TinCaps Game Notes: June 20 at Great Lakes (Game 69/138)
June 20, 2019 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Fort Wayne TinCaps News Release
Fort Wayne TinCaps (0-0, 33-35) @ Great Lakes Loons (0-0, 43-24)
LHP Joey Cantillo vs. RHP John Rooney
Thursday, June 20 - Dow Diamond (Midland, Mich.) - First Pitch 7:05 PM (Game 69 / 138)
LISTEN: John Nolan & Evan Stockton (ESPN Radio 1380 & 100.9 FM | TinCapsRadio.com | TuneIn)
WATCH: MiLB.TV
SUNDAY: The TinCaps finished the first-half of the season on a high note with a 4-3 walk-off win over the Lake County Captains. Agustin Ruiz gave the 'Caps a quick 3-0 lead in the first with a 3-run homer. No one scored again until the Captains rallied to tie it in the top of the ninth, but in the bottom half, Fort Wayne loaded the bases and Tucupita Marcano hit a game-ending single.
RECORD-SETTER: Anthony Contreras has won 227 games as manager of the TinCaps since 2016. He's tied with Doug Dascenzo (227, 2007-09) for the most wins by a manager in franchise history. More important to AC than wins, since he began managing in 2014 in the Arizona League, he has had 19 players who've gone on to reach the big leagues. (Contreras managed Short-Season Tri-City in 2015.)
FIRST HALF REVIEW: The TinCaps went 33-35 in the first half, finishing in 5th place in the 8-team Eastern Division. Their best record was at 6-2, while they were as many as 7 games below .500 at 15-22 after May 15. Offensively, the 'Caps slashed .245/.331/.343 as they averaged 4.19 runs per game. In the 16-team MWL, Fort Wayne ranked tied for 9th in runs/game, 6th in AVG, 5th in OBP, 11th in SLG, and 9th in OPS. Their 61 stolen bases ranked 8th... On the mound, the TinCaps' 4.02 ERA ranked 10th. They had the fewest BB/9 (2.9), tied for the 6th most K/9 (9.2), and had the best BB/K (3.12).
CANTILLO, GREAT OF LATE: in first half, for MWL pitchers who threw 49+ innings (as he did), ranked 4th in ERA (2.20)... 2nd in Batting Average Against (.167)... 2nd in WHIP (0.94)... 4th in K% (33%)... 5th in K/BB (3.71)... 6th in K/9 (11.57)... 2nd in K-BB% (24.1%, behind only teammate Gabe Mosser)... 2nd in FIP (2.48, also only behind Mosser)... 2nd in xFIP (2.80, again behind only Mosser... Over his last 7 starts, since May 3, Cantillo has logged a 0.72 ERA across 37.1 IP with 44 strikeouts against 8 walks and 18 hits... 67% of the pitches he's thrown have been for strikes as the league has slashed .144/.194/.208 (.402 OPS) against him
X IS A FACTOR: Infielder Xavier Edwards leads the MWL in batting average (.346) and OBP (.404). He has the 2nd lowest swinging strike % in the league, as he's swung and missed at only 3% of the pitches he's seen. His K% of 11% is the 5th lowest in the league. With 25BB vs. 30K, his 0.83 BB/K is 8th. Xavier has made a living hitting the ball the opposite way (48% of the time he's put the ball in play, highest rate in the MWL) and swinging early in the count; he's posted a BA of .538 this season on the first pitch of an at bat. 28 of Xavier's league-leading 83 hits (33%) have come while swinging in an 0-0 count.
MAKING HIS MARK: Infielder Tucupita Marcano has struck out in only 4% of his plate appearances this season, the 4th lowest K% in the MWL. He's swung and missed at just 4% of the pitches he's seen, the 5th lowest rate in the MWL.
HUNTING HITS: In 17 games since May 26, catcher Blake Hunt has slashed
.300/.333/.417 (.750 OPS) with 5 doubles, a triple, and 9 RBIs.
POWER SURGE: Outfielder Agustin Ruiz has launched 3 homers over his last 8 games after not homering in his first 51 games of the season. His 38 RBIs on the year rank 10th in the MWL.
HOT CURRY: In 20 games since May 26, outfielder Michael Curry has slashed .333/.419/.524 (.943 OPS) with 6 doubles, 2 home runs, and 11 RBIs. Curry is 8th in the MWL in OPS during this time.
IN CONTROL: TinCaps pitchers have the best ratio of strikeouts to walks in the MWL this season (3.12). 'Caps pitchers have also walked the fewest batters in the MWL, averaging only 2.9 per 9 innings.
ALL-STARS: The TinCaps were represented in Tuesday's Midwest League All-Star game in South Bend by Xavier Edwards, who started at second base, plus starting pitcher Ryan Weathers and reliever Henry Henry. Edwards led the game off with a single and stole second base. He finished 1-for-3, while Henry tossed 0.1 scoreless innings with a strikeout. Weathers didn't pitch.
Midwest League Stories from June 20, 2019
- Snappers drop second-half opener to Quad Cities - Beloit Sky Carp
- Bees Fall despite Yan's Strong Outing - Burlington Bees
- Bowling Green Shuts out South Bend 2-0 to Open Series - South Bend Cubs
- Chiefs Open Second Half With Win Over Cedar Rapids - Peoria Chiefs
- Nuts Fall in 2nd Half Opener, 7-2 - Lansing Lugnuts
- Anthony Contreras Sets Franchise Managerial Wins Record - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Early Offense Not Enough in Series Opening Loss - Clinton LumberKings
- Adolph Narrowly Misses Cycle as Bandits Beat Beloit 7-2 - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Peoria Powers Past Cedar Rapids - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Wisconsin Wins Second-Half Opener 5-2 Over Clinton - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Witherspoon Homers in 2-0 Win on Thursday - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Pitcher's Duel Goes Fort Wayne's Way - Great Lakes Loons
- Dragons Earn Impressive Win to Start Second Half Season - Dayton Dragons
- Dragons to Wear Special Camo Jerseys on Friday; Jersey Auction to Follow - Dayton Dragons
- 'Caps, Captains Postponed - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Promotions Abound as Second Half Opens - Clinton LumberKings
- Thursday's Captains vs. Whitecaps Game Postponed - Lake County Captains
- TinCaps Game Notes: June 20 at Great Lakes (Game 69/138) - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Dragons Hosting "Vintage Baseball Classic" at Fifth Third Field on Saturday - Dayton Dragons
- RHP Layne Henderson transferred from Corpus Christi to Quad Cities - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Gabriel Maciel promoted to Fort Myers - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Dragons Notes for Thursday - Dayton Dragons
- Cougars to Take on New Identity as Kane County Atomic Pork Chops - Kane County Cougars
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