FORT WAYNE — The TinCaps lost their second straight contest against the Dodgers’ High-A affiliate, though the 8-7 contest was a much better-played game than the five-error, 12-2 blowout on Tuesday.
“We walked too many guys again tonight, but the guys competed to the end, and I could watch a game like that every night,” said Fort Wayne manager Jonathan Matthews.
“We are going to win more of the close ones than we lose.”
Kavares Tears hit his two home runs and had four RBI on Wednesday. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Kavares Tears opened the scoring with a 391-foot two-run home run to right field, putting Fort Wayne on the board, and then followed it up in his next at-bat with a 426-foot blast to dead center off the batter’s eye.
“The first one he hit was off of a slider, and I told him in the dugout that he was probably going to have to hit a fastball at some point tonight, and the next one he hit was a first-pitch fastball,” said Matthews.
“For him to be able to cover both of those pitches was impressive to me, especially since, historically, most of his damage has been done against spin. So for him to get to heaters, that is a big step, and his approach has been really good.”
Despite Tears’ two home runs and four RBI, the TinCaps still could not contain a Loons lineup that featured only two Top 100 MLB Pipeline prospects tonight: Charles Davalan and Eduardo Quintero.
After throwing five one-run innings in his solid TinCaps debut against Lake County, right-hander Winyer Chourio made didn’t have such positive results in his second start.
He started the night with a walk to Davalan, but came back to get the next three batters in the first inning. He opened the second allowing a leadoff walk and single, with the lead runner coming around to score even as Chourio got the next three batters to end the inning, two by strikeout.
In the third inning, the 22-year-old seemed to be on his way to a clean inning after striking out the first batter on three pitches and retiring the next on a pop-out. When catcher Lamar King Jr. couldn’t quite make the play on a tough pop-up behind the plate on a 3-2 count. Chourio walked the batter, and it seemed to break his mental rhythm. He walked the next two to load the bases before being pulled after 42 pitches. Javier Chacon came in and gave up the second grand slam of the series, making it 5-2.
Chourio’s mid-90s fastball, because of his exceptional extension, plays up. He pairs it with a good curve and a strong changeup. While he didn’t sign his first professional contract out of Venezuela until he was 20 and struggled in his domestic debut last season, he has the mix to establish himself as one of the organization’s more interesting arms.
“Chourio threw some good pitches that I thought we didn’t get, but that can happen in any game,” said Matthews. “He didn’t have command of his changeup tonight, which is his best pitch.
“As a team, we have to throw more strikes.”
Kasen Wells. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
The Loons extended their lead to 8-4 by the fourth inning, but Fort Wayne came back in the seventh with an RBI by King, then Kasen Wells hit a two-out double with two strikes and a pair of runners on to bring the home team within one run.
Unfortunately, Fort Wayne couldn’t build on the momentum as the Loons struck out three of the next four TinCaps batters.
Fort Wayne Notes: The TinCaps have dropped four of their last five games. As Matthews noted, allowing seven walks on Tuesday and having nine tonight make it tough to win. … Righthander Carson Montgomery will take the mound on Thursday.
