MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Loons Win on Walk-Off Homer

July 8, 2014 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


MIDLAND, Mich. - Webster Rivas turned a potential disaster into a memorable victory for the Great Lakes Loons on Tuesday night.

Rivas hit a walk-off home run leading off the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Loons a 5-4 win over slumping Fort Wayne. The Loons led 4-1 entering the ninth inning, but the visiting TinCaps scored three runs off of normally untouchable reliever Mark Pope.

Rivas, however, didn't let the Loons' frustration linger, as he crushed a 2-0 pitch from Fort Wayne reliever Nick Mutz over the fence in leftfield. It was just his second home run of the season.

"He (Mutz) got it to two balls and I told myself to look for a fastball and just hit it hard," said Rivas, who was given a Gatorade and shaving cream bath by his teammates during the post-home run celebration.

"He did a good job - he took a couple of pretty good pitches then got a pitch he could hit hard," said Loons manager Bill Haselman. "He's a good guy to have up there in that situation."

The win was the second in a row for the Loons, who are 9-9 in the Midwest League's second half. Fort Wayne (5-14) has now lost 10 games in a row, which ties a franchise record.

Pope, the Loons All-Star closer, had allowed only two earned runs all season as he entered the ninth with a three-run lead. But the TinCaps put together four singles against him, including a game-tying two-run hit by No. 9 hitter Josh VanMeter. Pope was relieved by Victor Araujo, who struck out Ronnie Richardson on three pitches to close out the inning.

That erased a Loons lead which had been built on sacrifice flies by Rivas and Paul Hoenecke, a safety squeeze bunt by Malcolm Holland, and a Holland single after Jesmuel Valentin tripled with one out in the fifth.

"It's tough because in your mind you feel like you have the game in hand," said Haselman. "But (Pope) is going to be fine. I mean, he's been incredible all season."

Loons starter Brandon Martinez was denied the win but pitched one of his best games of the season. Martinez pitched six innings, allowed one hit and one earned run, while striking out four. Jacob Rhame followed with two scoreless innings of relief before giving way to Pope in the ninth.

Fort Wayne's only run off of Martinez came in the sixth inning when VanMeter had a leadoff double and later came home on a sacrifice fly by Fernando Perez.

The second game of the three-game series will be tomorrow night (7:05 p.m.) with Loons right-hander Scott Barlow (2-3, 4.08 ERA) getting the start. The TinCaps will counter with lefty Jeffery Enloe (0-2, 1.13).

Tomorrow's promotional lineup features Hump Day Happy Hour, which features drink specials for fans 21-over from the time gates open to one hour after the scheduled game time.

The Great Lakes Loons are an eighth-year Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. For tickets and more information, call 989-837-BALL or visit loons.com.

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Midwest League Stories from July 8, 2014


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