August 9, 2019 at 5:33 p.m.
Solomon, TinCaps stay hot
Fort Wayne TinCaps
Solomon, TinCaps stay hot
By CHRIS SCHANZ
The Commercial Review
FORT WAYNE — Lee Solomon lofted a solo home run in the second inning to put the TinCaps ahead by two.
A two-run single in the sixth did it again.
Solomon went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and capped a four-run sixth inning that allowed the Fort Wayne TinCaps to break a tie and pull away for a 6-2 victory against the Dayton Dragons on Thursday night at Parkview Field.
“It’s always nice, man,” Solomon said of being able to produce twice in the same night. “Everyone here is my friend, like people you enjoy being around. You always want to play well for your friends, whether you’re teammates or not.”
It marked the seventh win in the last eight games for the TinCaps (20-26 second half, 53-61 overall), who close out the three-game series with the Dragons (20-26, 48-68) tonight before heading to South Bend on Saturday for a crucial series with the Cubs that will have playoff implications.
The Cubs (25-21, 62-52) currently hold the Eastern Division Wild Card slot, and are five games ahead of the TinCaps after Fort Wayne’s win Thursday pulled it even with Dayton, a Cincinnati Reds affiliate.
“These guys are playing good baseball,” Fort Wayne manager Anthony Contreras said. “It’s a momentum game. They’re feeding off each other. One-through-nine (in the lineup) they’re able to produce in some way.”
With the game knotted at 2-2 after the Dragons plated a pair of runs in the fourth inning, Blake Hunt began the TinCaps’ half of the sixth inning with a double to left field. Four batters later with bases loaded and one out, Tyler Benson bounced a grounder to Dayton second baseman Randy Ventura, whose throw to second base was off the mark and allowed Michael Curry to score and break the tie.
Solomon, who lofted an opposite-field homer to right field in the second inning, came through with another hit to right, scoring Justin Lopez and Ethan Skender. It was Solomon’s first two-hit night since July 28 and 13th this season.
“He’s been working hard,” Contreras said of his No. 9 hitter and first baseman, a 23-year-old Lipscomb product from Columbus, Ohio. “He’s had a little bit of struggles coming up to this point … It was good to see him go the opposite way. That is one thing he needs to work on and get better at.”
Benson scored the game’s final run on yet another Dayton throwing error. Dragon catcher Jay Schuyler threw to third attempting to catch Benson leading off too far, but the throw sailed into the outfield allowing Benson to easily trot home.
Fort Wayne jumped on Dayton pitcher Lyon Richardson in the first inning when Tucupita Marcano singled to the left side of the infield to begin the game. He swiped second base and scored on a single by Curry.
Dayton, which had “Dayton Strong” stickers on its batting helmets in the wake of Sunday’s mass shooting in which 10 people were killed including the shooter and 27 others were injured, tied the game with two runs in the fourth inning. Claudio Finol walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Schuyler singled him in, and later scored on a fielding error after a Mariel Bautista double.
That came after Fort Wayne starter Efraín Contreras retired the first 10 batters he faced. He ended up scattering two hits over five innings, allowing two runs — one earned — with eight strikeouts and a pair of walks.
“Getting to the deep part of the game, fifth, sixth inning, today I thought he kind of faded and lost focus that last inning,” Anthony Contreras said. “Got sloppy with his command. Everything was all over the place.
“He has to be able to hone in his focus … For him to give us five (innings) was huge. It was huge for the bullpen as guys are available.”
Jose Quezada, who earned the win, and Cody Tyler both spun two scoreless innings of relief.
Other notes:
•C.J. Abrams, the Padres’ first-round pick in June’s draft, was a late scratch from the Fort Wayne lineup. After going 2-for-4 on Wednesday, Contreras said the 18-year-old infielder from Alpharetta, Georgia, was given a day off as the organization monitors the youngster’s playing time.
•Dwanya Williams-Sutton got hit by two more pitches to add to his ever-growing franchise record. The outfielder was hit in the first inning and again in the sixth. He leads the MWL with 27 HBP. No other player has more than 19. He also ranks second in all of Minor League Baseball, trailing Seth Beer, a player in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization, by two.
