MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

Travis Explodes, Leads 'Caps to Victory

Published on April 22, 2013 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Devon Travis went 4-for-5 with five RBI and a pair of home runs, electrifying the crowd with a game-tying inside-the-park home run that helped West Michigan to an 8-4 win over the Lake County Captains on Monday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.

It was the sixth inside-the-park home run in West Michigan (7-8) franchise history and the first since Jamie Johnson achieved the elusive feat during the 2010 season. Lake County (5-12) never recovered, failing to cross the plate after the second inning while the Whitecaps tallied six unanswered runs to finish the game.

Travis's first home run of the night was more conventional. With a runner on the move and one out in the bottom of the first, the 5-foot-9, 183-pounder took a 1-1 pitch from Luis Dejesus and lifted it over the left field wall for a 2-1 lead.

The 'Caps were trailing, 4-3, when Travis tied the game in the bottom of the third inning with his fourth home run of the year. The 22-year-old out of Florida State University scalded a line drive that skipped past a diving Luigi Rodriguez in left-center field and bounced all the way to the wall. As Travis burned around the bases, the Captains relayed a throw to the plate that resulted in a bang-bang play.

But as catcher Eric Haase tried to apply a swipe-tag on the back of the sliding runner, plate umpire Tim Hromada made an emphatic safe call as the Captains protested and the Whitecaps greeted Travis outside of the dugout with a round of high fives.

West Michigan went on to take the lead in the fifth inning on a two-run double by Lance Durham that made it 6-4.

Travis singled in the seventh inning and came to the plate again with men at second and third and two outs in the eighth. He promptly drilled a laser that short-hopped the left field wall to drive home two more runs and cement the 8-4 final.

Travis established new career highs with two home runs, five RBI and 11 total bases. He also increased his batting average to .362 and continues to lead the Whitecaps with four home runs, 14 RBI, 15 runs scored and a .655 slugging percentage.

West Michigan also got big days from Lance Durham, who was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI, and leadoff batter David Gonzalez, who reached base in three of his five trips to the plate and scored three runs.

Starter Yorfrank Lopez (2-0) earned the win, pitching five innings and allowing four runs - three earned - on seven hits. After giving up all four runs and six hits during his first 1.1 innings, the right-hander settled down and did not allow a runner to reach scoring position during the remainder of his outing.

Relievers Brennan Smith and Jose Valdez took it the rest of the way. Smith fired off three shutout innings that included a key strikeout to strand runners at second and third and preserve a two-run lead in the eighth inning. Valdez finished things off in a non-save situation in the ninth.

Dejesus (0-2) took the loss for Lake County, giving up six runs - five earned - on five hits over five innings of work.

The Whitecaps continue their homestand with the middle game of a three-game series against the Lake County Captains on Tuesday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. at Fifth Third Ballpark. RHP Endrys Briceno (0-1, 6.00) is scheduled to take the hill for West Michigan against LHP Ryan Merritt (1-2, 1.80) of the Captains. As Dollar Days continue at Fifth Third Ballpark, senior citizens will be offered $1 reserved seats. Group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

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