TinCaps Game Notes: June 23 at Great Lakes (Game 72)
June 23, 2019 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Fort Wayne TinCaps News Release
Fort Wayne TinCaps (1-2, 34-37) @ Great Lakes Loons (2-1, 45-25)
RHP EfraÃn Contreras vs. RHP Jose Martinez
Sunday, June 23 - Dow Diamond (Midland, Mich.) - First Pitch 2:05 PM (Game 72 / 138)
LISTEN: John Nolan & Evan Stockton (ESPN Radio 1380 & 100.9 FM | TinCapsRadio.com | TuneIn)
WATCH: MiLB.TV
SATURDAY NIGHT: The TinCaps lost to the Loons, 2-1, in 11 innings. The game was scoreless for 7.5 innings until Great Lakes scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth. Fort Wayne tied the game with a Juan Fernandez sac fly in the top of the ninth. The Loons walked off on another wild pitch in the 11th. Tucupita Marcano was the only TinCap with multiple hits as he went 2-for-5.
MEXICAN POWER: Here's how EfraÃn Contreras stacks up against other qualifying Midwest League pitchers... 21% K-BB% (ranks 2nd)... 4.92 K/BB (3rd)... 2.05 BB/9 (3rd)... 10.11 K/9 (4th)... 5% BB% (4th)... 26% K% (5th)... 14% swing & miss% (5th)... 3.26 xFIP (5th)... 3.25 FIP (6th)...1.18 WHP (9th)... Contreras is the youngest pitcher on Fort Wayne's staff and the 2nd youngest qualifying pitcher in the MWL, older than only Reds prospect Lyon Richardson with Dayton. Contreras won't turn 20 until Jan. 2.
HAIL TO THE VICTORS: University of Michigan pitching coach Chris Fetter is a former TinCaps pitcher. Fetter, a Carmel, Ind., native and Carmel HS alum, graduated from Michigan in 2009, was drafted by the Padres in the 9th round, and then pitched in 7 games for the 'Caps later that summer (6 starts, including 2 in the postseason as Fort Wayne won the MWL title). Fetter returned to the Fort in 2012 to make 3 starts and 3 relief appearances. He finished his TinCaps career with a 2.21 ERA... Fetter transitioned to the role of a coach for Double-A San Antonio in 2013 (when TinCaps manager Anthony Contreras spent part of that season there as a player), then worked as a scout for the Angels, became Ball State's pitching coach for the 2016 season, joined the Dodgers as a minor league pitching coordinator for 2017, and returned to Ann Arbor last year.
X IS A FACTOR: Infielder Xavier Edwards was the MWL Eastern Division's lead-off batter and starting second baseman and this helps explain why... He leads the league in batting average (.336), ranks 2nd in OBP (.394), and is tied for 3rd in stolen bases (18). Edwards also has the 2nd lowest swinging strike % (4%), the 5th lowest K% (11%), and the 9th best BB/K (0.79)... 48% of the balls he's put into play have been hit the opposite way, the highest rate in the league... 29 of his league-high 85 hits have come on the first pitch of an at-bat as he's hit .527 in 0-0 counts.
MAKING HIS MARK: Infielder Tucupita Marcano has struck out in only 10% of his plate appearances this season, the 4th lowest K% in the MWL. He's swung and missed at just 5% of the pitches he's seen, the 6th lowest rate in the MWL.
POWER SURGE: Outfielder Agustin Ruiz has launched 3 homers over his last 11 games after not homering in his first 51 games of the season. His 38 RBIs on the year rank 11th in the MWL... Ruiz matched his career-best with 3 hits Friday night, his 3rd 3-hit game of the year and 2nd in a 5-game span... 22% of the balls he's put in play this year have been line drives, good for the 6th highest LD% in the MWL.
HUNTING HITS: In 19 games since May 26, catcher Blake Hunt has slashed .309/.347/.426 (.773 OPS) with 6 doubles, 1 triple, and 10 RBIs.
WELCOME BACK: Today the Padres reinstated outfielder Dwanya Williams-Sutton from Fort Wayne's Injured List. DWS sprained his left wrist when making a diving catch against Great Lakes at Parkview Field on June 2 (it was in the top of the 7th on a ball hit by Dillon Paulson).
LITTLE POWER: Outfielder Grant Little doubled twice on Thursday, marking the first time he's had multiple extra-base hits in a game this season.
IN CONTROL: TinCaps pitchers have the best ratio of strikeouts to walks in the MWL this season (3.11). 'Caps pitchers have also walked the fewest batters in the MWL, averaging only 2.9 per 9 innings.
Midwest League Stories from June 23, 2019
- Kernels Split Series with Wild Win - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Chiefs Blow Late Lead, Fall to Cedar Rapids - Peoria Chiefs
- Qsar, Santiago Homer as Rally Falls Short in 11-10 Loss - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Justin Jones Powers Bees to First Win of Second Half - Burlington Bees
- Justin Jones Puts Bitter End to Cougars' Weekend - Kane County Cougars
- Nuts Outscore Dragons, 9-6 - Lansing Lugnuts
- Cubs Win Shootout Versus Hot Rods 11-10 - South Bend Cubs
- Brats, Beer, & Beethoven No. 5 Scheduled for July 5 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Big Inning Lifts Lansing to 9-6 Win over Dragons; Teams Split Series - Dayton Dragons
- Captains Walk It off on Back-To-Back Jacks - Lake County Captains
- Skids Snapped with 4-1 LumberKings Win - Clinton LumberKings
- 'Caps End Road Trip with One-Run Loss - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Rattlers Fall 4-1 to the LumberKings - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Bullpen Wastes Grand Slam in 7-6 Loss - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Today's Game Postponed - Beloit Sky Carp
- Sunday Funday in Midland - Great Lakes Loons
- Bandits Postponed by Unplayable Field Conditions in Beloit - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Hot Rods Game Notes - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- TinCaps Game Notes: June 23 at Great Lakes (Game 72) - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- U.S. Cellular and Timber Rattlers Are Taking over Youth Baseball Games - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Dragons Notes for Sunday - Dayton Dragons
- Cubs Can't Complete Comeback and Fall to Hot Rods 2-1 - South Bend Cubs
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