The fireworks were conducted after the baseball game at Parkview Field on Wednesday. However, the Fort Wayne offense was explosive in its own right hours earlier than that.
The TinCaps pounded out seven runs in the fourth inning alone to smoke Bowling Green 8-1 in Midwest League action.
Fort Wayne starter Frank Garces pitched five scoreless innings, which gave him his fourth consecutive win and lowered his season ERA to 2.45.
The TinCaps (9-4 second half, 40-43) scored the game's first run on a second-inning double by catcher Austin Hedges. Duanel Jones scored from first base as Hedges turned on a pitch from Felipe Rivero (6-7) and drove it into the left-field corner.
The 1-0 TinCaps advantage carried into the fourth inning when, for the fourth time this season and the second time since the All-Star break, Fort Wayne scored seven runs in an inning.
Eleven batters came to the plate against Bowling Green (7-6, 45-38) righty Roberto Gomez. The inning featured run-scoring base hits by Tyler Stubblefield, Kyle Gaedele and Jace Peterson. Yeison Asencio drove in the frame's final run with a sacrifice fly. Bowling Green's only run came on a seventh-inning solo homer by Tyler Goeddel.
Garces (5-4) surrendered three hits in his outing, and over his last four starts has surrendered just one earned run in 20 innings, while striking out 19 and walking eight. James Jones, Luis De La Cruz and Daniel Cropper all pitched in relief.
Kometani returns
Fort Wayne had a pair of players come and go on Wednesday, as the San Diego Padres sent infielder Zach Kometani back to the TinCaps and promoted outfielder Kyung-Min Na.
Na was transferred to Double-A San Antonio after playing in 19 games. The 20-year-old hit .134 with no home runs and five runs batted in with Fort Wayne this season.
Kometani was activated from the San Antonio disabled list and transferred to Fort Wayne. The 22-year-old was on Fort Wayne's opening day roster, and was transferred to extended spring training on April 30.
In 15 games with Fort Wayne he hit .207 with one home run and nine runs batted in. Most recently, he was 5 for 9 with no home runs and no runs batted in over four games with San Antonio.
