handed pitcher Kash Mayfield. This marks the fifth-straight season an active TinCaps player has appeared in the Futures Game. Fort Wayne is one of only two out of 30 High-A teams to have had a player selected for this showcase each year since 2022. Outfielder Robert Hassell III became the first active player to represent Fort Wayne in 2022, before Jackson Merrill appeared in 2023. This year's rosters also include Padres No. 1 prospect Ethan Salas (2024) and Athletics No. 1 prospect Leo De Vries (2025), both of whom return to the showcase after representing Fort Wayne in their respective seasons with the club. Including Mayfield, the Midwest League had nine players who have donned an MWL team's jersey this season in the event.

JD JUST DOING IT: Fort Wayne shortstop Justin DeCriscio is on a nine-game hitting streak, batting .459 (17-37) with 3 doubles, 2 HR, and 8 RBI following a career-high 5 RBI game on Sunday after going 3-for-5 with a double and a home run. The three-run shot in the seventh inning is his eighth round-tripper of the season. The former NC State Wolfpack now has 17 multi-hit games with Fort Wayne since being promoted on May 12, with six of those being three-hit showings. DeCriscio has reached base safely in 19 of his last 21 games dating back to June 18. He is slashing .337/.406/.551 with a .957 OPS in the stretch, with 4 HR, 5 doubles, a triple, and 15 RBI. The 23-year-old has the only grand slam hit by a TinCap this season (June 12). Six of DeCriscio's 8 home runs have come away from Parkview Field.

OSWALDO THE GREAT: TinCaps catcher Oswaldo Linares launched his second home run of the campaign on Sunday in his first three-hit showing in High-A since May 9 of last season at Four Winds Field against South Bend. Before Sunday, Linares had been hitless in his first five games of July, going 0-for-15 in the stretch. The 4 RBI marks the first time the 23-year-old has accomplished the feat since he drove in 6 runs in the DSL on July 29, 2022.

JACK ATTACK: Fort Wayne left fielder Jack Costello hit his tenth home run of the season in the fourth inning last Wednesday, giving him ten round-trippers in consecutive seasons with the 'Caps. Jack is now 1 of 11 players in franchise history to hit the 20-home-run mark and is tied for 10th in career home runs with Hudson Potts (2017). Costello has a hit in 10 of his last 12 showings, slashing .256/.289/.512 with a .801 OPS and 3 HR in the stretch. Thirteen of Costello's 15 doubles this season have come since May 9, ranking him fifth in the Midwest League in that stretch. Costello has led the MWL since the start of 2025, with 10 of his 20 home runs against left-handed pitching, two ahead of his own teammate, Jake Cunningham.

THE WORLD OF WIDEMAN: TinCaps outfielder Ryan Wideman has a hit in 11 of his last 13 games and in 13 of his first 16 showings with Fort Wayne since being promoted on June 23. The 22-year-old finished Friday 3-for-5, his second multi-hit showing in as many games and his second three-hit effort in High-A. Wideman is hitting .286 in 9 games this month and leads all of Minor League Baseball with 50 stolen bases in 2026, including seven with Fort Wayne.

Check out the Fort Wayne TinCaps Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Midwest League Stories from July 17, 2026


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