Guardians Baseball Insider

June 4, 2012

Recovering from a concussion in what was his last full year catching for the Indians, Carlos Santana made a rehab start for the Lake County Captains as a DH.

Santana didn’t stick around for the entire affair, as most rehabbing players normally don’t finish full games unless it’s their last one. But Santana did clobber a game tying two run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to knot the score against the Fort Wayne Tin Caps, 3-3.

It took 13 innings for the Captains to finally put this affair to bed with Todd Hankins doubling in future Chicago Cubs interesting rookie story, Robel Garcia, to win the game.

Hankins collected two other hits in his six at bats on the night including the game wining double and RBI.

Alex Monsalve also had four hits in six at bats.

The Captains lineup on this day included Santana in a rehab start as well as Francisco Lindor at shortstop (0-4 in this contest), Garcia, who was a highly thought of Indians international prospect but was released a year later and went to play in Italy for a few years before turning up as an extra base hit machine with the Chicago Cubs in 2020.

Future Captains bench coach Jordan Smith had three hits and brief-Cleveland Indian Joe Colon started the game, getting a no decision pitching seven innings allowing three runs.

Here’s video of Santana’a homer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92MdNmRwvNY

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