'Caps Blanked 5-0 in Wednesday Matinee
Published on July 19, 2023 under Midwest League (MWL)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release
SOUTH BEND, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps bats went silent, spoiling a solid performance from pitcher Wilkel Hernandez on Wednesday afternoon as part of a 5-0 shutout loss to the South Bend Cubs at Four Winds Field.
West Michigan's offense was held to just five hits and hasn't scored a run in 16 consecutive innings. Hernandez (2-6) posted his third straight start giving up one or fewer runs in at least five innings but took the tough-luck loss - his sixth of the season.
South Bend scored their first run in the fourth on a two-out RBI-double by Moises Ballesteros before tacking on an insurance tally in the sixth when Ezequiel Pagan scored on a wild pitch to extend the Cubs lead to 2-0. In the seventh, South Bend took control of the contest in a three-run frame highlighted by run-scoring singles from Felix Stevens and Yohendrick Pinango to take a 5-0 lead. Meanwhile, the Whitecaps, who stranded 16 base runners on Tuesday, only enjoyed multiple base runners once in the Wednesday matinee.
The Whitecaps fall to 41-44 overall and 9-11 in the second half, while the Cubs draw even at one win apiece in this series while improving to 37-48 and 7-13 in the second half. Infielder Jace Jung recorded a pair of hits - both doubles - at the plate in a losing cause for a West Michigan team who went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and is now 4-for-24 in those situations through the first two games of the series. South Bend outfielder and Top Chicago Cubs Prospect Kevin Alcantara went 3-for-3 with a double before leaving the game with a leg injury in the sixth inning.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps switch back to the evening schedule Thursday night against the South Bend Cubs at Four Winds Field at 7:05 pm. Pitcher Angel Reyes gets the start for the 'Caps against the Cubs righty Cade Horton, the No. 7 Overall Pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network beginning at 6:50 pm. Get your tickets for all 2023 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.
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