TinCaps Rally but Fall Late in Series Opener

LANSING, Mich. - The TinCaps rallied back from an early 3-0 deficit but fell, 5-4, to the Lansing Lugnuts (Toronto Blue Jays) at Cooley Law School Stadium on Friday night.

Lansing (31-17) got on the board in the bottom of the first inning. The first four batters reached base for the Lugnuts. Kevin Smith and Brock Lundquist each had RBI hits to put Lansing up, 2-0. Samad Taylor followed those up with a sacrifice fly to score the third run of the inning and give Lansing a 3-0 advantage.
 
Fort Wayne (21-26) didn't go away easily. In the top of the third inning, left fielder Robbie Podorsky laced an RBI double just to the right of the third-base bag and into left field to score shortstop Gabriel Arias  from first and cut the deficit down to 3-1.
 
The TinCaps sliced into the deficit again in the fourth. Second baseman Justin Lopez  hammered an RBI triple to right-center field to score third baseman Luis Almanzar from first base and make it a 3-2 Lansing edge.
 
Fort Wayne took its first lead in the top of the sixth inning. With two outs and two runners on, Arias lifted a deep fly ball to left-center field that hit off the top of the wall to score right fielder Tirso Ornelas  and designated hitter Luis Campusano  to give the TinCaps the lead, 4-3.
 
Lansing responded in the bottom of the seventh. Kevin Vicuña drove home Chavez Young with an RBI double to tie the game, 4-4. Later in the inning, Samad Taylor collected his second RBI of the night with a double that scored Vicuña and gave the Lugnuts a 5-4 lead that would hold.
 
Podorsky recorded two hits on the night to give himself six hits in his last three games with Fort Wayne. Relief pitcher and IPFW alum Evan Miller  strung together another scoreless outing retiring all five batters he faced out of the bullpen. The LaPorte, Ind., native now boasts a 0.51 ERA.
 
Next Game
Saturday, May 26 @ Lansing Lugnuts (7:05 p.m.)
- TinCaps Probable Starter: LHP Tom Cosgrove
- Lugnuts Probable Starter: RHP Colton Laws
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