Former Norwell baseball player Josh VanMeter signed with the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.The shortstop, who was drafted in the fifth round with the 148th overall pick, got a $308,000 signing bonus from the Padres.Adys Portillo has been so good that giving up three runs is considered an off night for Fort Wayne’s ace pitcher.
Portillo surrendered three earned runs for the first time in almost two months in Beloit’s 6-2 victory in front of 7,579 fans Thursday at Parkview Field.
Jhon Goncalves had three hits, two RBI and scored one run as the Snappers handed the TinCaps (11-9, 42-48 overall) their fifth loss in six games. The loss, coupled with Bowling Green’s win at Burlington, knocked the TinCaps out of first in the Eastern Division.
Fort Wayne walked nine batters. Four of those walks led to Beloit runs.
“Our pitchers were off today with their command. They weren’t able to throw strikes,” TinCaps manager Jose Valentin said. “Our walks were high.”
Portillo gave up three of the walks. He entered the game with the lowest ERA in the Midwest League (1.65). The mark was the third-lowest in all of minor league baseball.
Portillo gave up three earned runs on four hits in four innings. It’s the most earned runs he’s allowed in since giving up three against Bowling Green on May 19.
It was just the third time he has given up three or more earned runs in a game in 17 starts.
“You never think Portillo is going to have the outing like the one he had,” Valentin said. “He looked like he wasn’t comfortable. He was battling, trying to throw strikes. But he wasn’t able to do it.
“His fastball wasn’t sharp today. His breaking ball, he had no command.”
Fort Wayne actually held an early lead. Austin Hedges hit a solo home run to left field in the second inning, his eighth of the season, to give the TinCaps a 1-0 lead.
Beloit tied the game in the third. Nate Roberts walked with one out. He eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Miguel Sano.
The Snappers (9-11, 48-42) scored two more runs in the fourth inning. Steven Liddle walked. He advanced to third on a double by Goncalves.
Matt Koch knocked them both in with a single.
Fort Wayne got within 3-2 with a run in the sixth inning. With one out, Jace Peterson tripled. He scored when Yeison Asencio hit into a fielder’s choice.
Beloit responded with two runs in the seventh inning.
Reliever Luis De La Cruz walked three of the four batters he faced. He left after a walk to Liddle loaded the bases.
“He’s one of those guys that’s been consistent, throwing strikes,” Valentin said of De La Cruz. “Today, he wasn’t able to do that.”
Goncalves hit a two-run single off Daniel Cropper, increasing the Snappers lead to 5-2.
That was enough for Beloit starter Jason Wheeler, who gave up two runs n five hits in eight innings for the victory.
“We ran into a pretty good left-handed pitcher,” Valentin said. “We hit some pretty good hard balls, but right at their defense. There is nothing you can do.”
