TinCaps pop Kernels late in 9-1 win

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Up next First pitch: Fort Wayne at Cedar Rapids, 7:35 p.m. today Probable starters: FW/Colin Rea vs. CR/Austin Wood Radio: ESPN 1380-AM

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Fort Wayne kept it interesting for a while Thursday. Then the TinCaps popped Cedar Rapids for nine runs in their final two at-bats to easily come away with a 9-1 Midwest League victory over the Kernels.

The TinCaps had just two base runners over the first seven innings, and both were wiped out by double plays. But during the late-game rally from the 1-0 deficit, Fort Wayne sent 18 batters to the plate in the eighth and ninth innings.

Fort Wayne (15-11 second half, 46-50) was flummoxed by Cedar Rapids (8-18, 40-56) starter Cam Bedrosian. The right-hander, who had pitched no more than six innings in any outing this year, tossed seven frames, setting the side down in order five times. Only Lee Orr and Travis Whitmore picked up base hits against the son of 1987 NL Cy Young award winner Steve Bedrosian.

TinCaps starter Adys Portillo nearly matched Bedrosian, allowing one run on four hits over six innings. The lone Kernels run came in the first, as Portillo walked two batters, the first of which would score on an RBI single by Andy Workman. Portillo later retired 10 batters in a row from the second through the fifth.

Once Bedrosian exited the game in favor of reliever R.J. Alvarez, the Fort Wayne offense sprang to life.

Yeison Asencio led off the seventh with a double before scoring on an Austin Hedges RBI single. With the bases loaded and one out, Kyle Gaedele grounded to third baseman Kevin Moesquit, who committed a crucial error. His throw home sailed over catcher Zach Wright, which allowed two Fort Wayne runs to score. Tyler Stubblefield connected on a two-run double with two outs, and scored himself on a throwing error by Wright to cap the six-run frame.

In the ninth, Asencio and Duanel Jones led off with back-to-back singles. Whitmore plated Asencio with a groundout, making it 7-1 in favor of the TinCaps. Gaedele plated two more runs on a single, setting the final margin at 9-1.

Alvarez took the loss, surrendering six runs, but with only one earned run. Dennis O'Grady (3-0) earned the win for the TinCaps, pitching a scoreless seventh inning.

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