Fort Wayne TinCaps (4-8) vs. West Michigan Whitecaps (6-6)
RHP Jesse Scholtens vs. RHP Kyle Funkhouser
Wednesday, April 19, 2017— Parkview Field — First Pitch 11:05 a.m. — Game 13
LAST GAME: The TinCaps walked off against the Whitecaps, 2-1. Rod Boykin delivered the game-winning hit to left-center field with the bases loaded and 1 out in the bottom of the ninth. Fort Wayne needed to rally after West Michigan scored the game’s first run in the top of the eighth. Starting pitcher Hansel Rodriguez threw 6 scoreless.
ROSTER MOVES: The Padres have transferred right-handed relievers Wilmer Torres and Lou Distasio to Extended Spring Training, while right-handed relievers Evan Miller and Will Stillman have been added to Fort Wayne’s roster from Extended Spring Training. (See Pages 7-8 for more information on the new additions, who both pitched for the TinCaps last August and September.)
MASTODON RETURNS: Evan Miller is back in the Summit City following a 2-year career with the Fort Wayne Mastodons at IPFW, and then pitching for the TinCaps late last season after being drafted by the Padres in the 22nd round in June.
SCHOLTENS’ WAYNE TIE: Jesse Scholtens grew up in Fairfield, Calif., between San Francisco and Sacramento. But after spending his freshman year at Arizona and his sophomore year at Diablo Valley Community College (CA), Scholtens transferred to Wright State in Dayton. His pitching coach with the Raiders was Justin Parker, a 2005 graduate of Wayne High School. (Parker is now an assistant at UCF.)
GIBSONS vs. FORT WAYNE: While the TinCaps take on West Michigan outfielder Cam Gibson, the Fort Wayne Komets will square off against Gibson’s older brother, Kevin, tonight in the ECHL Playoffs (Cam is 23; Kevin is 27). Kevin is a defenseman for the Quad City Mallards. (The Komets lead the best-of-7 series 2-0.) Both are the sons of Kirk Gibson, whose resume includes winning the 1984 ALCS MVP with the Tigers, the 1988 MVP with the Dodgers, and the 2011 NL Manager of the Year with the Diamondbacks.
LEADING THE LEAGUE: The TinCaps have drawn a Midwest League-leading 53 walks (4.4/game)… TinCaps pitchers have a MWL-best 127 strikeouts (10.5/game).
WHAT’S ON THE LINE: The TinCaps have a chance to win a series for the first time this season, and also to win consecutive games for the first time in 2017.
ON THE OTHER SIDE: The Whitecaps have the following Top 30 Tigers prospects, per MLB.com… RHP Kyle Funkhouser (No. 6), SS Danny Pinero (No. 27), and RHP Bryan Garcia (No. 30)… In Feb., Baseball America ranked Detroit’s system 25th out of 30… West Michigan’s 1st-year hitting coach Mike Hessman is Minor League Baseball’s all-time home run leader with 433 homers from 1996-2015.
