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Lake County Sentinel
Captains stop Fort Wayne 8-2 for second straight night, win fourth in a row   
    BY TIM SHIRER
CAPTAINS BEAT WRITER
(EASTLAKE, OH) – It was a perfect night for baseball at Classic Park where the Lake County Captains were hosting the Fort Wayne TinCaps in the fourth game of their six-game series. It was for the most part a pitcher’s duel, until the seventh inning when the Captains broke it open and secured the 8-2 win.

Once again, the Captains got on the board first with a single run in the third inning when Jose Tena blasted a two out solo home run. The homer was Tena’s second of the season. The home run was just the beginnings of a big night for Tena.

The TinCaps got on the board in the second when Captains starter Tanner Burns (Indians competitive balance pick 36th overall in the 2020 draft) issued a one out base on balls to Tirso Ornelas and Jonny Homza followed with a laser shot home run over the left field fence to give Fort Wayne a 2-1 lead. The lead was short lived, however.

The Captains tied the game when Victor Nova led the inning off by drawing a base on balls. He then stole second base, his second theft of the season. Brayan Rocchio then drew a base on balls to put men at first and second for Tena, who doubled on a hard-line drive to right field which drove home Nova tying the game 2-2. Rocchio was thrown out between third and home when he tried to score.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh inning when the inning began the same way as the fifth inning with back to back walks by Nova and Rocchio. Tena then grounded into a fielder’s choice and Rocchio was out at second base. With runners on the corners Aaron Bracho singled to left field and Nova crossed the plate giving Lake County a 3-2 lead, Tena moved to second base. Jonathan Englemann followed with a single to right field driving home Tena and moving Bracho to second. After a wild pitch by Fort Wayne reliever Cody Tyler moved Bracho and Englemann up a base Joe Naranjo grounded out to the shortstop and Bracho scored the third run of the frame giving Lake County a 5-2 lead. Austen Wade flew out to right field to end the threat.

The Captains blew it open in the eighth inning when Michael Amditis led off the inning with a double. Tyler retired the next two Captains, but with two outs Rocchio singled to drive home Amditis and give Lake County a 6-2 lead. The final blow came when Tena followed with his second home run of the night, this one on a line drive over the right field fence sealing the 8-2 win. Tena now has three home runs and 8 RBI on the season. Tena is also hitting .323.

Captains reliever Kevin Kelly picked up the win. Kelly pitched three shut out innings allowing just one hit and struck out three. With the win Kelly is now 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA. Felix Minjarez took the loss for Fort Wayne. Minjarez pitched two innings allowing three runs, all earned on one hit and issuing six base on balls. He also struck out two Captains. With the loss Minjarez falls to 1-2 with a 15.43 ERA.

The Captains and TinCaps will play game five of the six game set on Saturday evening at 6:35 p.m. Lefty Matt “Shaggy” Turner will be on the mound for Lake County. Turner is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA. The TinCaps will send Brandon Komar to the mound. Komar a right hander is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA.
tshirer@lakecountysentinel.com or follow Tim on Twitter @TBBucsTim Check out our IndiansNation fan Page
​POSTED 05/14/2021 22:56
Lake County Captains Second Baseman Jose Tena.               Photo by Tim Shirer