MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

Packer Spins Gem, Shuts Out Whitecaps

Published on June 26, 2010 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps went down quietly for a second straight night on Saturday, falling to the Lake County Captains by a 5-0 score in front of a crowd of 8,147 at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (0-2, 26-45) has managed just one run through the first two games of the second half, thanks in part to a dominant effort by Lake County (2-0, 46-25) starter Matt Packer on Saturday.

Packer (6-3) was brilliant throughout the evening, setting career highs with nine strikeouts over eight innings to lead the Captains to a six-hit shutout in just his seventh career start. The 22-year-old lefty allowed five hits, two of which were infield singles. None of the 24 outs Packer recorded left the infield, as three line drive singles marked the only time the Whitecaps put the ball into the outfield. The 32nd-round pick out of the University of Virginia in 2009 induced 13 outs on the ground, struck out nine, and recorded a pair of line-outs to cruise through his eight frames on just 87 pitches.

Whitecaps' starter Trevor Feeney (6-7) was also strong despite taking the loss. The 24-year-old out of Northern Illinois tossed six solid frames for his team-leading 10th quality start, becoming the first Midwest Leaguer to log more than 100 innings in the process. Feeney scattered eight hits but allowed just one run, striking out five and walking one.

Lake County's only run against Feeney came in the fourth. Jeremie Tice led off the frame with a double and advanced to third on a groundout, but Feeney retired the next batter on a bounce-out to short with the infield in that forced the runner to hold. Nearly out of the jam, Adam Abraham delivered a double down the third base line to plate Tice for a 1-0 edge.

It was still just a one-run game in the fifth when West Michigan mounted their only threat against Packer. Consecutive one-out singles and a hit batsman loaded the bases, marking the only time the Whitecaps advanced runners into scoring position. With a chance to tie the score Jamie Johnson hit a ball hard up the middle, but Packer snared the one-hopper and started a 1-2-3 double play to end the threat.

The Captains did the rest of the damage against the Whitecaps' bullpen. Jason Smit smacked a solo homer against Victor Larez in the seventh and a pair of errors in the eighth inning helped Lake County to two more runs. In the ninth, Richard Zumaya was touched for his first run allowed since joining West Michigan when Roberto Perez capped a 4-for-5 night with a two-out RBI-double that pushed the Captains' lead to 5-0.

The Whitecaps continue the first series of the second half at Fifth Third Ballpark with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch on Sunday, June 27. RHP Ramon Lebron (4-4, 6.31) is scheduled to start for West Michigan against RHP Brett Brach (0-3, 4.03) of the Lake County Captains. The first 1,500 fans through the gates will receive a Team Photo courtesy of Holiday Inn Express. There will also be an appearance from Super Why, presented by WGVU, on a Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Family Day. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

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Midwest League Stories from June 26, 2010


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