MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

'Caps Drop Finale, Split Series with Loons

Published on August 24, 2010 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


MIDLAND, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps were on the wrong side of history during a 9-3 loss to the Great Lakes Loons on Tuesday night at the Dow Diamond.

Great Lakes (39-18, 82-44) set a new franchise record with their 82nd win of the year while delivering manager Juan Bustabad his 700th career victory, all in front of a record crowd of 6,079. Despite the loss, West Michigan (29-28, 55-71) split the four-game series with the first-place Loons.

The Whitecaps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark with a two-game lead over the Lansing Lugnuts and just 13 games to play in the race for the Eastern Division's final playoff spot, setting the stage for a crucial three-game set between the two contending clubs starting on Wednesday night.

Tuesday's series finale against Great Lakes was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when the Loons' Nick Buss drew a leadoff walk and was doubled to third by Blake Smith. Brian Cavazos-Galvez followed with a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Buss and open the scoring. Later in the frame, Jaime Ortiz turned on a 1-0 pitch and cranked a two-run homer to right field that gave the Loons a 3-0 lead.

One inning later, Great Lakes blew the game open.

The bottom of the fourth started with a double by Gorman Erickson and continued with a walk and a bunt-single that loaded the bases with nobody out. The first out was recorded on an infield grounder that resulted in a force out at the plate, but moments later Smith clubbed an opposite-field double that short-hopped the wall in left. Smith's big blow drove home all three runs, and Cavazos-Galvez followed with an RBI-single that made it a 7-0 ballgame. That was more than enough for Loons' lefty Greg Wilborn (4-1), who fired off six shutout innings and struck out seven. Wilborn allowed just four hits and walked one, improving to 3-0 with 27 strikeouts over 20 scoreless innings in his three home starts since joining Great Lakes.

The Loons extended the lead with a Rafael Ynoa double in the sixth and a solo homer by Brian Ruggiano in the seventh to widen the gap to 9-0.

West Michigan broke up the shutout with a rally in the eighth. Wade Gaynor lined a two-run double down the left field line and Hernan Perez added a bases-loaded singles with two outs as the 'Caps pulled to within 9-3.

Patrick Cooper (1-1) took the loss for the Whitecaps. After striking out four through three hitless innings to start his outing, the 20-year-old right-hander was blitzed by the Loons offensive outbursts in the fourth and fifth frames. He lasted 4.1 innings and was charged with seven runs on five hits while fanning four and walking three.

With an 0-for-3 night, Jeff Rowland's 17-game hitting streak came to an end for West Michigan. The longest hitting streak by a Whitecap this year, Rowland hit .424 with 15 runs scored during the stretch that lasted from August 5-23.

With just seven home games remaining in the regular season, the Whitecaps return to Fifth Third Ballpark for the final homestand of the year starting Wednesday, August 25. The 7:00 p.m. game against the Lansing Lugnuts will go a long way towards deciding which team will capture the Eastern Division's final playoff berth, as RHP Trevor Feeney (10-12, 3.44) takes the mound for West Michigan opposite RHP Matt Fields (4-7, 4.14) of the Lugnuts in the series opener. The 'Caps will wear special jerseys to help benefit the Ronald McDonald House and there will be an appearance by the clown prince of baseball, Myron Noodleman. There will also be Rally Towels for the first 1,000 fans thanks to McDonalds and post-game fireworks presented by Farm Bureau Insurance. Group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

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Midwest League Stories from August 24, 2010


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