TinCaps Dominate Opener In Lansing

LANSING, Mich. – The Fort Wayne TinCaps defeated the Lansing Lugnuts, 7-2, on Saturday night at Cooley Law School Stadium, winning the opener of a four-game series. Starter Erik Cabrera earned his first win in a TinCaps uniform, pitching into the sixth inning and turning in his best effort in his four starts.

Lansing (30-29, 77-51) scored the game’s first run, aided by two walks from Cabrera (1-2) in the first inning. A Chris Hawkins groundout sent Nick Baligod across home plate, making it 1-0 Lugnuts. Fort Wayne (34-27, 65-66) then went on to score the next five runs.

The TinCaps touched up starter Aaron Sanchez (8-4) for two runs in the third inning, as Jace Peterson drew a bases-loaded walk and Travis Whitmore laced an RBI single to center field. Facing reliever Phil Brua in the fifth, Fort Wayne scored three more runs. Lee Orr narrowly missed a three-run home run, smashing a ball off the top of the right field fence to scored Travis Jankowski. Two batters later, Austin Hedges hit a ball of the top of the left field fence, plating both Whitmore and Orr, to extend the lead to 5-1.

Cabrera retired the side in the bottom of the fifth, but faced three batters in the sixth before turning the ball over to Cody Hebner. Cabrera had put runners on first and second, and Hebner allowed one to score, bringing Lansing within three at 5-2. Fort Wayne’s starter walked three, struck out five and scattered just three hits in five and one-third innings.

Hebner did not allow a run over his time on the hill. He went the distance—three and two-thirds innings—for his first career save.

The TinCaps added single runs in the seventh and eighth innings, stretching their advantage to 7-2.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 2:05. The scheduled starters are Frank Garces for Fort Wayne and Noah Syndergaard for Lansing.