(Eastlake, OH) - Jean Carlos Mejía spun seven solid innings for the third time in his last four starts and Jose Vicente helped carry the offensive load, as the Lake County Captains (19-27, 48-68) edged the Fort Wayne TinCaps (21-25, 53-62) on Friday night at Classic Park. The Captains salvaged
(Eastlake, OH) - Jean Carlos Mejía spun seven solid innings for the third time in his last four starts and Jose Vicente helped carry the offensive load, as the Lake County Captains (19-27, 48-68) edged the Fort Wayne TinCaps (21-25, 53-62) on Friday night at Classic Park. The Captains salvaged the final game of the three-game series, 3-1.
Mejia stumbled through the first three batters of the game, but quickly hit his stride. Jeisson Rosario, Olivier Basabe and Jack Suwinski hit three straight singles to open the contest and put the TinCaps in front. Suwinski's single plated Rosario with the first run of the night, but Mejia hardly gave up a hit the rest of the way.
After Suwinski's single, Mejia struck out Owen Miller and got Gabriel Arias to bounce into a double play ball. The right-hander retired 10 consecutive batters before issuing a walk to Arias in the fourth. He did not allow another hit until the fifth.
Meanwhile, Vicente helped Mejia's cause in the second. Leading off against lefty starter Tom Cosgrove, Vicente jacked a high drive over the left field wall for a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1.
With the game still knotted, Mejia had to overcome a piecemeal TinCaps rally in the fifth. Jalen Washington led off and dropped a bunt down the third base line. Elvis Perez barehanded and threw to first, but his throw was wild and skipped past Vicente, allowing Washington to coast to third on a two-base error. Mejia hit Juan Fernandez to put runners on the corners, but then got Aldemar Burgos to bounce back to the mound. Mejia bobbled the grounder, but recovered and threw Washington out at home on a tag play, as Joshua Rolette swiped his glove on the sliding runner. Mejia then got the next two men to ground out to end the inning with the score still even.
Vicente ignited the Captains' go-ahead rally in the sixth. The cleanup hitter smoked a leadoff double to left and Will Benson came through two batters later with a ringing two-base hit to right field. Vicente scored easily as the ball skipped to the wall and the Captains took a 2-1 lead. Benson promptly stole third base and Todd Isaacs smacked a double down the right field line. Benson trotted home to push the Captains' lead to 3-1.
The sixth-inning rally ended strangely. Isaacs stole third base, marking the second time in the inning that a Lake County batter had swiped third, and Miguel Eladio was at the plate with a chance to add an insurance run. After one pitch to Eladio, Fernandez fired a snap throw to third from behind the plate. Isaacs dove back into third, but the catcher's throw hit Isaacs in the helmet and caromed toward shortstop. Isaacs scrambled to his feet and took off for the plate, as Owen Miller fielded the ricochet and fired home. The throw beat Isaacs by several feet and the runner tried to hurdle Fernandez, but the catcher stood up and delivered the tag on Isaacs to end the inning.
Jonathan Teaney nailed down a six-out save for the Captains, but it came with some drama in the ninth. After Teaney tossed a one-two-three eighth, Miller led off the ninth with a single and the reliever walked Arias to put men on first and second. Esteury Ruiz tried to sacrifice bunt the runners over, but ultimately struck out when he bunted a 2-2 pitch foul, back to the screen. Teaney, however, walked Washington to load the bases with one out. The TinCaps had the tying run on second and the go-ahead run on first, but Teaney slammed the door. He got Fernandez to chase a high fastball on a 3-2 pitch for out number two and then fanned Aldemar Burgos on a 1-2 high fastball for strike three and the final out of the ballgame. Teaney earned his fifth save of the year.
Mejia (4-5) picked up the win with seven stellar innings. The right-hander held the TinCaps to one run on five hits. He struck out seven, walked one and hit one batter. Mejia did not allow a run and surrendered just two hits after the first.
Cosgrove (2-6) suffered the loss after allowing three runs over 5.1 innings. The lefty gave up eight hits, walked one and struck out six.
Lake County took one out of three from Fort Wayne and will hit the road for seven games, beginning on Saturday. The Captains open a four-game series with the South Bend Cubs at Four Winds Field. First pitch on Saturday night is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The Captains will then play a three-game series in Dayton, beginning on Wednesday.
Information about Classic Park or the Captains can be found online at www.captainsbaseball.com and by phone at 440-954-WINS (9467). Affordable ticket packages and group party and picnic options are available now.
