'Caps Keep Hopes Alive in 11-2 Win
August 27, 2024 - Midwest League (MWL)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release
DAYTON, OH - The West Michigan Whitecaps crept closer in the race for the lone playoff spot in the Midwest League Eastern Division, as Detroit Tigers top prospect Max Clark tied a career-high with five RBI in an 11-2 win over the Dayton Dragons on Tuesday night in front of 7,608 fans at Day Air Ballpark.
Clark, a Top-10 Prospect in Major League Baseball, delivered a three-run triple in the eighth inning as West Michigan delivered one of its biggest wins of the season. The victory trims the Whitecaps deficit to 4.5 games behind the first-place Dragons with just 11 games to go - five of which come this week against Dayton.
The Dragons plated the game's first run when Victor Acosta delivered an RBI single in the second inning, but Dayton's lead was short-lived as the 'Caps struck for three runs in the third. Clark's run-scoring single highlighted a three-run frame and a lead that carried the rest of the way. With West Michigan hanging onto their two-run lead in the eighth, the 'Caps mounted a two-out rally, loading the bases to set up Clark's bases-clearing, three-run triple to alter the course of the contest and put the ballgame in the hands of the 'Caps with a 6-1 lead. The big swing opened the floodgates as the Whitecaps scored five more times in the eighth and ninth innings. An RBI single by Thayron Liranzo and a run-scoring double by Roberto Campos tacked on runs in the eighth, while Clark added his fifth RBI with a single in the ninth alongside bases-loaded walks from Liranzo and Seth Stephenson as the 'Caps scored eight runs over the final two frames in one of their most decisive wins of the season.
The Whitecaps jump to 30-24 in the second half and stay over .500 on the season at 61-59 overall. Whitecaps starter Joe Adametz (4-2) picks up his fourth win of the year for tossing five innings of one-run baseball, while the Dragons Ryan Cardona (8-5) suffers his fifth loss after giving up three runs in 4.2 innings on the mound. Every Whitecaps player recorded at least one base hit in the victory and were led by three hits from Peck and Clark, who reached base four times. The game was played in hot conditions, as Tuesday's first pitch temperature registered at 93 degrees, one of the hottest recorded numbers of the season, as local temps reached the upper 90s before the contest.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps continue this six-game series at Day Air Ballpark to face the Dayton Dragons on Wednesday at 7:05 pm. Righty Jaden Hamm, a Detroit Tigers Top-10 Prospect, makes the start on the mound. Tune into the broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty on the Whitecaps Baseball Network beginning at 7:00 pm on 106.1 FM 'The Ticket' and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids to catch all the action. Don't miss out on the excitement; get tickets for all remaining 2024 home contests, or listen to the games live at whitecapsbaseball.com.
• Discuss this story on the Midwest League message board...
Midwest League Stories from August 27, 2024
- Sky Carp Power Past Chiefs - Peoria Chiefs
- Two Five-Run Innings Send Rattlers to Victory - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Ramsey's Streak Snapped in Bandits' Loss to Rattlers - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Final Homestand Starts with a Bang - Beloit Sky Carp
- 'Caps Keep Hopes Alive in 11-2 Win - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Whitecaps Take Series Opener Despite Long Home Run by Dayton's John Michael Faile - Dayton Dragons
- Captains Defeat Kernels in Rain-Shortened Series Opener - Lake County Captains
- Lugnuts/TinCaps Opener Postponed, Doubleheader Wednesday - Lansing Lugnuts
- 3rd-Rounder Kuroda-Grauer Joins Nuts - Lansing Lugnuts
- Dragons Playoff Ticket Sales Begin Tomorrow - Dayton Dragons
- Dayton Dragons GameDay Notes for Tuesday (7:05 PM vs. West Michigan) - Dayton Dragons
- 'Caps Close Series with Another Win - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Dayton Dragons Daily Playoff Race Update - Dayton Dragons
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
