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Fort Wayne TinCaps

TinCaps Shine in 2019 Midwest League All-Star Game

June 18, 2019 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Fort Wayne TinCaps News Release


SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The 2019 Midwest League All-Star Game featured familiar Fort Wayne TinCaps faces, as Xavier Edwards and Henry Henry both appeared for the East Division All-Stars at Four Winds Field (home of the South Bend Cubs) on a sunny Tuesday evening, helping to lead their side to a victory over the West Division. Ryan Weathers was also named to the East Division team yet did not pitch in the game, as he had started for the TinCaps over the weekend.

Edwards led off for the East Division and immediately made his presence felt in the first, singling to center field and promptly stealing second base. The middle infielder paced the Midwest League in the first half of the regular season with a .346 batting average (the next closest batter was .326), and he was tied for third in the league with 18 stolen bases.

Henry's turn to shine came in a tie game at 3 in the top of the ninth. The 20-year-old Dominican entered the game with no one on base and two outs in the frame. After allowing a double, he buckled down, fanning Trey Dawson on three straight strikes (the final two swinging) to eliminate the threat. The right-hander would prove to be the final East Division pitcher on the night. Henry led the Midwest League with seven wins in the first half of the season.

Weathers did not appear in the game, but his performance in the first half of the regular season spoke volumes. The 7th overall pick in the 2018 Draft posted a 3.00 ERA in 10 starts with 43 strikeouts and just seven walks in 39.0 IP. Weathers also had a 1.05 WHIP and an opposing batting average of .236 in the season's first half.

The 55th Midwest League All-Star game remained tied, 3-3, at the end of nine innings. In lieu of extra innings (to avoid the over-use of pitchers), the game was settled by a home run derby. Tampa Bay Rays prospect Chris Betts of the Bowling Green Hot Rods, who won the true MWL Home Run Derby on Monday night, won the head-to-head showdown against the West Division's Blaze Alexander of the Kane County Cougars. See below for a further description.

The TinCaps kick off the second half of the regular season Thursday evening at 7:05 in Midland, Michigan against the Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers). Great Lakes won the Eastern Division in the first half with a 43-24 record.

Next Game

Thursday, June 20 @ Great Lakes (7:05 p.m.)

Listen: ESPN Radio 1380 & 100.9 FM | TinCapsRadio.com | TuneIn

From the South Bend Cubs:

East beats West in All-Star Game in sudden death home run derby

Chris Betts win second Home Run Derby in as many days

South Bend, IN: The brand-new All-Star Game rule that was talked about in a big way before the night started actually came true on Tuesday night for the 2019 Midwest League All-Star Game from Four Winds Field. After being tied at 3-3 after nine innings of play, public address announcer Gregg Sims announced that the game would be decided by a sudden death home run derby.

Each team picked one representative to try and hit as many home runs as possible in a 90 second time period. For the west, Manager Erick Almonte selected Kane County's Blaze Alexander. For the East, it was an easy decision for Buddy Bailey as he picked the home run derby champion from last night Chris Betts.

Betts started at catcher for the East in the 55th installment of the Midwest League's Midsummer Classic. His night started with catching a 1-2-3 top of the 1st inning from East starter Josh Winckowski.

It was also an early lead for the East All-Stars as in the bottom of the 2nd inning Ulrich Bojarski hit a deep drive into left field with the bases loaded. Short of a grand slam, Bojarski still brought in a run on a sac fly for the 1-0 East lead.

The West quickly grabbed the lead back in the 4th inning when Clinton's Jerar Encarnacion smashed a two-run home run over the right field wall for the 2-1 lead. However, that was answered immediately by the East on a double from Great Lakes' Miguel Vargas and another sac fly RBI for West Michigan's Bojarski.

The East led 3-2 heading to the 5th. After that point, the pitching took over as the club's bullpens combined to toss six straight scoreless innings. In the 8th, the West started one final comeback bid as Delvin Perez reached first on a fielder's choice, and then hustled to second on a throwing error.

Perez then stole third and scored after the ball was thrown into left field. It was a 3-3 ballgame going to the 9th. Neither team picked up much in their half of the 9th, so the game went to the sudden death derby.

Alexander, who did not participate in last night's Derby, hit just one home run in his 90 seconds of allotted time. Betts came up as the heavy favorite and looked to hit his first home run about halfway through. According to video review, it did not hit over the yellow line in right field and he had to step back in.

Betts crushed his first one deep over the right field wall near the pole and then demolished his game winner. Like last night, he threw the bat a mile in the air and was mobbed by his teammates near the pitcher's mound. It was a perfect end to such an exciting couple of days.

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Midwest League Stories from June 18, 2019


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