Homers Not Enough for TinCaps in Loss at Hot Rods

Bowling Green, KY - The TinCaps dropped their fifth in a row on Saturday night, as the Bowling Green Hot Rods were victorious 5-3 at Bowling Green Ballpark. Mallex Smith and Stephen Carmon each hit solo home runs in the loss for Fort Wayne.

On the second pitch of the game, Smith hit his second home run of the year - and his first since opening day - over the right-field fence to ignite the TinCaps to a 1-0 lead.

Fort Wayne carried its lead behind starter Walker Weickel into the third inning. But in the third, Andrew Toles led off with a single and then stole both second and third base. Joey Rickard plated Toles with an infield single to shortstop to tie the game, 1-1. An inning later in the fourth, Bowling Green moved ahead, 3-1, thanks to a two-RBI double by its number nine hitter Granden Goetzman.

The TinCaps cut their deficit to one in the fifth when Carmon and Martinez hit back-to-back doubles. Martinez's double drove in Carmon to make it 3-2.

The Hot Rods, though, extended their lead against left-handed reliever Chris Nunn in the eighth. Nunn surrendered a two-run homer to Marty Gantt, who finished the night 4-for-4 with three stolen bases.

Despite out-hitting the Hot Rods 10-9, the TinCaps stranded six bases runners. Fort Wayne went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. During their five-game skid, the TinCaps are 6-42 (.143) with runners in scoring position.

Down to its final out in the ninth, Fort Wayne climbed a bit closer, as Carmon cranked his first home run as a TinCap to bring the visitors within a pair, 5-3. But Reinaldo Lopez, who threw four innings in relief of the winner Eduar Quinonez, retired Martinez on a foul pop-out to third to end the game.

Weickel went five innings and gave up three runs on five hits and three walks. He matched his career-best with four strikeouts. Meanwhile, out of the bullpen, Matthew Shepherd set a new personal-high with five strikeouts in only two innings of work. 

The TinCaps attempt to snap their losing streak Sunday afternoon at 3:05 with Joe Ross starting against the Hot Rods Taylor Guerrieri in a duel of right-handers. The game can be heard on The Fan 1380 and TheFanFortWayne.com.