The Commercial Review
FORT WAYNE — Lee Solomon lofted a solo home run in the second inning to put the TinCaps ahead by two.
A two-run single in the sixth did it again.
Solomon went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and capped a four-run sixth inning that allowed the Fort Wayne TinCaps to break a tie and pull away for a 6-2 victory against the Dayton Dragons on Thursday night at Parkview Field.
“It’s always nice, man,” Solomon said of being able to produce twice in the same night. “Everyone here is my friend, like people you enjoy being around. You always want to play well for your friends, whether you’re teammates or not.”
It marked the seventh win in the last eight games for the TinCaps (20-26 second half, 53-61 overall), who close out the three-game series with the Dragons (20-26, 48-68) tonight before heading to South Bend on Saturday for a crucial series with the Cubs that will have playoff implications.
The Cubs (25-21, 62-52) currently hold the Eastern Division Wild Card slot, and are five games ahead of the TinCaps after Fort Wayne’s win Thursday pulled it even with Dayton, a Cincinnati Reds affiliate.
“These guys are playing good baseball,” Fort Wayne manager Anthony Contreras said. “It’s a momentum game. They’re feeding off each other. One-through-nine (in the lineup) they’re able to produce in some way.”
With the game knotted at 2-2 after the Dragons plated a pair of runs in the fourth inning, Blake Hunt began the TinCaps’ half of the sixth inning with a double to left field. Four batters later with bases loaded and one out, Tyler Benson bounced a grounder to Dayton second baseman Randy Ventura, whose throw to second base was off the mark and allowed Michael Curry to score and break the tie.
Solomon, who lofted an opposite-field homer to right field in the second inning, came through with another hit to right, scoring Justin Lopez and Ethan Skender. It was Solomon’s first two-hit night since July 28 and 13th this season.
“He’s been working hard,” Contreras said of his No. 9 hitter and first baseman, a 23-year-old Lipscomb product from Columbus, Ohio. “He’s had a little bit of struggles coming up to this point … It was good to see him go the opposite way. That is one thing he needs to work on and get better at.”
Benson scored the game’s final run on yet another Dayton throwing error. Dragon catcher Jay Schuyler threw to third attempting to catch Benson leading off too far, but the throw sailed into the outfield allowing Benson to easily trot home.
Fort Wayne jumped on Dayton pitcher Lyon Richardson in the first inning when Tucupita Marcano singled to the left side of the infield to begin the game. He swiped second base and scored on a single by Curry.
Dayton, which had “Dayton Strong” stickers on its batting helmets in the wake of Sunday’s mass shooting in which 10 people were killed including the shooter and 27 others were injured, tied the game with two runs in the fourth inning. Claudio Finol walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Schuyler singled him in, and later scored on a fielding error after a Mariel Bautista double.
That came after Fort Wayne starter Efraín Contreras retired the first 10 batters he faced. He ended up scattering two hits over five innings, allowing two runs — one earned — with eight strikeouts and a pair of walks.
“Getting to the deep part of the game, fifth, sixth inning, today I thought he kind of faded and lost focus that last inning,” Anthony Contreras said. “Got sloppy with his command. Everything was all over the place.
“He has to be able to hone in his focus … For him to give us five (innings) was huge. It was huge for the bullpen as guys are available.”
Jose Quezada, who earned the win, and Cody Tyler both spun two scoreless innings of relief.
Other notes:
•C.J. Abrams, the Padres’ first-round pick in June’s draft, was a late scratch from the Fort Wayne lineup. After going 2-for-4 on Wednesday, Contreras said the 18-year-old infielder from Alpharetta, Georgia, was given a day off as the organization monitors the youngster’s playing time.
•Dwanya Williams-Sutton got hit by two more pitches to add to his ever-growing franchise record. The outfielder was hit in the first inning and again in the sixth. He leads the MWL with 27 HBP. No other player has more than 19. He also ranks second in all of Minor League Baseball, trailing Seth Beer, a player in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization, by two.
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD