Bustabad Joins 700 Club with 9-3 Win
August 24, 2010 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release
MIDLAND, MI - After being named the Midwest League Manager of the Year earlier on Tuesday, Juan Bustabad's night got a little sweeter when the Loons won 9-3 over the West Michigan Whitecaps to mark the 700th win of his managerial career. On hand to celebrate the occasion were 6,079 fans, setting a new Dow Diamond single-game attendance record.
"We win the game first of all," Bustabad said, recounting the night's achievements after the game. "We get 82 wins to break the franchise record of 81; I get my 700th victory as a manager, and we get the largest crowd ever. So it's three for the price of one."
With the win, the Loons improved their 2010 record to 82-44, which breaks the team's previous best of 81-59, set in 2009.
"It was a great night," he said. "We needed a game like that to tie the series with West Michigan, [who] had been playing good. We needed to step up and try even the series here and that's what we did."
After three scoreless frames, the Loons broke through in the fourth inning. A leadoff walk and Blake Smith double put two in scoring position, before outfielder Brian Cavazos-Galvez broke the ice with a sacrifice fly. Later in the inning with Smith on third and two outs, first baseman Jaime Ortiz belted a home run to the fire pit in right field to put the Loons up 3-0 at the end of four.
Loading the bases in the fifth inning before recording an out, the Loons found success off the hands of the two men, Smith and Cavazos-Galvez, who were designated earlier in the day as Midwest League post season All-Stars. Smith started with a bases-clearing double that landed at the bottom of the right-center field wall. Next was Cavazos-Galvez who singled to left to make it 7-0. Adding to the Loons lead was Rafael Ynoa with an RBI-double in the sixth along with Brian Ruggiano's solo-homer in the seventh.
The Loons starting pitcher Greg Wilborn (4-1, 2.20) shut down the Whitecaps through six innings to limit the 'Caps to four hits, while fanning seven and walking one along the way to his fourth Midwest League win. But the Whitecaps broke free of the shut out in the eighth inning, scoring three runs on four hits off of Loons reliever Nick Gaudi. Gaudi left the game mid-inning with two outs and the bases loaded for J.B. Paxson. Paxson dealt one pitch to get Luis Alberto Sanz to fly out to center and end the inning. Paxson continued to make quick work of the Whitecaps, pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
The Loons head south to Fort Wayne Wednesday to begin a seven-game road trip that will conclude in Grand Rapids. Starting for the Loons on Wednesday is RHP Josh Wall (7-6, 3.65) against the TinCaps LHP Jose DePaula (8-3, 2.69). The Loons will return to Dow Diamond on Wednesday, September 1 for their final homestand of the regular season.
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Midwest League Stories from August 24, 2010
- 'Caps Drop Finale, Split Series with Loons - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Lugnuts avoid sweep, beat TinCaps, 8-5 - Lansing Lugnuts
- Hagerty Named MWL All-Star - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Bustabad Joins 700 Club with 9-3 Win - Great Lakes Loons
- Bandits Drop Series Finale with Cougars 3-1 - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Odorizzi & Rosario Combine on No-Hitter at Cedar Rapids - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Bats Back Wilhelmsen as Kings Punish Peoria - Clinton LumberKings
- Lugnuts avoid sweep, win 8-5 - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Cougars Take Finale against Bandits - Kane County Cougars
- Chiefs Get Blasted Out of Clinton to Finish Series - Peoria Chiefs
- 8-Run Inning Lifts Dragons to Win and 4-Game Sweep - Dayton Dragons
- Early Runs Enough for Eitel and Hawks - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Morrison Wraps Up Big Series In Loss To South Bend - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Carlos Silva to Rehab with Chiefs Friday - Peoria Chiefs
- Bustabad Named Manager of the Year - Great Lakes Loons
- Franklin, Ramirez Named MWL Post-Season All-Stars - Clinton LumberKings
- Mike Trout Named MWL MVP & Prospect of the Year - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Bandits and LumberKings to Play Two on Thursday - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Two Hawks Named Post Season All-Stars - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Three Rattlers Named MWL Postseason All-Stars - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Salinas, Lamarre Promoted from Dragons - Dayton Dragons
- Midwest League Names 2010 Post Season All-Star Team - MWL1
- Rattlers Hold Kids Rock the Ballpark Day on August 30 - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Dragons Gameday for Tuesday, August 24 - Dayton Dragons
- Wisconsin stuns Kernels, 6-5 - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Beloit Steals Victory in Burlington - Burlington Bees
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