TinCaps Find Treasure Late on Pirates Night

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- It took a while, but the TinCaps eventually found the buried treasure at Parrrkview Field on Pirates Night in a 5-4 victory over the Lake County Captains. Fort Wayne scored three times in the seventh inning to tie the game and went in front with one in the eighth. The game was enjoyed by a crowd of 7,972 -- the TinCaps' 22nd sellout of the season.

Fernando Perez started the scoring Friday with a home run to right-center field. In keeping with the theme, the blast was celebrated with a cannon on loan from Historic Old Fort shooting off. After that, though, the cannon wouldn't have a reason to go off again for a while.

TinCaps starter Kyle Lloyd rolled through the first four innings without allowing a run or seeing much of a threat from the Captains. But when Perez committed an error on a groundball to start the top of the fifth, things went south for Fort Wayne (24-29, 54-68). Lake County (26-26, 53-69) scored four times to jump in front.

Captains starter Dice Kime cruised through six innings until he, too, experienced a hiccup. Jake Bauers led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk. John Nester then nearly had a home run to left-center field that banged off the fence for a double and moved Bauers to third base. If "X" marks the spot. Nester was close, but the next batter, Henry Charles, found "X" and launched his sixth home run of the season to right-center to tie the game, 4-4. For Charles, it was his third homer in his last five games.

Fast forward to the bottom of the eighth inning and Ronnie Richardson led off with a walk against Caleb Hamrick (3-8). That brought up Perez, who doubled the opposite way to a big gap in left-center field. The ball rolled to the wall and allowed Richardson to race home for the go-ahead run. 

After Erik Cabrera (4-7) tossed a scoreless eighth inning, Ryan Butler worked the ninth for his seventh save in as many opportunities. Nick Mutz also pitched two scoreless frames for the Tincaps out of the bullpen. 

Fort Wayne strives to make it back-to-back wins over Lake County at Parkview Field on Saturday night at 7:05. In a battle of left-handers, Jeffery Enloe of the TinCaps tangles against Luis Lugo. The game can be heard on ESPN Radio 1380, TinCaps.com, and the TuneIn Radio app. Fans can also watch the game on XFINITY Channel 81 in Indiana.