Pepinillos Picantes Pummel Four Home Runs to Down Fort Wayne

MIDLAND, Mich. – The Great Lakes Loons were struggling on offense coming into the fifth inning Friday night at Dow Diamond. In the first four frames, just one batter had reached against the Fort Wayne TinCaps, the Loons had no hits and they trailed 2-0.

Then came the firepower.

In the final four innings on offense, the Loons hit four home runs, generating all their runs on longballs and defeating the TinCaps, 5-2, in their final appearance this year as Los Pepinillos Picantes del Norte.

Fort Wayne (46-71, 19-32 second half) scored two runs in the fourth inning on just one hit. After a walk to lead off the inning, Carlos Luis hit an RBI triple, then scored on a sacrifice fly, putting the visitors ahead, 2-0.

For the Loons (72-46, 32-20), that was the end of the day for their starter Emmet Sheehan, who was solid again. He allowed just those two earned runs on two hits and two walks over four frames, striking out eight along the way to push his season-long strikeout total to 101. In his last 54 1-3 innings, Sheehan has allowed just eight earned runs.

Great Lakes, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ High-A partner, finally cracked the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Jorbit Vivas walked to lead off the frame, then Damon Keith blasted a ball 400 feet to left field that landed on Buttles Street. Keith’s fifth home run with the Loons, and 17th of the season overall, tied the game at two.

The TinCaps, High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, did not trail until the next frame. On the very first pitch of the sixth inning, Luis Yanel Diaz cracked a home run to the opposite field, his fifth in Great Lakes uniform and his 16th of the year, to put the Loons in front for the first time, 3-2.

Fort Wayne starter Jackson Wolf (L, 6-8) came out of the game after seven innings, and those two homers were the only two hits he allowed for his three earned runs. He walked two and had a pair of punchouts.

The Loons were just as successful, if not more so, against Alan Mundo in relief. Ismael Alcantara led off the eighth inning with his fourth Loons homer, his seventh of the year overall. Jose Ramos followed suit with a solo shot two outs later, his 19th in High-A and his 25th of the year. Before the inning ended, Diego Cartaya singled for the lone non-home run Great Lakes hit. He was stranded on base, the only left on base for Great Lakes in the contest.

Meanwhile, the Loons bullpen was dominant. In five innings, Loons relievers allowed no runs and did not walk a batter. Jeff Belge (W, 3-2) tossed the fifth and the sixth, scattering three singles while striking out three batters. Aldry Acosta allowed a hit and struck out three in the seventh. Ryan Sublette pitched a perfect eighth with one punchout, then Ben Harris (SV, 2) struck out two in a perfect ninth. Great Lakes had 18 strikeouts, one short of a season-high.

Great Lakes takes a 3-1 lead in the series, clinching at least a split two days early. The Loons already clinched a season series victory, now leading Fort Wayne 11-5. The series continues at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Dow Diamond, with ESPN 100.9-FM coverage commencing at 6:50 p.m. with the Loons On-Deck Circle, driven by Garber Chevrolet Midland. River Ryan (1-0, 1.08 ERA) makes his Dow Diamond debut for Great Lakes, opposing fellow right-hander Jose Espada (0-2, 3.62) for the TinCaps.

At Dow Diamond, it’s the second-to-last Fireworks Loontacular of the season, presented by Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan. Christoper McDonald, who played Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore, will be in attendance for photos and autographs as the Loons wrap up the Celebrity Series. Tickets are still available at Loons.com.

The Great Lakes Loons have been a Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team’s inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team’s home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.