MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

Betancourt's Late Hit Breaks Up Stellar Duel

Published on August 20, 2014 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Austin Kubitza and Miguel Castro went toe-to-toe in an outstanding pitchers' duel on Wednesday night, but in the end it was Javier Betancourt who stole the show with a two-run, two-out single in the bottom of the eighth that lifted the West Michigan Whitecaps to a 2-0 victory over the Lansing Lugnuts at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (36-22, 77-51) won the game and the series with their eighth shutout victory of the year, finishing their season-series against Lansing (25-33, 57-70) with an 11-8 record.

While neither starting pitcher allowed a run, the Whitecaps were able to break through after the game was turned over to the bullpens.

Lansing's Matt Dermody (4-5) took over in the bottom of the eighth and Domingo Leyba quickly singled his first pitch into left-center field. Arvicent Perez bunted him to second and Jose Zambrano lofted a single to right-center, but Leyba was forced to stop at third base. Wynton Bernard followed with an infield pop-out, while Zambrano stole second to set up the game-winning situation.

With runners at second and third and two outs, Betancourt broke up the scoreless tie with a line-drive single to right field. Leyba scored easily and Zambrano slid in just ahead of the tag at the plate for the 2-0 lead.

Prior to the game-winning rally, the story of the night was the exceptional starting pitching.

Kubitza worked a career-high 7.2 scoreless innings, yielding just five singles and one walk while striking out six. After his outing began with a walk and a single, the 6-foot-5 right-hander retired 13 of the next 14 batters and did not allow another hit until the fifth inning.

Kubitza was able to work around occasional jams to maintain the scoreless tie. He left runners at second and third in the first inning, stranded a man at second in the fourth, and handled a tough comebacker to the mound to end the sixth inning with a runner at third base.

Kubitza came back out for the eighth inning but allowed a one-out single to Chaz Frank. After a stolen base and a wild pitch, the Lugnuts had yet another opportunity with a man at third base and just one away. But Kubitza, a fourth-round pick out of Rice University in 2013, buckled down and outlasted Ian Parmley for a swinging strikeout on a full count - his 97th and final pitch of the night.

Zac Reininger (4-2) took over and induced an inning-ending pop-out to maintain the scoreless deadlock. Following the Whitecaps' rally in the bottom of the eighth, Reininger finished the combined five-hit shutout and earned the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

Lost in the excitement was a tremendous starting pitching performance by Castro, who worked seven shutout innings and allowed just three hits. The 19-year-old Toronto Blue Jays' prospect gave up an infield single to open the first inning before setting down the next 17 batters he faced in order. Castro's only jam came in the seventh when he worked around runners at first and second with nobody out.

Also of note was a 2-for-4 night by Bernard, who continued to inch closer to history. The Midwest League's leading hitter and MVP candidate now has 157 hits this season, just one shy of the franchise record shared by Robert Fick (1997) and Nick Castellanos (2011).

The Whitecaps continue their final extended homestand of the regular season on Thursday night with a 7:00 p.m. game against the Dayton Dragons. RHP Jon Maciel (5-6, 4.22) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Jackson Stephens (2-4, 4.10) of Dayton on '80s Prom Night, which will also feature $2 food and beverage specials thanks to an Altogas Thrifty Thursday. 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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Midwest League Stories from August 20, 2014


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