MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

'Caps Pitch Way to Another Win

July 31, 2013 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps scored two runs in the first inning on Wednesday and hung on thanks to another tremendous pitching performance, holding the Great Lakes Loons to just one run for a second consecutive night in a 3-1 victory at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (20-17, 53-54) equaled their longest winning streak of the season with a fourth straight victory and pulled to within two games of Great Lakes (23-16, 50-59) for a second-half playoff spot. The Whitecaps also tied a high-water mark by improving their second-half record to three games over .500 and pulled to within one game of .500 with their overall record for the first time since June 26.

In the first inning, a run-scoring groundout by Jason King and a two-out RBI-single by Lance Durham staked West Michigan to a 2-0 lead. From that point forward, the pitching staff thwarted rally after rally to make the slim advantage hold up.

Great Lakes had runners at second and third with one out in the top of the second, but King erased the threat by fielding a bouncer and firing home to cut down a run at the plate.

Starter Endrys Briceno (7-6) retired the next nine batters in order before allowing a fifth-inning leadoff double to James Baldwin that turned into the only Loons' run of the game. Briceno gave up just the one run on four hits over five innings, striking out one without issuing a walk. He recorded 11 of his 15 outs on groundballs and won his third consecutive start.

The bullpen took over with a 2-1 lead in the sixth and battled through a series of Great Lakes rallies. The Loons stranded the potential game-tying run in scoring position in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

There were men at first and second with one out in the sixth, but Chad Smith struck out each of the next two batters to end the inning. In the seventh, the first two batters reached base before King made a spectacular diving catch racing in from third on a bunt that was blooped into foul ground. After a pitching change, Calvin Drummond struck out the next two batters to end another threat.

In the eighth, Drummond issued a leadoff walk but retired the next three batters in order, striking out James Baldwin with the potential game-tying run at third to end the inning. Jake Stewart added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth to add an insurance run before Corey Knebel (10) worked a perfect ninth inning for the save.

The Whitecaps head to Midland to continue their four-game, home-and-home series against the Great Lakes Loons at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday night at Dow Diamond. RHP Jeff Thompson (1-0, 2.70) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against LHP Julio Urias (2-0, 2.97) of Great Lakes. The Whitecaps' next home game will be on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. featuring the rescheduled Field of Dreams promotion and Family Fare Fireworks. Group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

Check out the West Michigan Whitecaps Statistics



Midwest League Stories from July 31, 2013


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