Hope Hits Grand Slam, Loons Pitching K's Nine in 7-3 Victory
MWL Great Lakes Loons

Hope Hits Grand Slam, Loons Pitching K's Nine in 7-3 Victory

July 5, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


MIDLAND, Mich. - The Great Lakes Loons (41-38) (7-7) got a big blast from Zyhir Hope, a sixth-inning grand slam, and nine combined strikeouts from pitchers Eriq Swan and Brooks Auger in a 7-3 win on a 90-degree sunny Saturday night at Dow Diamond in front of a sellout crowd.

- West Michigan scored the first two runs, an Austin Murr home run in the second and a John Peck sac fly in the third. Loons starter Eriq Swan worked a scoreless first and faced the minimum in the fourth and fifth. He struck out eight over five innings, finishing each frame with a punchout.

- Great Lakes went to work offensively in the middle innings. Logan Wagner doubled to start the fourth, and an error pushed him across. In the fifth, the Loons took the lead. Joe Vetrano tied the game with an RBI single, and a Blair Calvo wild pitch put Great Lakes up 3-2.

- Zyhir Hope provided the grand slam, the sixth for Great Lakes this season. A single, hit by pitch, and walked juiced the bases for the Dodgers' No. 2 prospect, whose grand slammer was his ninth on the season and third against West Michigan this season. The ball traveled 387 feet, with an exit velocity of 104 mph, and was his second hit to left field in 2025.

- Brooks Auger spun the final four innings, stranding five Whitecaps. In the seventh, West Michigan had two on with one out, but the Whitecaps 1-2 in the lineup, Seth Stephenson and Kevin McGonigle each hit into a fielder's choice.

- In the eighth, West Michigan pushed across a run on a fielder's choice, but another groundball forced halted the threat. Auger earned the save, his first since a 5-2 Mississippi State win over Evansville on March 8th, 2024.

Rounding Things Out

The Loons have hit six grand slams so far in 2025. It is their most in a season since 2022, when Great Lakes hit eight.

Up Next

The Loons and Whitecaps wrap up their series tomorrow, Sunday, July 6th. It is day two of Red, White, and Bluey Weekend, presented by MyMichigan Health. Bluey and her little sister Bingo will be back at the ballpark. Every Sunday, Kids Eat Free and Run the Bases is brought to you by Serra Toyota of Saginaw.

The Great Lakes Loons have been a partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team's inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team's home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and Sports Radio 100.9 The Mitt. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.

Check out the Great Lakes Loons Statistics



Midwest League Stories from July 5, 2025


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