Fort Wayne TinCaps (5-7, 41-41) vs. South Bend Cubs (9-3, 50-31)
RHP Austin Smith (1-5, 5.15) vs. LHP Ryan Kellogg (3-4, 3.40)
Tuesday, July 5 — Parkview Field — First Pitch 7:05 p.m. — Game 83
LAST NIGHT: The TinCaps toppled the Cubs, 6-3. Fort Wayne piled on 16 hits, scoring twice in the first, third, and fourth, respectively. South Bend got all three of its runs in the third.
PARKVIEW FIELD’S BIGGEST CROWDS: Last night’s crowd of 9,026 was the third largest in Parkview Field history. Here’s the Top 5…
1. Saturday, July 4, 2015 vs. DAY — 9,193
2. Friday, July 4, 2014 vs. WM — 9,182
3. Monday, July 4, 2016 vs. SB — 9,026
4. Thursday, June 26, 2014 vs. DAY — 9,015
5. Thursday, July 4, 2013 vs. SB — 8,780
THE DIFFERENCE: Although they did leave 11 men on base, the TinCaps went 7-for-15 with runners in scoring position on Monday. That’s after Fort Wayne was 3-for-35 (.086) in those spots during their 5-game losing streak as they stranded 26. On the year, the TinCaps have hit .241 with RISP.
BELEN BASHES: 3B Carlos Belen helped pace the Fort Wayne offense on Monday with 3 hits, including a double, and an RBI. The 20-year-old has been hot in the second half, hitting .366 with 6 doubles, a triple, a homer, and 8 RBIs. (This is after he hit .194 in the first half.) Of Belen’s 50 hits this year, 25 have gone for extra bases.
ZUNICA FINDS HIS STROKE: Like Belen, 1B Brad Zunica collected 3 hits and 2 RBIs on Monday. Zunica is now batting .306 in the second half (after hitting .251 in the first half) with 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 9 RBIs. His average is at .260 now — the highest it’s been since April 23.
TIDWELL’S TEAR: Kodie Tidwell went 3-for-3 with a home run and 2 walks on Monday, stretching his hitting streak to 7 games. This is on the heels of his 31-game on-base streak — from May 13-June 25 — the longest in the MWL this season. In 40 games since May 13, Tidwell, who over the stretch has played 2B, 3B, SS, LF, RF, and DH-ed, has slashed .293/.400/.463 with 4 homers, a triple, 11 doubles, and 14 RBIs with 5 stolen bases. His .400 OBP is third highest in the MWL over this time.
HOME COOKIN’: The TinCaps are 7-1 against the Cubs at Parkview Field this year, even though South Bend sports the league’s best overall record.
DOUG D’S RETURN: The winningest manager in Fort Wayne franchise history, Doug Dascenzo, is back at Parkview Field for the first time since 2009. Dascenzo, who managed the Wizards in 2007 and ’08, and then the inaugural TinCaps in 2009, is now the Chicago Cubs’ Minor League Outfield Coordinator. Dascenzo won 227 games as Fort Wayne’s skipper, including 101 in ’09 when the TinCaps went on to win their lone Midwest League championship. That year’s team has produced 19 MLB players. Dascenzo played parts of 7 seasons in the big leagues himself as an outfielder.
INDEPENDENCE DAY: While the United States celebrated its freedom yesterday, today in 1811, Venezuela declared its independence from Spain. The TinCaps have 2 Venezuelans in LHP José Castillo and First Base Coach Raul Padrón. South Bend’s roster features the following Venezuelan natives: RHP Adbert Alzolay, RHP Greyfer Eregua, and SS Bryant Flete.
