2009 MWL Finals Game Two

@ Fort Wayne 2, Burlington 0:

Closing in on crown
Fort Wayne one win away from winning first Midwest League title

The TinCaps opened Parkview Field with a shutout.

They ended the first year at the downtown park Wednesday with another, and in the process moved one victory away from the franchise’s first Midwest League title.

Four Fort Wayne pitchers combined on a four-hitter as the TinCaps blanked Burlington 2-0 in Game 2 of the Midwest League Championship Series.
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“Pitching coach Tom Bradley always says, ‘if you shut them out, you’ve got a chance to win,’ ” TinCaps manager Doug Dascenzo said. “They pitched fantastic all day.”

Starter Chris Fetter allowed three hits in 5 1/3 innings. The 6-foot-8 right-hander from Carmel struck out four and did not allow a walk.

“I had a great fastball. It’s a little bit harder than it’s been the last few outings,” Fetter said. “I was able to utilize that. They seemed to be behind the ball all night, so we stuck with it the last three or four innings. We went right at them.”

Pitching again stymies Bees
TinCaps need one more win to secure first championship

Parkview Field’s inaugural season closed in exemplary fashion Wednesday, as Fort Wayne rode incredibly strong pitching to a 2-0 victory over Burlington in Game 2 of the Midwest League Championship Series.

The TinCaps can clinch the first championship in the franchise’s 17-year history with a victory in Game 3 of the best-of-five series. That game will be played at 7:30 p.m. (Eastern) today in Burlington, Iowa.

“We came in (to Parkview Field) and win a few games right out of the gate (10 straight), and now we close it that way,” TinCap manager Doug Dascenzo said of the final game of the year at the magnificent facility.

Fort Wayne won 55 of its 76 games at Parkview Field, and playing in front of 6,269 boisterous fans Wednesday was key to picking up the team emotionally.

“That was unbelievable,” Fort Wayne third baseman Justin Baum said of the crowd support. “They’ve been coming out all season, and just to have (a large crowd) tonight made it that much more special.”

Fort Wayne takes Game 2 of series

The last weeks of the regular season and the beginning of the Midwest League playoffs, the Burlington Bees' offense took off.

In a whole bunch of bad timing, those hot bats disappeared as the championship series against the Fort Wayne TinCaps began. Add strong opposing pitchers to the mix and the Bees find themselves in trouble.
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"Their pitchers have done a nice job," Bees manager Jim Gabella said. "We've got to figure a way out here the next three days to get some offense going. That's basically what it is. You're not going to win games when you don't score runs. We've just got to find a way starting tomorrow, find a way to swing the bats and get some offense going."

Game Three Probables:
FW: Michael Watt
BUR: Manauris Baez