For four innings on Thursday night at Parkview Field, TinCaps starter Dinelson Lamet dazzled. The right-hander struck out eight over the first four frames, yet trouble loomed and a six-run fifth inning doomed Fort Wayne in an 8-4 loss to the Lake County Captains. On Turn the Park Pink Night, the TinCaps were anything but tickled.
A two-run double for Ordomar Valdez gave the visitors a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Then later in the inning, with Lamet out, and reliever Aaron Cressley in, a towering three-run homer by 18-year-old Bobby Bradley — his third in the three games he played this series — took the wind out of Fort Wayne’s sails.
Lamet (L, 0-2) struck out seven of the first eight batters he faced. He has now struck out eight in each of his last two starts. But that didn’t carry over into the fifth.
Before things spiraled south, the TinCaps had a 1-0 lead through four. In the fourth, first baseman Trae Santos and designated hitter Franmil Reyes were at first base and third, respectively, when they executed a double-steal.
Fort Wayne (10-21) added a second run in the home fifth on a Michael Gettys sacrifice fly only to see Lake County answer with two more in the sixth. The Summit City side scored a pair of unearned runs with two outs in the ninth.
Despite the loss, Reyes, right fielder Nick Torres, and shortstop Chase Jensen all had two hits. Meanwhile, Colby Blueberg and Payton Baskette combined to pitch 2 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Lake County (19-15) starter Justus Sheffield — Gary Sheffield’s nephew — earned the win with 5 innings of work in which he allowed only one earned run.
The TinCaps wore pink jerseys, which were auctioned off during the game. The auction raised $3,166 for the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer.
With a crowd of 4,764 on hand, Parkview Field — recently ranked No. 5 in Minor League Baseball by Baseball America