Chu delivers for Lake County

The stars aligned for the Captains, manager Larry Day and Li-Jen Chu on July 21 at Classic Park.

They did not align for the Kane County (Ill.) Cougars, manager Butch Hobson and relief pitcher Trevor Simms in what ended as a 4-2 victory for the Captains.

Through six innings on a balmy summer evening, the Cougars had a 2-1 lead. They had nicked Lake County starter Micah Miniard for single runs in the first and second innings.

Kane County starter Ryan Atkinson had been tough against the Captains, limiting them to three hits while posting 10 strikeouts. The only blemish on his line was a solo home run in the the second inning by Lake County catcher Logan Ice.

With his starter having thrown 89 pitches, Hopson elected to bring on Simms to face the Captains in the seventh. The 25-year-old right-hander came in with a 1-0 record and 0.00 ERA in eight previous appearances.

Simms struggled from the outset, giving up a leadoff single by Jose Medina and a one-out single by Alexis Pantoja.

That’s when Day summoned catcher-DH Li-Jen Chu to pinch hit for center fielder Junior Soto.

The move made perfect sense.

Soto would have come to the plate batting .180 and struggling.

Chu, out of the starting lineup for one game on programmed rest, came in batting 279 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI.

He has been on a tear of late that included a tworun home run July 19 in the series opener, a 6-1 Lake County victory.

Chu also has been the team’s best clutch hitter all season. He walked to the plate against Simms batting .333 with runners on base.

With reserve outfielder Michael Tinsley able to take over from Soto in center field, Day didn’t hesitate to make a move he probably wouldn’t have made one month ago.

“Development is the goal at this level of the minor leagues, so they don’t let us make a lot of moves to match up and win games,” Day said. “But it’s late July now, and I want to give my team a chance to win. It’s time to manage to win.”

Chu went down in the count, 1-2, before vindicating his manager’s move by turning on a Simms slider and driving it over the leftfield fence to transform a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead.

Relievers Alsis Herrera and Dalbert Siri blanked the Cougars over the final two innings to make sure Chu’s heroics were decisive.

Herrera (3-1, 1.89 ERA) earned the win while Siri notched his team-high ninth save.