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West Michigan Whitecaps

Loons Build Early Lead To Snatch Series Victory

June 7, 2013 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps fell behind early and never recovered during a 10-4 loss to the Great Lakes Loons on Friday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.

In dropping the rubber match of the three-game series against last-place Great Lakes (20-40), West Michigan (28-30) fell to 7.5 games behind Fort Wayne with just 12 contests remaining in the race for a first-half playoff spot.

Making his home debut, 19-year-old pitching prospect Jake Thompson (0-1) was knocked around for six runs - four earned - on six hits over just two innings in the loss. The Detroit Tigers' top pick in the 2012 draft joined the Whitecaps on May 28 after starting the season at Extended Spring Training.

With men at the corners and nobody out in the top of the first, West Michigan was willing to concede a run to avoid a big inning. Thompson induced the groundball he was looking for, but the tailor-made double play ball snuck through the legs of second baseman Jared Reaves as one run scored and the runners ended up at second and third. Corey Seager singled home a second run and Great Lakes later pulled off a successful double steal, swiping home to go ahead, 3-0.

One inning later, consecutive two-out doubles by Eric Smith and Tyler Ogle drove in three more runs as the Loons stretched their lead to 6-0 and knocked Thompson out of the game.

Meanwhile, Great Lakes starter Angel Sanchez (2-6) struck out five of the first nine batters he faced and set down 11 straight to open the ballgame. He went on to throw six innings and strike out seven, allowing three runs on six hits for the victory.

It was 7-0 when the Whitecaps broke up the shutout in the fourth on a run-scoring double by Lance Durham.

After James Baldwin's two-run homer in the fifth gave the Loons their biggest lead of the night at 9-1, the Whitecaps scored twice in the sixth to pull as close as 9-3. Each team tacked on a single run in the later innings to reach the 10-4 final.

With Thompson lasting just two innings on Friday, West Michigan was forced to use five relievers to get through the rest of the ballgame. That leaves the Whitecaps with a tired bullpen heading into a five-game, three-day series against Lansing that will begin with back-to-back doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.

Alan Garcia (1) earned the save for Great Lakes after working the final three innings and allowing just one unearned run.

The Whitecaps continue an eight-game, six-day homestand with a doubleheader on Saturday night starting at 6:00 p.m. against the Lansing Lugnuts at Fifth Third Ballpark. RHP Endrys Briceno (2-3, 4.58) will take the mound for West Michigan opposite RHP Ben White (2-3, 3.40) in the first game while LHP Logan Ehlers (0-2, 6.61) will face off against RHP Kramer Champlin (2-1, 4.01) in the nightcap. In addition to the doubleheader, there will be a t-shirt giveaway for the first 1,000 fans and a spectacular fireworks show following the ballgames. Group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

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