MWL Fort Wayne TinCaps

TinCaps Game Information: May 15 at Lake County

Published on May 15, 2021 under Midwest League (MWL)
Fort Wayne TinCaps News Release


Fort Wayne TinCaps (3-6) @ Lake County Captains (7-3)

Saturday, May 15 (6:35 p.m.) | Classic Park | Eastlake, Ohio | Game 5 of 6 in Series | | Away Game 5 of 60 | Game 10 of 120

RHP Brandon Komar (1.93 ERA) vs. RHP Matt Turner (4.50 ERA)

Radio: 1380 The Fan & 100.9 FM (John Nolan & Jack McMullen)

LAST GAME: The TinCaps lost to the Captains, 8-2. Fort Wayne led 2-1 after a 2-run homer by catcher Jonny Homza in the top of the 4th, but Lake County tied the game in the fifth, went ahead with a 3-run 7th, and pulled away with 3 more in the 8th.

WHAT'S AT STAKE: Fort Wayne is looking to end a 5-game skid. The TinCaps had won 3 of their first 4 games, their best start since 2013.

A LITTLE LATE: Left fielder Grant Little made his season debut Friday night after beginning the season on the Injured List. Little was with Fort Wayne in 2019 as well, but suffered a season-ending injury on July 14 when attempting to make a catch against a non-padded fence at Clinton. Since then, though, Little played in Australia this past winter with the Adelaide Giants. In 21 games, he slashed .247 / .295 / .425 (.720 OPS).

PATIENT APPROACH: Sure it's a super-small sample size so far this season, but something to watch with second baseman Rey Ilarraza... Over 126 games with the TinCaps in 2017 as an 18-year-old, Ilarraza walked in only 7% of his plate appearances. In 28 games in 2018, that BB% dipped down to 6%. In 2019 with Short-Season Tri-City, Ilarraza raised his BB% to 17%. Through 32 plate appearances this season, he's walked 5 times, or 15% of the time.

HOMZA'S HOMER: Jonny Homza's homer Friday was his first in a Minor League Baseball game since Aug. 21, 2018 in the Arizona League. Homza had gone 64 games played since without a bomb. He spent the 2019 campaign with Short-Season Tri-City.

RUIZ IN CENTER: Agustin Ruiz is making his 2nd start of the season in center field tonight. Between 4 games with the TinCaps in 2018 and 102 in 2019, Ruiz never played center. He did make 11 appearances there in 2018 in the Arizona League.

DWS, OBP: Right fielder Dwanya Williams-Sutton led the Midwest League in OBP in 2019 (.411). As part of that equation, he set a franchise record and led Minor League Baseball being hit by 32 pitches. So far this season, he's walked in 4 of his first 16 plate appearances and was hit by a pitch on Opening Day.

CATCHIN 24 FOREVER: Women's basketball legend Tamika Catchings is being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame tonight. In 2018, Catchings visited the TinCaps at Parkview Field while in town working for the Indiana Pacers with the Mad Ants of the NBA G League. Now Catchings is General Manager of the WNBA's Indiana Fever. As a player, Catchings was the WNBA's MVP in 2011, led the Fever to an NBA title in 2012, and was All-WNBA 12 times. Additionally, she won a national title in college at Tennessee, plus 4 Olympics gold medals.

FORT WAYNE VS. NORTHEAST OHIO: On May 4, 1871, the Fort Wayne Kekiongas hosted the Forest City of Cleveland in the 1st professional baseball league game ever. That was the infancy of the National Association. While Fort Wayne played just 1 season in the league, Cleveland last 2. The Forest Citys played their home games at the National Association Grounds-about a block away from present-day East Technical High School. That's approximately 17 miles southwest of Classic Park.

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