MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

'Caps Spilt Doubleheader with Bowling Green

Published on May 19, 2013 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps failed to make up any ground on first-place Bowling Green after splitting a doubleheader Sunday afternoon before 7,632 at Fifth Third Ballpark.

The Whitecaps won the first game, 5-1, but were blanked, 8-0, in the seven-inning second game. West Michigan (19-22) remains 7 1/2 games back of the Hot Rods (27-15) in the Eastern Division standings.

In the completion of a suspended game from May 10 at Bowling Green, the Whitecaps banged out 12 hits and Yorfrank Lopez earned his fourth win of the season.

The game resumed in the bottom of the first inning, and West Michigan took an early 1-0 lead in the second on a RBI single by Jared Reaves after Zach Kirksey ripped a two-out double off the wall.

The Whitecaps added single runs in four of the next five innings.

Devon Travis's infield single in the third scored Jake Stewart. The hit increased Travis' hitting streak to an official 21 games, which ranks second in franchise history behind Robert Fick's 32-game streak in 1997.

A RBI ground out by Kirksey in the fourth made it 3-1, and Reaves delivered his second RBI in the sixth following Vasquez's leadoff triple.

West Michigan capped the scoring in the seventh on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Vasquez.

Reaves went 3-for-4, while Stewart, Vasquez and Travis each had two hits.

Yorfrank allowed one run on four hits and struck out six in six strong innings. Jose Valdez induced a game-ending double play with two runners on in the ninth for his seventh save.

In the nightcap, the Whitecaps were silenced by Bowling Green starter Taylor Guerrieri and the Hot Rods broke it open with a six-run fifth inning.

Guerrieri allowed one hit in six shutout innings. He walked one and struck out three.

The Hot Rods scored two runs in the third inning off Whitecaps starter Brennan Smith, who was making his first start in a spot start.

Bowling Green strung together five straight hits and seven batters in a row reached base in the fifth off Whitecaps relievers Logan Ehlers and Julio Felix.

Reaves and Travis had West Michigan's only hits. Reaves led off the game with a single in the first and Travis opened the seventh with a base hit.

Jeff Holm's 35-game on-base streak came to an end after he went 0-for-3.

The series finale between the two teams will take place 11 a.m. Monday. RHP Endrys Briceno (0-3, 6.50) is scheduled to start for West Michigan, while RHP Jeff Ames (5-0, 1.22) is slated to start for Bowling Green.

It will be JQ99 All Faiths Day, as anyone who brings in a community or worship bulletin gets half off a reserved or box seat.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

Check out the West Michigan Whitecaps Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from May 19, 2013


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