Late scoring gives Bees 6-2 series opener against Fort Wayne

For Immediate Release
By: RJ Larson
July 18, 2018
Late scoring gives Bees series opener against Fort Wayne
Bees five runs in the last two innings to take game one against the TinCaps
Fort Wayne, IN. - It was looking like another low scoring loss for the Burlington Bees (6-19,36-58), but a late scoring rally helped them take down the Fort Wayne TinCaps (13-13,45-50) 6-2. Eduardo Del Rosario (2-2) was back to his usual stuff, pitching two and a third innings, allowing just one hit and struck out two. Caleb Boushley (4-3) suffered his third loss and his fourth blown save after allowing two runs, one earned on two hits in one and a third inning.
Rosario and Garcia give their clubs runs early
Jeisson Rosario took the second pitch from Oliver Ortega deep to right center for a solo homerun, giving Fort Wayne a 1-0 lead. Spencer Griffin hit a two out single in the second and advanced to second on a balk from pitcher Luis Patiño. Julio Garcia then hit a single up the middle to center, tying the game at 1-1. Kelvin Melean led the bottom of the TinCaps second off with a single and later on got to second after a single from Nick Feight. Rosario drove in his second run of the game with a two out single to center, giving Fort Wayne a 2-1 lead.
Fitzsimons gives Bees lead in the eighth
Keinner Piña got on to lead-off the eighth inning after shortstop Gabriel Arias misplayed a grounder. Griffin then got his second hit of the evening to put runners on first and second. Garcia then sent them to second and third after a sac bunt, and Connor Fitzsimons delivered a go ahead two run single, giving Burlington a 3-2 lead.
Bees add three insurance runs in the ninth
Burlington pretty much ended any hopes of a TinCaps comeback after scoring three runs on five straight hits. Hunter led the ninth off on a single and Orlando Martinez followed that up with his third single of the evening. Kevin Williams Jr then got an RBI on a single to make the score 4-2, and then Pina loaded the bases on an infield single to second. Griffin sent his third hit of the evening to right field and this one was good for another two Bees runs, giving them a 6-2 lead. Mayky Perez pitched a one-two-three ninth inning to pick up his second save of the season and give the Bees a 6-2 lead.
Ortega starting to show what he's made of
Oliver Ortega got the start for the Bees and had a solid outing, despite a rough start. Ortega went five innings, allowed two runs on six hits, allowed one walk, and struck out six. Although Ortega has been allowing quite a bit of hits lately, his control has been a lot better. Allowing just one walk didn't allow Fort Wayne to get extra baserunners on when they delivered those hits. He was also able to get out of jams by himself with those six strikeouts. With Madero now at the next level, Ortega is probably considered the ace of the Bees.
Better late than never
Although the offense wasn't getting the runs in early on, the Bees were able to wake up late and drive in five runs on seven hits in the final two innings. Griffin was the leader in the game, going 3-5 and driving two runs. Fitzsimons drove in another two runs and finished the game with two singles, raising his batting average to .295. Bees also had multi-hit games from Martinez who went 3-5 and from Hunter who went 2-5 with a run scored.
Looking Ahead
The Bees will look to win two in a row in their second game against Fort Wayne tomorrow night at 7 pm. The Bees are expected to go with Michael Santos, who is 1-1 with a 4.37 ERA. Santos has not started a game for the Bees this season, as he has been a solid weapon out of the bullpen. The TinCaps are expected to start Tom Cosgrove, who is 2-4 with a 4.76 ERA in 13 starts. Cosgrove started the season off rough, allowing eleven runs in his first three starts, but has started to get into the swing of things as of late. Cosgrove is coming off a solid start against Cedar Rapids, where he allowed just one earned run on three hits in six innings.
About the Bees
The Burlington Bees are the Class-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Professional baseball in Burlington, Iowa dates back to 1889, giving this community one of the longest and most storied histories of any current Minor League Baseball organization. The Bees take pride in upholding that rich history and providing a place for community events and maintaining affordable family entertainment.   GOBEES.com
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