TinCaps come within one out of perfect game
Every time he takes the mound, Lake Bachar makes sure his sweatshirt is in a certain spot on the bench. After each inning, he sits down, drapes it over his arm and plans for the next inning. The practice, he said, helps make everything feel routine.His Thursday night start was
Every time he takes the mound, Lake Bachar makes sure his sweatshirt is in a certain spot on the bench. After each inning, he sits down, drapes it over his arm and plans for the next inning. The practice, he said, helps make everything feel routine.
His Thursday night start was anything but.
The San Diego right-hander spun seven hitless innings without a walk and Class A Fort Wayne fell one out shy of perfection in a 7-0 win over South Bend at Four Winds Field.
Making his fourth Midwest League appearance this season and the fifth of his career, Bachar (3-0) threw 50 of 74 pitches for strikes while logging a career high for innings pitched. He notched seven strikeouts and finished his outing by fanning the side on 14 pitches.
Gameday box score
"My catcher, Kyle Overstreet, and I were very synced," the 2016 fifth-rounder said. "I felt like we were on the same page and we were mixing up pitches and keeping them unbalanced. I had three solid pitches vs. every batter."
Bachar said he began to take notice of the perfect-game bid during his last few innings on the mound. While his teammates didn't bring it up to him -- opting instead for the occasional high-five or "Good job" -- the 22-year-old said it never got into his head.
"At a certain point, I don't really try to hide from it, because I feel like that can kind of get you in trouble, at least for me," Bachar said. "I accept it and continue to go out there and do what I need to do."
After Bachar went one frame beyond his previous career high, Fort Wayne brought in Jose Galindo to start the eighth. Although he wanted to go on, Bachar felt the perfect game was in good hands with the New Mexico State product on the mound.
"I wasn't really frustrated, but I was feeling like I had a chance to go back out there and finish at least the eighth and then see where we are from there," he said, "but I had total trust in what the coaches were deciding and trust in Galindo to close out the game."
The right-hander worked a clean eighth. He struck out Alberto Mineo and got Tyler Payne to pop out to first for the first two outs of the ninth while Bachar watched from the dugout.
Galindo fell behind 3-1 to Jhonny Pereda. His next offering caught a large portion of the plate and Pareda drilled it over TinCaps center fielder Buddy Reed's head for a double. Galindo recovered to get Andruw Monasterio to fly out.
Bachar praised his teammate's poise in nearly completing the perfect game.
"I wasn't mad or anything," the Winfield, Illinois native said. "I was just glad Galindo was out there competing. I was glad he didn't walk him. I liked that he was challenging him. ...Things fell the way they did and you can't really go back. I'm still really excited for what we accomplished tonight, both of us."
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San Diego's No. 4 prospectFernando Tatis Jr. collected a season-high three doubles, while No. 11 Jorge Oña went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs for Fort Wayne.
South Bend starter Tyson Miller (5-5) surrendered three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts over 5 2/3 frames.
Alex Kraft is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow and chat with him on Twitter @Alex_Kraft21.
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