MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Loons Top Whitecaps In Extras, 5-4

Published on June 27, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Tony Delmonico hit a tiebreaking double in the top of the 11th inning to help deliver the first win of the second half of the season for the Great Lakes Loons on Saturday night, a 5-4 decision over the West Michigan Whitecaps. A two-out RBI single by Kyle Russell delivered an insurance run and secured the Loons victory.

After going down in order in the 10th inning against Whitecaps closer Tyler Stohr, pinch-hitter Matt Wallach led off the top of the 11th by drawing a full-count walk. Dee Gordon sacrificed Wallach to second, and after a walk to Jaime Pedroza, Delmonico drove a 2-0 pitch from Stohr into the left field corner to score Wallach with the go-ahead run. Pedroza was thrown out at the plate for the second out, but Russell followed with a single to right field to score Delmonico, who slid in before the tag for the Loons fifth run of the game.

The Whitecaps made things interesting in the bottom of the inning, scoring once and putting the winning run on base before falling short. Billy Nowlin hit a two-out single to make it a 5-4 game, then a walk to Jordan Lennerton put two runners on with two outs. Steve Smith was summoned from the Loons bullpen to get the final out, which he did on one pitch to Bryan Pounds, inducing a game-ending force out to shortstop.

Both teams dented the scoreboard in the early innings thanks to defensive miscues, as three of the first four runs scored in the game were unearned. The Whitecaps jumped on top in the second inning, using a leadoff walk, a double, and an error to produce a run off of Loons starter Ethan Martin for a 1-0 lead.

The Loons came right back with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning, only one of which was earned off of Whitecaps starter Luke Putkonen. A leadoff single by Alfredo Silverio preceded an error by Bryan Pounds on a one-out grounder from Gordon. Pedroza followed with a two-RBI double into deep right center field, giving the Loons a 2-1 lead through three innings.

Another error by the Loons allowed the ‘Caps to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Gordon's errant throw on Luis Salas' leadoff grounder to short put him on second base with no outs. He moved to third on a wild pitch by Martin and scored the unearned run on a sacrifice fly by Gustavo Nunez.

Great Lakes reclaimed the lead with three sharp base hits in the top of the sixth inning, chasing Putkonen from the game in the process. Austin Gallagher led off with a double down the right field line and moved to third on a single by Anthony Hatch. Nick Buss then scored Gallagher with a sacrifice fly to left centerfield, and a single back up the box by Silverio spelled the end of Putkonen's night after 5.1 innings of work.

The Whitecaps scratched across a run to tie it in the bottom of the seventh inning off Nathan Eovaldi. Back-to-back singles by Brandon Douglas and Nowlin and a walk to Lennerton loaded the bases with one out for Pounds, who drove an 0-2 pitch from Eovaldi to deep centerfield for a sacrifice fly. The 3-3 standoff remained until the Loons broke through in the 11th with the winning rally.

Loons reliever Cole St. Clair (2-0) earned the win, working three innings and allowing only one run on two hits. He entered the game in the eighth inning and picked off Nunez at first to end the frame, then followed with a pair of scoreless innings before giving up the ‘Caps run in the 11th. He walked three and struck out three. Smith earned his first save of the season by recording the final out. Stohr (2-2) took the loss for West Michigan, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in two innings of work.

The teams finish their four-game series tomorrow afternoon at Fifth Third Ballpark with a pitching matchup featuring top prospects JonMichael Redding for the Loons (9-2, 4.46, #18 prospect for Dodgers) and southpaw Casey Crosby for the Whitecaps (5-2, 3.66, #4 prospect for Tigers). Game time is slated for 2:00 p.m., with pre-game coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN 100.9 FM and loons.com.

The Great Lakes Loons are the third-year Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers and members of the Midwest League. For more information about the Loons, visit Loons.com or call 989-837-BALL.

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Midwest League Stories from June 27, 2009


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