FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Yennsy Diaz tossed his second straight gem and Samad Taylor tripled and homered, but the Fort Wayne TinCaps (1-6) used an eight-run seventh inning to down the Lansing Lugnuts (4-3), 9-4, in a Wednesday matinee at Parkview Field.The Lugnuts are undefeated in night games - but
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Yennsy Diaz tossed his second straight gem and Samad Taylor tripled and homered, but the Fort Wayne TinCaps (1-6) used an eight-run seventh inning to down the Lansing Lugnuts (4-3), 9-4, in a Wednesday matinee at Parkview Field.
The Lugnuts are undefeated in night games - but have not yet won a day game in 2018.
Diaz followed up a 5.2-IP, one-hit, 10-strikeout performance on Opening Day with six innings of one-hit ball, allowing only a Jack Suwinski solo home run in the fifth inning. Combining his two starts, the 21-year-old has allowed just two hits in 38 at-bats.
A first-inning Kevin Vicuña RBI single, a third-inning Christian Williams RBI single and a seventh-inning 412-foot home run to center field by Taylor gave the Lugnuts a 3-1 lead at the stretch - only to see the TinCaps rally against reliever Dany Jimenez (BS, 2; L, 1-1).
Fort Wayne tied the score at 3-3 on a Jeisson Rosario two-run single before taking the lead on an Esteury Ruiz RBI single and a fielding error by second baseman Samad Taylor . Jimenez recovered to strike out Tre Carter before intentionally walking Gabriel Arias to load the bases. Carlos Belen followed with a grand slam to left, giving the TinCaps a 9-3 lead.
Lansing tallied a run in the ninth on a Kacy Clemens RBI single to close out the scoring.
Taylor finished the game 2-for-4 with a HBP and two runs scored, but also committed two of the Lugnuts' four errors. Third baseman Kevin Smith went 2-for-5 with a double, raising his batting average to .393.
Catcher Ridge Smith departed the game in the second inning after suffering an injury while running the bases.
The Lugnuts will go for the series victory of the four-game set at 7:05 p.m. Thursday, sending left-hander Zach Logue (0-0, 3.60) against Fort Wayne left-hander Aaron Leasher (0-0, 0.00).
The Lansing Lugnuts return home at 7:05 p.m. on Friday the 13th, opening a seven-day, six-game homestand against West Michigan and Lake County. To purchase tickets and live the LugLife, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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