Flat Start Fells Loons

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Fort Wayne TinCaps scored four runs in an eight-batter first innings and never trailed in a 6-4 win over the Loons at Parkview Field on Wednesday night.

The Loons (32-32, 61-73) drop their second straight on the road and see their lead in the wild card race trimmed to a game and half over the Lansing Lugnuts, who defeated the Bowling Green Hot Rods on Wednesday. Great Lakes' magic number for a playoff berth remains at four games.

Following the final off day of the Midwest League regular season, the Loons appeared sluggish in the early going against Fort Wayne. The first batter of the ballgame for the TinCaps, right-hander Chris Baker, reached on a missed-catch error by first baseman Eric Meza.

Baker later scored the first run of the game on an RBI single by righty Carlos Belen. A sacrifice fly from another right-hander, Marcus Greene, Jr., put the TinCaps ahead 2-0 with two outs in the first. After a walk by Loons left-handed starter, Victor Gonzalez (L, 3-6), placed runners on first and second, an errant pick-off throw to first from catcher Jake Henson advanced both runners into scoring position. 

Right-handed batter Jose Carlos Urena made the Loons pay with a two-RBI single to open a 4-0 lead for Fort Wayne in the first inning.

The Loons battled to stay relevant after the first inning. Righty Brendon Davis knocked in the Loons' first two runs of the game when he singled off eighth overall draft choice, right-hander Cal Quantrill, who made his Midwest League debut on Wednesday.

In the bottom of the third, following the two run inning for the Loons, Fort Wayne extended its lead again when a passed ball on Henson allowed Austin Allen to score from third to make the score 5-2. 

Although the Loons scored two unanswered runs to pull within a run midway through the eighth, a two-out single up the middle by Fort Wayne lefty Taylor Kohlwey off righty reliever Andrew Istler hampered the Loons comeback chances in the ninth.

Right-hander Anderson Espinoza (W, 1-3), acquired by San Diego in a July trade with the Boston Red Sox for Major League left-handed pitcher, Drew Pomeranz, took home his first win in the Padres organization. Righty David Bednar, a 2016 draftee, took home his second save with Fort Wayne.

The Great Lakes Loons, hosts of the 2017 Midwest League All-Star Game, have been a Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team's inception in 2007 and are in their 10th season. For tickets and more information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.