Lake County Sentinel
Captains comeback falls short in 4-3 loss to Cubs
BY TIM SHIRER
CAPTAINS BEAT WRITER
(EASTLAKE, OH) - The Lake County Captains and South Bend Cubs played game three of their six game series on Tuesday night. Things did not end happily for the 1,214 in attendance at Classic Park as the Captains fell just short 4-3.
Juan Hillman made the start for the Captains with the hopes of a good start as it was his 21st birthday. Hillman did not pitch bad as he allowed four runs, all earned in six and two thirds innings of work. He scattered six hits and struck out seven Cubs.
Unfortunately for Hillman the Captains offense could not get much going as they tallied only two runs in the game. The first run came in the fourth inning when Ernie Clement led off the inning with a single. Three batters later Jorma Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly to right field and Clement scored from third base to put the Captains on the board and cut the Cubs lead to 2-1 at the time.
After the Cubs scored their third and fourth runs of the game in the top of the seventh inning the Captains countered with a single run in the bottom of the inning. The run came when Nolan Jones drew a base on balls to lead off the inning. Jones scored three batters later when Austen Wade doubled to center field.
The Captains did attempt to mount a comeback in the ninth inning when the first two batters Clement and Will Benson reached on a single and a base on balls. Nolan Jones was then retired on strikes by South Bend reliever Manuel Rondon. Rondon was then removed from the game in favor of Enrique De Los Rios. De Los Rios entered, and Rodriguez reached on a fielder’s choice, all runners were safe to load the bases for Jonathan Laureano. Laureano also hit into a fielder’s choice, Benson was retired at third, Clement scored and Laureano was safe at first, pulling the Captains to within one run at 4-3. Wade grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the threat and the game.
The Captains only managed three hits in the game. Two off the bat of Clement and Wade accounted for the other hit. They also drew two base on balls.
Hillman took the loss for Lake County falling to 0-6 with a 5.86 ERA. South Bend Tyler Thomas went six and two thirds innings to pick up the win. With the Win Thomas improves to 2-3 with a 2.86 ERA. De Los Rios picked up the save pitching two thirds of an inning. The save was his third of the season.
With the loss the Captains fall to 17-20 on the season and are still at least five games out of the final first half playoff spot pending the results of games yet to finish.
The Captains and Cubs continue the series on Wednesday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. with a doubleheader. In game one Righty Javier Assad will be on the mound for the Cubs. Assad is 3-1 with a 2.03 ERA. Gregori Vasquez will take the hill for the Captains. Vasky is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA.
tshirer@lakecountysentinel.com or follow Tim on Twitter @IndiansTim Check out our IndiansNation fan Page
POSTED 05/15/2018 21:22
Photo by Phillip Goth
Captains center fielder Austen Wade.
