TinCaps Walk Off for Second Time in Three Games

Click here to see the post-game highlights and an interview with Jeremy Baltz

Fort Wayne, IN -- For the second time in the last three days, the TinCaps won at Parkview Field with a walk-off win in extra innings. Jeremy Baltz doubled to right-center field with two outs to score Gabriel Quintana in the bottom of the eleventh inning Sunday to lead Fort Wayne to a 3-2 victory over the Clinton LumberKings. The win improves the TinCaps to a Midwest League best 9-2 record at home in 2013.

Just as it did in Friday night's 10-inning win over the Kane County Cougars, Fort Wayne found its late-game magic with two outs and no one on base. Quintana began the threat when he was hit by a Blake Hauser (0-2) pitch. Then, after Hauser went ahead 0-2 in the count against Baltz, Quintana stole second base -- his second stolen base of the season -- to move into scoring position. Baltz, who was 0-for-4 in the game until the eleventh, worked the count to 2-2 before belting a double over the head of the center fielder Jabari Henry. For Baltz, it was his team-leading 18th RBI of the year. 

Clinton (10-11) nearly took a lead in the top of the eleventh against Genison Reyes (2-1), who walked two and hit a batter. But with the bases loaded and two out, Reyes struck out the LumberKings' designated hitter Guillermo Pimentel to keep the game tied, 2-2.

TinCaps starter Zach Eflin received a no-decision after he tossing five innings of one-run ball. The 19-year old right-hander allowed five hits and two walks, while striking out a career-best five. Meanwhile, LumberKings starer Dylan Unsworth was superb as well. The righty from South Africa went nine innings for the first time in his career and allowed two runs on seven hits. Unsworth struck out six and didn't walk any. 

The visitors scored the first run of the game against Eflin in the fifth. Henry, who had three hits in the game, walked, stole second base, and came in to score on Tim Lopes' single to left. 

Fort Wayne jumped ahead with a pair of runs in the sixth. Unsworth had only surrendered one hit in the game until Stephen Carmon bunted for a single. Mallex Smith sacrificed Carmon to second, and Maxx Tissenbaum drove Carmon home with a double past the third-base bag, tying the game, 1-1. Quintana put the TinCaps on top with a bloop-single to right that made it 2-1.

However, the LumberKings tied the contest, 2-2, right away in the top of the seventh against John Hussey, who pitched three innings in relief of Eflin. Roman Madrid also threw two scoreless innings out of the TinCaps bullpen.

Fort Wayne and Clinton continue their three-game series at Parkview Field at 7:05 on Monday night. The game can be heard on The Fan 1380 and TheFanFortWayne.com, and seen on XFINITY Channel 81.