MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

Rhymes Roughs Up Lansing In Blowout Win

Published on July 2, 2014 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps' offense was in full gear on Tuesday night, led by a 4-for-5, four-RBI performance by Raph Rhymes in a 12-4 blowout win over the Lansing Lugnuts at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (8-4, 49-33) improved to 5-0 on the homestand and won for the 16th time in their last 18 games at Fifth Third Ballpark, ending the night at a season-high 16 games over .500. The Whitecaps scored six runs in the second inning and never looked back, smacking 16 hits against four Lansing (6-6, 38-43) pitchers.

The undisputed star of the show was Rhymes, who belted a long home run and doubled three times during his banner night. Rhymes tied two franchise records with four extra-base hits and three doubles while establishing a new Whitecaps' season-high with 10 total bases. In the last two days, the former NCAA batting champion has gone 6-for-10 with seven runs batted in to raise his team-leading RBI total to 46.

An early 1-0 deficit was no problem for the Whitecaps, who plated six runs on seven hits and two errors in the bottom of the second inning. Dominic Ficociello hit a leadoff double and quickly tied the game when Jeff Holm singled to right and the outfielder bobbled the ball. Willy Adames then scorched a liner to left that eluded an attempted diving catch. After the ball rolled all the way to the wall for an RBI-triple, Adames came home to score when the relay throw to third base bounced all the way to the backstop. Later in the inning, Javier Betancourt added a run-scoring single and Rhymes launched a two-run double to chase Lansing starter Chase De Jong from the game.

The 6-1 margin only grew. Austin Schotts stroked a two-out, two-run single in the third and Rhymes added a leadoff solo home run in the fourth to stretch the lead to 9-1.

After the Lugnuts put three runs on the board in the fifth inning, Rhymes went back to work. The 24-year-old LSU product doubled and scored in the sixth before adding another two-base hit in the seventh to drive in his fourth run of the night and cement the 12-4 final.

Starting pitcher Kevin Ziomek (7-5) worked five sturdy innings to earn his fourth consecutive win. The left-hander was charged with four runs - two earned - on four hits while striking out five and walking one. Ziomek's winning streak puts him tied for third in the Midwest League with seven wins.

Rhymes' big day was just the tip of the iceberg for West Michigan. Adames was 2-for-5 with a triple to extend his hitting streak to nine games and Ficociello was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles. The eighth and ninth hitters in the lineup, Grayson Greiner and Francisco Contreras, combined to reach base in eight of their 10 plate appearances. Greiner was 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored while Contreras was 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs.

De Jong (0-5) took the loss for Lansing after giving up six runs on seven hits in 1.2 innings.

The Whitecaps continue their seven-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark on Wednesday night with a 7:00 p.m. first pitch against the Lansing Lugnuts. RHP Chad Green (2-2, 3.33) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Brad Allen (3-1, 4.46) of Lansing in a game that will be followed by a Family Fare fireworks show. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps' front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

Check out the West Michigan Whitecaps Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Midwest League Stories from July 2, 2014


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central