Avila Shines as TinCaps Drop Pitchers' Duel to Loons

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - TinCaps starting pitcher Pedro Avila struck out 13 batters and allowed just four hits and one run in 7 1/3 innings, but Fort Wayne lost to the Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers), 2-1, on Sunday afternoon at Parkview Field. A sellout crowd of 7,237 was at the game, which marked the 22^ndsellout in Fort Wayne this season and the 200^th sellout at Parkview Field since opening in 2009.

TinCaps ReCap: August 20, 2017
Great Lakes (26-30, 62-63) scored the decisive run in the top of the ninth inning off Fort Wayne relieverDauris Valdez  (L). Jeren Kendall worked a walk on a 12-pitch plate appearance to lead off the inning. Kendall stole second base, advanced to third base on an errant throw by TinCaps catcher Chandler Seagle that went into center field, and scored on the play when center fielder Buddy Reed  mishandled the ball in center field, giving Great Lakes a 2-1 advantage.
 
Fort Wayne (36-20, 62-64) had the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the ninth. Third baseman Hudson Potts  led off with a single. The hit was Potts's third of the game. The 18-year-old now has 11 games this season with at least three hits which leads the team. First baseman Kyle Overstreet also singled to put runners on first and second base. Fort Wayne didn't get a runner past second base in the inning though. Great Lakes reliever Andre Scrubb (S) retired the next three batters to end the game.
 
Neither team garnered a hit until the fifth inning. The Loons scored the first run of the game on the game's first hit. With one out in the top of the fifth inning, Cody Thomas hit a solo home run over the right-center-field wall to give the Loons a 1-0 lead.
 
The TinCaps tied the game in the bottom of the seventh. Potts led off with a single. Both Overstreet and right fielder Jack Suwinski  followed with walks to load the bases with nobody out. Reed then hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Potts from third base and knotted the game, 1-1.
 
Avila was stellar once again for Fort Wayne. The 20-year-old struck out more than 10 batters in a game for the fourth time this season. Avila's 13 strikeouts were the third most for a TinCaps pitcher this year. Earlier this month, Avila struck out 17 Great Lakes batters on the road, and Michel Baez  struck out 14 batters at Parkview Field on July 31^st against Dayton.
 
Great Lakes starting pitcher Chris Mathewson (W) had a strong outing too. Mathewson was perfect through his first four innings. In all, Mathewson allowed just one run in eight innings on the mound while striking out eight batters.
 
Next Game
Monday, August 21 vs. Great Lakes (7:05 p.m.)
- TinCaps Probable Starter: LH Osvaldo Hernandez
- Loons Probable Starter: RH Dustin May
Watch: Comcast Network 81
Listen: ESPN Radio 1380 & 100.9 FM / TinCapsRadio.com / TuneIn