Fort Wayne TinCaps (23-32) @ Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (17-39)
RHP Ernesto Montas (4-4, 4.47) vs. RHP Cy Sneed (2-7, 2.52)
Sunday, June 6, 2015 — Neuroscience Group Field (Grand Chute, Wisc.) — First Pitch 2:05 p.m. — Game 56
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Fort Wayne fell to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 4-2, in the opener of a three-game series. The T-Rats jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, powered by a two-run homer from Sthervin Matos and a Jake Gatewood RBI-double. After the TinCaps got two runs back in the second with a Miguel Del Castillo RBI-double and Felipe Blanco groundout, Wisconsin stretched its lead to two again in the fourth with a solo homer off the bat of Elvis Rubio, and that was it as far as runs went on Saturday.
SURGING SANTOS: First baseman Trae Santos enters Sunday on a six-game hitting streak over which he’s 9-for-22 (.409). It’s been quite a turnaround for the 22-year-old who had a rough start. His batting average has jumped from .176 at the end of April to .261 (as high as it’s been since he went 1-for-3 on Opening Day). That’s an 85-point increase. Although both of his hits on Saturday were singles, Santos leads the league with 24 extra-base hits. Among current TinCaps, he also leads the team with 7 HR and 27 RBI.
TEENAGE DISCIPLINE: Outfielder Franmil Reyes, 19, drew five walks in 16 games in April. He drew five walks again in May in 28 games. So far through four games this month he’s already drawn four walks, including two Saturday night.
BURGEONING BULLPEN: Fort Wayne’s bullpen has worked six consecutive scoreless innings, including two on Saturday. The bullpen ERA is down to 4.03. As recently as May 20, the bullpen’s ERA was 4.65.
ALUMNI REPORT: Third baseman Duanel Jones, who was having an All-Star first half for the TinCaps before earning a promotion to Double-A San Antonio on May 27, had his second walk-off hit in as many nights for the Missions on Saturday. After he hit .327 in 41 games with Fort Wayne, Jones is batting .300 through his first 10 games in the Texas League. Friday he had a walk-off single, while last night it was a home run in the 10th to down Northwest Arkansas.