Caps Blanked Again By Hot Rods

BOWLING GREEN, Ky – On a night in which they had as many hits as they did errors, the Fort Wayne TinCaps lost 4-0 to the Bowling Green Hot Rods. The TinCaps collected just three hits, committed three errors, and were held scoreless for the third time in four days.

Fort Wayne (31-38) leadoff hitter Jace Peterson began the game with a base hit, but was stranded as the next three men were retired in order. The TinCaps did not have another base hit until the seventh inning. Bowling Green starter Ryan Carpenter (6-3) recorded 10 consecutive outs following the Peterson single. Carpenter issued a walk to Donavan Tate in the fifth, snapping that streak. The Hot Rods starter then retired nine consecutive batters, before Yeison Asencio singled with two out in the seventh. Carpenter yielded two hits and one walk over his seven innings, and struck out a career-high nine batters.

Bowling Green (37-32) scored in the bottom of the first inning against Fort Wayne starter Ruben Mejia (1-2). Drew Vettleson, who scored the game-winning run Friday night, grounded into a double play, allowing Ryan Brett to score. Leading 1-0, the Hot Rods tacked on another run in the fifth on a Todd Glaesmann sacrifice fly. Mejia threw five innings, allowing seven hits and two runs, one earned. He walked two and struck out three.

Dennis O’Grady worked the final three innings of the game for Fort Wayne. He allowed two runs in the seventh, to give Bowling Green a 4-0 advantage. O’Grady surrendered three hits, walked one and struck out three.

With the win, Bowling Green secured the first half wild-card spot in the Midwest League playoffs. Fort Wayne has lost four straight games.

The finale of the three-game series, and the first half, is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 3:05 Eastern. The scheduled starters are Cody Hebner for Fort Wayne and Roberto Gomez for Bowling Green.