Captains' Ninth Inning Rally Falls Just Short in 3-2 Defeat to West Michigan

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Captains' Ninth Inning Rally Falls Just Short in 3-2 Defeat to West Michigan

June 24, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Lake County Captains News Release


EASTLAKE, Ohio - In the first game of a scheduled six-game series, the Lake County Captains (2-2, 37-33) fell to the West Michigan Whitecaps (4-0, 48-21) by a final score of 3-2 on Tuesday night at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.

After trailing 3-1 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, Lake County cut its deficit in half and eventually had the go-ahead run at the plate.

After 2B Christian Knapczyk flew out to begin the home half of the ninth, 1B/LF Ralphy Velazquez, MLB Pipeline's No. 6 Guardians prospect, hit a solo home run to right field to make it a 3-2 ballgame. This swing marked the 20-year-old's 10th homer of the year.

Following a groundout from RF Wuilfredo Antunez, SS Jose Devers singled with the Captains down to their final strike to put the tying run aboard. But C Jacob Cozart, MLB Pipeline's No. 14 Guardians prospect, popped out into foul territory to end the contest.

Whitecaps RHP Preston Howey (S, 3) earned his third save of the season, permitting two hits, one earned run, and no walks, while throwing a strikeout in two innings of relief. West Michigan LHP Micah Ashman (W, 4-3) earned his fourth win of the year with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief out of the Whitecaps bullpen.

Lake County scored its first run of the night in the bottom of the fifth inning, when 3B Maick Collado hit a two-out RBI single to cut West Michigan's lead to 2-1. Collado eventually stole second base to put a pair of Captains in scoring position, but CF Jaison Chourio, MLB Pipeline's No. 3 Guardians and No. 47 MLB prospect, struck out swinging to end the frame.

Captains LHP Caden Favors (L, 2-6) suffered his sixth loss of the season. The southpaw pitched five innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs, and two walks, while tying his pro career-high with seven strikeouts in 83 pitches (52 strikes).

After permitting a leadoff home run from West Michigan 2B Johnny Peck, Favors retired the next nine batters he faced, and 12 of the next 13. The Lake County left-hander then allowed his second run of the night when Peck hit a two-out RBI single in the top of the fifth inning.

The Whitecaps then plated what proved to be the winning run one frame later, when CF Max Clark, MLB Pipeline's No. 1 Tigers and No. 7 MLB prospect, began the sixth inning with a solo home run off Captains RHP Robert Wegielnik.

The second game of this week's scheduled six -game series between the Captains and Whitecaps is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at 11:05 a.m. It will be Splash Zone Camp Day at the ballpark.

The game will be an MiLB Free Game of the Day. In addition to being broadcast on the Bally Sports Live App, it will also be streaming on MLB.com, MLB.TV, the MLB and MiLB apps, and the MLB Pipeline and MiLB homepages.

Notes to Know

- INF Maick Collado went 2-for-3 with an RBI single on Tuesday night. The 22-year-old is now batting .424 (14-for-33) with 16 total bases, two doubles, four RBI, a .486 on-base percentage, a .485 slugging percentage, and a .971 OPS over his last 10 games.

- LHP Caden Favors threw a pro career-high seven strikeouts on Tuesday night for the third time, all of which have been against West Michigan. The 2024 sixth-round pick out of Wichita State now owns a 2.76 ERA with 22 strikeouts to nine walks in four starts against the Whitecaps this season.

- 1B/LF Ralphy Velazquez hit his 10th home run of the season on Tuesday night. The 2023 first-round pick out of Huntington Beach HS (CA) is one of just three Midwest League players with at least 45 hits, 10 home runs, and 35 RBI this season.

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