'Caps Clinch Playoff Spot With Win
September 1, 2004 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release
Comstock Park, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps clinched a playoff spot with a 3-0 shutout of the Lansing Lugnuts Wednesday night after Cedar Rapids won in Fort Wayne by a 5-2 count.
The Whitecaps used the best month in the team's history (24-6 in August) to catapult them from sixth place and eight games out to alone in first place just 33 days after July 22. The team will enter the playoffs for the first time since 2002 when they ended the second half in first place by one game.
In the game, Danny Zell tossed six shutout innings as Kelly Hunt and Wilton Reynolds each picked up RBIs for the win. Hunt had an RBI double in the first inning to make it 1-0. Juan Francia's scored on a wild pitch after a triple for the 'Caps second run in the third inning. The last run scored on Wilton Reynolds second home run of the season in the fifth to make it 3-0.
Zell's six shutout innings paved the way for Anthony Tomey and Chris Homer to shut the door on the Lugnuts after allowing just one hit in the final three innings.
The Whitecaps will face either South Bend or Lansing in the first round of the playoffs on September 8 at Fifth Third Ballpark. The magic number to clinch the division and face Lansing is three games over the Battle Creek Yankees.
Playoff-bound Virgil Vasquez (14-5, 3.49) will face Randy Wells (5-7, 4.35) for Lansing in a 7 p.m. start in the final regular season home game Thursday night.
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