Pitching, Power Carry TinCaps Past Loons

Midland, Mich. - With a 4-3 win Sunday afternoon over the Great Lakes Loons, the Fort Wayne TinCaps notched their first back-to-back wins away from Parkview Field for the first time since July 14th and 15th. The TinCaps offense was powered by a three-run homer off the bat of Alberth Martinez, who helped Zach Eflin earn his seventh win of the year.

Fort Wayne (21-34, 64-60) scored just three batters into the game as Diego Goris poked a hanging slider from Loons starter Chris Anderson to left field, scoring Mallex Smith. Great Lakes (31-24, 58-67) responded in the bottom of the first with a solo home run from Aaron Miller, tying the game, 1-1.

The TinCaps scored three more runs in the fifth inning on Martinez's team-leading ninth home run of the season. Following a double by Maxx Tissenbaum and an infield single from Smith, Martinez clobbered a Brandon Martinez (1-4) pitch over the wall in left-center field making it 4-1, TinCaps.

Eflin (7-5) scuffled a bit in his sixth and final inning, allowing two runs, although only one was earned. The two earned runs given up by the 19-year-old were the first two he'd allowed since July 31st. His ERA took a slight hit Sunday, rising from 2.67 to 2.69.

The Fort Wayne bullpen was perfect in the game's final three innings, with Ruben Mejia working the seventh and eighth frames, and Trevor Gott inducing three ground ball to second base in the ninth inning. Gott's save was his fourth in as many tries this season, after setting a University of Kentucky record with 16 saves his junior year prior to being drafted in June.

Game three of the four-game series is scheduled for Monday night at 7:05 p.m. The scheduled starters are Max Fried for Fort Wayne and Tom Windle for Great Lakes. The game can be heard on The Fan 1380 and TheFanFortWayne.com.