TinCaps lose no-no, win 2-0
The win was Fort Wayne's eighth in a row, the TinCaps' longest win streak of the season.
The TinCaps retired 11 straight Hot Rods between the fourth and eighth innings.
LHP Jose De Paula drew the start and fired three perfect innings with two strikeouts. LHP Josh Spence worked three scoreless innings with two walks and four strikeouts, then LHP Jeff Ibarra and RHP Stiven Osuna delivered scoreless frames. RHP Jackson Quezada gave up the Hot Rods' lone hit, a flare over the head of the third baseman in a scoreless ninth inning. Left fielder Everett Williams came up firing and threw out Morrison at second base to end the game.
In the bottom of the third, Danny Payne singled to left, then Valdez pounded a long home run to left to put Fort Wayne ahead, 2-0. The round-tripper came on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.
The Hot Rods had their best scoring opportunity the next half-inning, as Spence walked leadoff hitter Cody Rogers and a botched pickoff play advanced Rogers to third base with nobody out. Spence rebounded by inducing a foul popout, walking Tyler Bortnick, then inducing an inning-ending double play.
Payne led the offensive charge, going 3-for-4 with a double.
Spence (1-0) was the winning pitcher in his Parkview Field debut. Bowling Green RHP Jason McEachern (4-10) took the loss. Quezada received the save, his first since 2008 when he led the Midwest League in saves.
Fort Wayne upped its record to 27-16 in the half, 63-50 for the season. The Hot Rods fell to 19-24 in the second half, 50-62 for the year.
The TinCaps and Hot Rods (Class-A Tampa Bay Rays) finish the four-game series Tuesday at Parkview Field at 7:05 p.m. Fort Wayne LHP Pedro Hernandez (3-3) goes to the mound against Bowling Green RHP Kirby Yates (3-6).