MWL West Michigan Whitecaps

'Caps Fall into First-Place Tie

Published on September 3, 2023 under Midwest League (MWL)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


LANSING, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps tough loss on Saturday night carried over to Sunday afternoon as part of a 19-9 loss to the Lansing Lugnuts at Jackson Field in the team's final road game of the 2023 regular season.

A night after a 11-10, 11-inning loss in Lansing, West Michigan fell behind 4-0 after pitcher Wilmer Flores surrendered four runs to the first five batters he faced. The Detroit Tigers Top-10 Prospect then surrendered five more runs as part of a 10-run Lugnuts third inning. The Whitecaps loss places them in a first-place tie with Fort Wayne - with the TinCaps holding the tiebreaker - with six games remaining this season.

The Lugnuts jumped all over Flores in the first inning, as Brennan Milone's two-run double highlighted the four-run frame. The 'Caps briefly took the lead as Gage Workman's two-run homer highlighted a five-run surge to give West Michigan a 5-4 edge in the top of the third. The 'Nuts responded in the bottom of the frame in epic fashion. Lansing sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring ten times to put the game out of reach. Five different Lugnuts had run-scoring singles, and Colby Thomas launched a three-run homer to highlight the frame. The Lugnuts third inning surge marked the second straight game in which the 'Caps scored four runs in the top of an inning only to watch their opponent rally to take the lead in the bottom of the frame. In the ensuing innings, two-run homers from Gage Workman and Eliezer Alfonzo helped West Michigan tie and break its franchise home run record (101) for the third straight season.

The Whitecaps record drops to 65-59 overall and 33-26 in the second half, while the Lugnuts jump to 59-66 and 28-32 in the second half. The two teams split the six-game series after West Michigan won three of the first four contests. Lansing starting pitcher Mitch Myers (3-5) tossed five innings to record his third win, while Flores (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up nine runs in 2.1 innings - the most allowed by a Whitecaps pitcher this season. Lugnuts infielder Euribiel Angeles went 5-for-5 in the contest to become the first 'Caps opponent to record a five-hit game since Lake County's Bobby Ison went 5-for-7 in a 6-5 Captains 16-inning win over West Michigan on August 17, 2016.

UP NEXT

The Whitecaps return home for the final six-game series of the 2023 season to host the Great Lakes Loons at LMCU Ballpark beginning Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty and Nate Wangler begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:20 p.m. Get your tickets for all 2023 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

Check out the West Michigan Whitecaps Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from September 3, 2023


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