Mike Couzens has been named manager of broadcasting and media relations, the Fort Wayne TinCaps announced today.MIDLAND, Mich. – For the first 15 innings of the Midwest League first-round playoff series, TinCaps pitching held Great Lakes in check.
The Loons would threaten, but Fort Wayne held them without a run.
Two wild innings changed that, and possibly the momentum of the best-of-three series.
Great Lakes scored twice in the seventh and eight more in the eighth to rally and beat the TinCaps 10-5 Thursday in front of 3,917 fans at Dow Diamond.
The comeback evens the series at 1, forcing a deciding Game 3 at 7:05 p.m. today at Dow Diamond.
The Loons tied the game at 3 in the eighth on a throwing error by shortstop Jonathan Galvez. They took the lead when Chris Jacobs drew a bases-loaded walk off reliever Stiven Osuna.
The TinCaps had escaped trouble throughout Game 1, which they won 1-0. The Loons placed a runner in scoring position in five of the six innings against starter Matt Lollis but never scored.
The trend continued Thursday. Staked to a 3-0 lead thanks to a three-run home run by Edinson Rincon, starter Jose De Paula faced a bases-loaded jam in the first. But De Paula got Rafael Ynoa to pop out to first.
De Paula escaped more trouble in the second. Joe Becker led off with a double and moved to third on a groundout.
Gorman Erickson then hit a high-bouncing grounder back to the mound. De Paula decided to throw home and catcher Jason Hagerty tagged Becker out.
The Loons’ leadoff batter got on again in the third. Nick Buss singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. After a flyout, Buss tried to steal third. De Paula twirled around and fired to Rincon, who tagged Buss out.
De Paula struck out two in the fourth, stuck out the side in the fifth and stuck out the final two batters of the sixth.
The Loons broke through in the seventh. With two outs, Buss slapped a single past third baseman Jedd Gyorko. Two runs scored, cutting the TinCaps’ lead to 3-2.
They were just getting warmed up.
Osuna entered in the eighth and walked Blake Smith. Angelo Songco singled and Rafael Ynoa bunted in front of the plate. Hagerty’s throw to third was late, loading the bases for Becker.
With the infield in, Becker hit a grounder to Galvez. The shortstop’s throw home was high and Smith scored to tie the game.
Osuna then walked Jacobs, and pinch-runner Brian Ruggiano scored to give the Loons the lead.
J.T. Wise added an RBI single, and after an out, Buss followed with a two-run single. Brian Cavazos-Galvez knocked in two more with a double. He scored on a single by Smith.
When the inning ended, 12 men came to the plate, eight had scored and the series was extended to its limit.
