By Bill Center
Nick Schulz and Fernando Perez powered low Single-A Fort Wayne to a 12-3 win over Bowling Green Tuesday night, enabling the TinCaps to move to within two games of a Midwest League playoff berth with six games to play.
Outfielder Schulz, 23, was 5-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs Tuesday to raise his season batting average to .335. Third baseman Perez, 20, hit his 17th homer, a two-run shot that increased his league-leading RBI total to 91.
Second baseman Reynaldo Bruguera (.259) was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Center fielder Ronnie Richardson (.281) was 3-for-4 with a double and a RBI.
Shortstop Trea Turner went 2-for-6 with a RBI to slip to .386. First baseman Jake Bauers (.291) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored on the day he was named to the post-season Midwest League All-Star team. C John Nester (.314) was 2-for-5 with a double and three runs scored.
Starting left-hander Jeff Enloe (5-6, 4.17 earned run average) allowed two hits and a walk with four strikeouts over six shutout innings.
Right-handed reliever Jorge Guzman (3.19) allowed three runs on three hits and a walk in two innings. Right-hander Erik Cabrera (5.27) closed out the win with two strikeouts in a perfect inning.
The TinCaps have a shot at a playoff berth despite a 58-75 record. They are 28-36 in the second half.
Fort Wayne opens its final three-game homestand Wednesday night with a chance to eclipse the franchise’s single-season attendance record of 404,932 set in 2010. The TinCaps have drawn 388,362 for 67 dates.
Fort Wayne’s average attendance of 5,796 through 67 dates is the third-highest in all of Single-A. It is also a higher average than 26 of 30 Double-A teams and 12 of 30 Triple-A clubs.
ON THE MOVE: SS Franchy Cordero (broken hand) and 2B Jalen Goree will finish short-season Single-A Eugene’s season on the 60-day disabled list. Also at Eugene, INF Mitch Morales and LHPs Alexander Constanza and Elvin Liriano were promoted from the Arizona Rookie Padres to Eugene; RHP Colby Blueberg was promoted to Fort Wayne from Eugene; RHP Logan Jernigan was placed on Eugene’s temporarily inactive list, and C Rodney Daal was activated from the seven-day disabled list. INF Jake Lemmerman was placed on Double-A San Antonio’s seven-day disabled list. RHP Justin Livengood was placed on Fort Wayne’s seven-day disabled list. RHP Travis Remillard was transferred from Fort Wayne to the Arizona Rookie Padres.
Around the Farm:
TRIPLE-A EL PASO (67-71): Chihuahuas 7, COLORADO SPRINGS 4 – Starting RHP Joe Wieland (1-1, 4.67 ERA) allowed two runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. RHP Stephen Kohlscheen (2.83) had a strikeout in two-thirds of a perfect inning. RHP Donn Roach (5.33) issued a walk in an otherwise perfect inning. LHP Chris Rearick (2.70) allowed a run on two hits and a walk with a strikeout in the ninth. 3B-1B Cody Decker (.260) was 3-for-4 with his 24th homer, two RBIs and two runs scored. Decker has three homers in his past five games.RF Jeff Francoeur (.291) was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a RBI.
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (66-68, 30-34): Midland 4, MISSIONS 3 – RHP Jesse Hahn (1.91 ERA) struck out three in two perfect innings in his hiatus from the Padres and rehabbing LHP Troy Patton (0.00) struck out two in a perfect inning. But RHP James Needy (10-5, 2.90) allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. RHP Adys Portillo (2.67) allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings. 3B Cory Spangenberg (.336) was 3-for-5. 1B Jason Hagerty (.265) had two doubles in four at-bats with a RBI. RF Alex Dickerson (.328) was 2-for-5 with a triple and a RBI.
SINGLE-A (high) LAKE ELSINORE (72-62, 32-32): San Jose 4, STORM 1 – The loss dropped Lake Elsinore into a two-way tie for second, one-game behind Lancaster in the race for the second-half, California League South Division title. Starting RHP Colin Rea (10-9, 4.03 ERA) allowed two runs on five hits with two walks in five innings. LHP Chris Nunn (4.47) allowed two runs on three hits with a strikeout in an inning. RHP Gennison Reyes (4.91) allowed a walk with a strikeout in a scoreless inning. DH Jeudy Valdez (.193) was 2-for-4. CF Mallex Smith (.327)was 1-for-5 and drove in Valdez for the Storm’s lone run. He also stole a base.
SINGLE-A (short season) EUGENE (29-41, 14-18): Vancouver 3, EMERALDS 21 – CF Auston Bousfield (.322) was 2-for-4 with a steal. LF Edwin Moreno (.250) was 2-for-4 with a double. 2B Joseph Epperson (.234) was 2-for-3. Starting LHP Payton Baskette (0-1, 2.70 ERA) allowed three runs on five hits with a strikeout in four innings. RHP Aaron Cressley (3.94) allowed a hit with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings. Liriano walked one with two strikeouts in a scoreless, one-inning Northwest League debut. RHP Samuel Holland (2.39) allowed a walk with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings.
ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (18-36, 10-16): WHITE SOX 6, Padres 4 – Rehabbing 3B Ryan Jackson (.267) was 2-for-4. 2B Luis Urias (.297) was 1-for-3 with three RBIs. RF Luis Barahona (.288) hit his first homer. RHP Mayky Perez (0-3, 7.08 ERA) allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. RHP Maxwell McNabb (5.93) allowed a hit and a walk with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 scoreless innings. RHP Malcom Diaz (4.26) issued two walks with a strikeout in two scoreless innings.
See the full scoreboard from yesterday on the farm here.
