Captains inching toward playoff spot with 1-0 win

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Lake County Sentinel

Captains inching toward playoff spot with 1-0 win

BY TIM SHIRER

CAPTAINS BEAT WRITER

(EASTLAKE, OH) - The Lake County Captains and Great Lakes Loons played game two of their four game series on Sunday night. The Captains won a pitcher’s duel, shedding the brown and orange jerseys and returning to their familiar navy blue to defeat the Loons 1-0, sending the 3,251 faithful at Classic Park home happy.

The game was scoreless until the middle innings when the Indians drew first blood in the fifth inning when Will Benson drew a lead-off walk. He advanced to second on a ground ball off the bat of Jonathan Laureano. Benson then came home on attempted steal of third base when Great Lakes starting pitcher Alfredo Tavarez made an errant throw to third base and Benson trotted home with the first run of the game.

Meanwhile Captains starting pitcher Francisco Perez was spinning a gem. Perez went six strong innings allowing only three base runners, two base on balls and one hit, while striking out six Loons. Perez picked up the win and improved to 8-7 with a 3.85 ERA. Jonathan Teaney pitched the final two innings for Lake County and picked up the save, it was his fourth of the season. Tavarez who also pitched well took the loss for the Loons. He went five and two thirds innings allowing one run, it was unearned on two hits. He issued five base on balls and struck out two Captains hitter. With the loss Tavarez falls to 1-4 with a 2.94 ERA.

Along with great pitching by Lake County pitchers in a shut-out effort there were several sparkling defensive plays, one a line drive early that third baseman Nolan Jones leaped to stab and later in the seventh inning Jones knocked down a hard ground ball shortstop Miguel Eladio retrieved it and threw to first base for the out.

With the win the Captains moved into the wild card playoff spot in the second half standings in the Midwest League East Division. Asked if making the playoffs was important since minor league baseball is about development Captains manager Luke Carlin said, “I think it’s a big deal to our players, so that’s why it’s a big deal to me.”

The two clubs will play game three on Monday night at 7:00 p.m. Bryan Warzek will be on the mound for the Loons. Warzek a lefty is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA. Righty Jean Carlos Mejia will be on the hill for the Captains. Mejia is 3-4 with a 2.98 ERA.