MWL Fort Wayne TinCaps

TinCaps Game Information: June 5 at Great Lakes

Published on June 5, 2022 under Midwest League (MWL)
Fort Wayne TinCaps News Release


Fort Wayne TinCaps (20-30) @ Great Lakes Loons (27-23)

Sunday, June 5 (1:05 p.m. ET) | Dow Diamond | Midland, Mich. | Game 6 of 6 in Series | Road Game 27 of 66 | Game 51 of 132

LHP Noel Vela vs. RHP Kyle Hurt

Radio: 1380 The Fan & 100.9 FM (John Nolan & Ben Shulman) / Video: MiLB.TV

LAST NIGHT: Fort Wayne defeated Great Lakes, 8-7. The TinCaps offense started fire with a grand slam from Lucas Dunn in the 1st inning. Fort Wayne scored two more in the 2nd and led 6-0. Matthew Acosta and Olivier Basabe hit solo homers to halt a Loons comeback bid. Nick Thwaits provided 3 and 1/3 scoreless innings of relief and Gabe Morales picked up the save.

PURE MICHIGAN: The TinCaps look for their first series win, and have already guaranteed their first series split, since the last time they were in Michigan - April 19-24 @ Lansing. This series has also seen Fort Wayne's first multi-homer games (Friday and Saturday) since the series versus the Lugnuts in late April.

NOEL VELA: Minimum 37 IP, he's ranked 9th in the MWL in ERA (2.43), 6th in K/9 (12.16) and 10th in K% (32). His LOB% is also 10th (78).

LUCAS DUNN: Has 6 hits in his first 5 games at the High-A level with two home runs and six RBI. His grand slam on Saturday was the second of his professional career. The previous was an inside-the-park grand slam with Single-A Lake Elsinore on September 18, 2021.

TRIPLE PLAY: The TinCaps won Friday, despite running into a triple play in the top of the 9th when 3 runners were tagged out on a Matthew Acosta single with runners at first and second... Coincidentally, the last time the 'Caps had hit into a triple play was also against the Loons. That happened at Parkview Field on May 29, 2011. Great Lakes center fielder Joc Pederson (a fantasy football player who's since become an MLB All-Star and 2-time World Series winner) caught a line drive and threw to second base to double-off another future major leaguer, Rymer Liriano. Yet another budding big leaguer, Rico Noel, tried to tag from third, but was thrown out at the plate... Also of note, the Loons' left fielder that game was Preston Mattingly (son of Don), who last fall was hired by the Phillies to be their Director of Player Development, after previously working for the Padres... Meanwhile, the only triple play Fort Wayne has turned, incredibly, occurred in the franchise's first ever game on April 10, 1993, at Waterloo.

K KINGS: TinCaps pitchers lead the 12-team Midwest League in K/9 (11.25) and total strikeouts (523).

CONTACT: Offensively, the TinCaps have struck out the fewest times in the Midwest League (8.6 per game). Meanwhile, Fort Wayne ranks 3rd in walks drawn (4.3 per game).

CAUGHT 'EM: TinCaps catchers lead the MWL in caught stealing % (35%, 25 of 73). Individually, Brandon Valenzuela leads the league in caught stealings, 17 of 48.

CLOSER CONNECTIONS: Cole Percival saved Thursday's game for the Loons. His dad, Troy, pitched in the big leagues from 1995-2009. He was a 4-time All-Star with the Angels, and is their all-time leader in saves. Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Padres added infielder Wyatt Hoffman to the TinCaps' roster. His dad, Trevor, is in the Hall of Fame as a Padre. He pitched in the majors from 1993-2010, was named an All-Star 7 times, and ranks 2nd all-time in saves (601).

ROAD TO OMAHA: The NCAA Baseball Tournament underway. There are 6 active TinCaps who played in the NCAA Tournament: starting pitchers Ryan Bergert and Jackson Wolf (West Virginia, 2019); reliever Luke Boyd (Baylor, 2017-19); catcher Anthony Vilar (Miami, 2019, '21); infielder Jack Stronach (UCLA, 2017-19); and utility Lucas Dunn (Louisville, 2018-19).

Check out the Fort Wayne TinCaps Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from June 5, 2022


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