MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

'Caps Scorched by Hot Rods

Published on June 28, 2018 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MI- The West Michigan Whitecaps fell victim to an offensive onslaught by the Bowling Green Hot Rods and lost the series opener 13-1 in front of 8,357 fans Thursday at Fifth Third Ballpark.

The loss snaps a three-game winning streak after taking five of the first seven games of the second half -- all of which were away from West Michigan. The Whitecaps swept the South Bend Cubs with a 3-2 victory on Wednesday night.

The Hot Rods got off to a big start in the second and took the lead at 4-0 highlighted by back-to-back RBI's from Trey Hair and Jim Haley. Whitecaps starter Elvin Rodriguez suffered another offensive surge an inning later of Bowling Green offense and did not survive the third inning. Six more runs put the game at 10-0, and the route was on. Colby Bortles gave West Michigan its only run with an RBI-double off Hot Rods starter Josh Fleming to make the score 10-1 in the fourth. Whitecaps newcomer Brock Deatherage scored on the play after doubling earlier in the frame. Whitecaps reliever Endrys Briceno surrendered runs in the fifth and sixth to close out the scoring for Bowling Green, but Billy Lescher provided a bright spot in the evening for the Whitecaps with 2.1 innings of hitless baseball in his 2018 home debut.

Rodriguez (5-4) took the loss, with his shortest start of the season of 2.2 innings, allowing ten runs on eleven hits and striking out two. Josh Fleming (5-1) proved brilliant, going seven innings, relinquishing only one run on six hits and striking out five to earn the win. The Whitecaps saw their three-game win streak come to an end and fell to 41-37 on the year, while the playoff-bound Hot Rods advanced to 51-26, snapping a three-game skid of their own. West Michigan banged out five doubles despite only accumulating seven hits. Bortles provided two of those extra-base hits on his way to a three-hit evening.

UP NEXT

The Whitecaps continues this four-game series with the Bowling Green Hot Rods on Friday at 7:05 pm from Fifth Third Ballpark. Pitcher Jesus Rodriguez gets the start for the "Caps. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty and Mike Coleman begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:55 pm. Tickets are available for any Whitecaps 2018 home contest by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or by visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

Check out the West Michigan Whitecaps Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from June 28, 2018


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