NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



West Michigan Whitecaps

Dayton Prevails In Battle Of The Bullpens

May 22, 2013 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


DAYTON, OH - The West Michigan Whitecaps let a late lead slip away on Wednesday night, yielding four unanswered runs in a 6-4 loss to the Dayton Dragons at Fifth Third Field.

The opener of a six-game road trip boiled down to a battle of the bullpens. But while relief pitching has been a strength for West Michigan (20-23) this season, it was the Dayton (18-27) bullpen that rose to the occasion on Wednesday.

The Whitecaps' relief corps entered play with an impressive 2.97 ERA as a unit through the first 42 games of the year, and West Michigan held a 4-2 lead when the bullpen took over with a runner at second and one out in the bottom of the seventh.

Brennan Smith, who brought a streak of 20.1 consecutive scoreless relief innings into play, was the first pitcher in. After he walked Joe Hudson, the Dragons attempted a double steal with the lead runner, Junior Arias, breaking for third. Catcher Adolfo Reina fired a low throw that skipped under the glove of Mario Martinez, allowing Arias to cross the plate and Hudson to wind up at third base. The error led to a costly unearned run when Zach Vincej's sacrifice fly tied the game at 4-4.

One inning later, Dayton's Jesse Winker tagged Josh Turley for a two-run homer that put the Dragons in front, 6-4. It was the first home run allowed this season by Turley, who entered play with a 5-1 record and a 1.77 ERA.

The Whitecaps overcame an early 2-0 deficit to build their lead. Mario Martinez clubbed a game-tying two-run double to center field in the fourth inning and Jeff Holm delivered a go-ahead RBI-single in the sixth. Later in the sixth-inning rally, the bases were loaded when Jake Stewart drew a walk to put West Michigan ahead, 4-2.

But while the Dragons rallied late, the Whitecaps were unable to make any noise against a Dayton bullpen that came into the ballgame with a collective 5.07 ERA.

After Stewart's bases-loaded walk in the sixth, relievers Alejandro Chacin, Joey Housey and Sean Lucas combined to retire the last 11 West Michigan batters in order. The trio combined to deal four hitless innings of relief, striking out five and walking a pair to allow their offense the opportunity to rally.

Housey (1-1) earned the win with a perfect eighth inning, rebounding from a rough appearance last week in which the Whitecaps bombed him for eight runs in just two innings. Turley (5-2) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning to end a personal three-game winning streak.

Not to be ignored with another solid outing by Whitecaps' starter Edgar De La Rosa, who turned in a second consecutive quality start. The 6-foot-6 right-hander allowed three runs on five hits over a season-high 6.1 frames and walked off the mound in the seventh inning in line for the win.

The Whitecaps continue their six-game road trip with the middle game of a three-game series against the Dayton Dragons on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. RHP Charlie Gillies (0-2, 3.21) is scheduled to take the mound for West Michigan against RHP Drew Cisco (2-3, 2.88) of the Dragons. The next home game at Fifth Third Ballpark will be the extremely popular Dime Dog Night on Tuesday, May 28 at 6:35 p.m. Group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

Check out the West Michigan Whitecaps Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Midwest League message board...

Midwest League Stories from May 22, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent West Michigan Whitecaps Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central