Captains’ Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short in 7-6 Defeat to TinCaps

EASTLAKE, Ohio – In Game 2 of a six-game series, the Lake County Captains (38-30, 1-3) fell to the Fort Wayne TinCaps (31-40, 4-1) by a final score of 7-6 on Wednesday at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.

Down five runs in the ninth, Lake County stormed back to pull within one run and had runners on the corners, but could not get over the hump. The Captains left the bases loaded twice in the game while leaving 12 total runners on base.

It was a long ball that got Lake County on the board in the first inning. CF Aaron Walton, MLB Pipeline’s No. 16 Guardians prospect, left the yard with a solo shot off the batter’s eye in center field, his 13th home run of the year.

Fort Wayne quickly answered in the second with a pair of solo shots from 1B Luke Cantwell and RF Kavares Tears, MLB Pipeline’s No. 26 Padres prospect.

Both sides were held scoreless until the fifth frame before the TinCaps tacked on three more runs courtesy of a Lake County throwing error and a two-run single from Cantwell.

The Captains got one of those runs back in the sixth, scoring on a Fort Wayne error to shave their deficit down to three.

It looked like the TinCaps may have put the game out of reach in the top of the ninth, plating two more runs on a wild pitch and an RBI single from CF Ryan Wideman, MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 Padres prospect.

But Lake County charged back, loading the bases on a single and two walks before Fort Wayne walked in SS Welbyn Francisca, MLB Pipeline’s No. 10 Guardians prospect, and LF Esteban González to make it a 7-4 ballgame. One batter later, the TinCaps’ lead shrank to one on a two-out, two-run single from C Logun Clark.

However, Fort Wayne LHP CJ Widger (S, 2) struck out Lake County DH Kevin Rivas to end the game, allowing the TinCaps to escape with the win.

RHP Winyer Chourio (W, 1-0) earned the win for the TinCaps in his High-A debut, allowing one run on five hits in five innings of work, striking out four and walking three.

RHP Jacob Zibin (L, 0-1) suffered the loss for Lake County in his High-A debut, allowing four runs on three hits in 4.1 innings pitched, walking three and tying his pro career-high with eight strikeouts.

Widger earned his second save of the year for the TinCaps, throwing two strikeouts in the ninth inning.

Game 3 of this week’s six-game series between the Captains and TinCaps is scheduled for Thursday night, June 25, at 7 p.m. Lake County will celebrate Dawg Night presented by Thirsty Dog, where the Captains will pay special tribute to Labradoodles and multi-dog households. Lake County will also host Swipe Right Night at the ballpark. The game will be broadcast on the Rock Entertainment Sports Network (RESN), the Bally Sports Live App, the MiLB App, and StreamGuys, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.

NOTES TO KNOW

- 1B/OF Nolan Schubart, MLB Pipeline’s No. 28 Guardians prospect, extended his on-base streak to 29 games with a single and two walks on Wednesday. The 2025 third-round pick out of Oklahoma State is batting .314 with 32 hits, five doubles, nine home runs, 31 RBI, 29 walks, and a 1.089 OPS during this span.

- C Logun Clark hit a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday. The 2022 16th-round pick out of Taft Union HS (CA) has now hit safely in three of his last four games.

- LHP Donovan Zsak pitched two scoreless, hitless innings of relief on Wednesday. The 2024 eighth-round pick out of Rutgers has logged a 0.68 ERA over his last eight appearances, allowing just one run in 13.1 innings pitched during this span.

About the Lake County Captains:

The Lake County Captains are the professional High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians located in Eastlake, Ohio. Our mission is to honor the rich history of our organization, while also introducing baseball to a new generation of fans through innovative means. We are committed to supporting our community, sports teams, and each other by demonstrating passion and having fun every day.