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West Michigan Whitecaps

Errors, Walks Lead To Sloppy Loss

July 14, 2010 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


CLINTON, IA - After a long drive west, the West Michigan Whitecaps lost the first game of a six-game road trip, 9-4, in a sloppy affair against the Clinton LumberKings on Wednesday night at Alliant Energy Field.

West Michigan (6-13, 32-56) committed three errors in the first three innings and issued four walks within the first five frames, helping Clinton (10-8, 47-40) establish a 5-1 lead on the strength of four unearned runs while three of the walks also came around to score.

The LumberKings jumped ahead early thanks to a key error in the bottom of the first. It was a fielding error charged to first baseman Tony Plagman that allowed Nick Franklin to reach base with one away, and Franklin reached scoring position moments later by stealing second. Later in the frame, Tim Morris grounded a two-out single up the middle to plate Franklin for the early 1-0 advantage.

The score was 2-0 when the Whitecaps made some noise in the top of the fourth. Clinton starter Erasmo Ramirez retired the first nine men he faced in order through the first three frames, but issued a walk to Jamie Johnson to open the fourth. One out later, newcomer Corey Jones delivered a run-scoring single in his second Midwest League at-bat since joining West Michigan earlier in the day. Wade Gaynor added a double that placed runners at second and third with just one away, but a strikeout and a groundout left them stranded and held the deficit at 2-1.

Shortly thereafter, Clinton pulled away.

In the bottom of the fourth, Whitecaps starter Nathan Newman walked the first two batters on just nine pitches. Gabriel Noriega then laid down a bunt that rolled right to a charging Plagman at first, but Plagman's throw to third was off the mark and skipped away towards the left field bullpen. Both runners scored and Noriega ended up at second. Franklin later delivered a sacrifice fly, capping a rally in which three unearned runs stretched the LumberKings' lead to 5-1.

In the fifth, Clinton took advantage of a leadoff walk to spark another rally. James Jones struck a triple to deep left-center that drove home a run, and Blake Ochoa followed with a sacrifice fly for a 7-1 advantage. Two innings later, Jones singled and Ochoa blasted a two-run homer as the lead swelled to 9-1 in the seventh.

Ramirez (6-3) earned the win for Clinton after limiting the Whitecaps to one run on three hits over six innings of work. He retired the side in order in four of his six frames and did not allow a baserunner until the fourth, notching four strikeouts along the way. While he entered play having issued just seven walks through 83.2 innings of work for a league-low average of 0.86 walks-per-nine innings, Ramirez issued three free passes on Wednesday - including a pair to Johnson, who is among the league leaders with 60 walks drawn.

West Michigan put up a fight in the ninth, stringing together three consecutive one-out singles that all came around to score for the 9-4 final.

Newman (0-5) took the loss for West Michigan after being charged with seven runs - three earned - on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts over 4.1 frames.

The Whitecaps continue a six-game Western Division swing with game two of a three-game set in Clinton on Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. ET. RHP Victor Larez (5-7, 4.90) is set to take the hill for West Michigan against RHP Nolan Gallagher (0-2, 3.72) of the LumberKings. The 'Caps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Wednesday, July 21, for a 7:00 p.m. game featuring Hand Fans for the first 2,500 fans thanks to DFCU Financial and post-game fireworks courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

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