TinCaps Close 1st Half With Loss

BOWLING GREEN, Ky – For the first time this season the Fort Wayne TinCaps were swept, losing the finale of their three-game set at Bowling Green by the final of 9-3. The offense recorded five hits in the losing effort, putting across one run in the first and two in the ninth.

Fort Wayne (31-39) plated the game’s first run in the top of the first inning. Bowling Green (38-32) starter Roberto Gomez (7-2) walked four of the first five batters, and the TinCaps scored as Yeison Asencio grounded into a double play with the bases loaded. Following that first inning, though, Fort Wayne sent just three batters to the plate in each of the next six frames. The other two TinCaps runs scored on a Lee Orr two-run double in the ninth.

TinCaps starter Cody Hebner (6-3) was saddled with the loss, giving up six runs over four innings. He surrendered four runs in the third inning, and was yanked after giving up a two-run home run to Jake Hager in the fifth inning. Luis De La Cruz, James Needy, Johnny Barbato and Daniel Cropper each worked an inning in relief. Needy gave up one run, and Cropper was tagged for two on a two-run home run by Alejandro Segovia. Fort Wayne finishes the first half on a season-worst five-game losing streak.

The TinCaps have the next four days off for the Midwest League All-Star Break. Four members of the club will be headed to the All-Star Game, scheduled to be played Tuesday in Geneva, Illinois. Austin Hedges is scheduled to be the starting catcher for the Eastern Division, and he’ll be joined by shortstop Jace Peterson, pitcher Frank Garces and pitcher Adys Portillo. The game will air live on 1380 ESPN and ESPNFortWayne.com on Tuesday evening.

Fort Wayne’s next regularly scheduled game is Friday, June 22, at 7:05 PM against the Lake County Captins at Parkview Field.