MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

Whitecaps can't climb out of early hole

Published on July 16, 2010 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


CLINTON, IA - The West Michigan Whitecaps could not overcome a six-run hole in the first inning on Friday night, battling back to make a game of it before ultimately succumbing to the Clinton LumberKings, 11-5, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Alliant Energy Field.

West Michigan (7-14, 33-57) registered 14 hits, led by a 3-for-5 night from Corey Jones, and pulled to within three runs at one point, but Clinton (11-9, 48-41) was able to hold on thanks to a strong effort from their bullpen.

The LumberKings jumped all over ‘Caps starter Luis Angel Sanz with six runs in the opening frame. It started with a single by leadoff man Luis Nunez, who circled the bases with a steal, an error, and a wild pitch to score the game's first run. Nick Franklin and Vinnie Catricala followed with consecutive walks while Tim Morris doubled home the second run of the frame. With runners at second and third Sanz notched a strikeout for the first out of the inning, but James Jones followed by ripping a two-run double to right for a 4-0 advantage.

After another strikeout, Daniel Carroll's two-base hit drove in a fifth run and chased Sanz from the ballgame. Gabriel Noriega greeted reliever Zach Samuels with a bouncing ball through the left side to plate Carroll, capping the rally and staking Clinton to a commanding 6-0 lead.

From there, the two clubs traded blows as the Whitecaps tried to claw their way back into the ballgame.

Tony Plagman doubled and scored on a single by Rob Brantly to put West Michigan on the board in the top of the second. After Clinton countered with a run in the bottom half of the frame, consecutive run-scoring singles by Corey Jones and Wade Gaynor in the third brought the Whitecaps to within 7-3.

The LumberKings' Daniel Carroll led off the bottom of the third with a solo homer, but West Michigan crossed the plate twice more in the fifth. Corey Jones yanked the first pitch of the inning inside the bag at first for a double, while a walk to Gaynor and a single by Plagman loaded the bases with nobody out. Later in the frame, Brantly contributed a run-scoring groundout and Clay Jones chipped in with a single that scored Gaynor while Plagman was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. When the dust had settled, the deficit was cut to 8-5.

That was as close as the Whitecaps could get.

Clinton reliever Jose Jimenez came in for the sixth inning and proceeded to throw three scoreless frames to halt West Michigan's comeback bid. Meanwhile, Kalian Sams put the game away with a three-run homer off Shawn Teufel in the bottom of the eighth, cementing the 11-5 final.

Taylor Stanton (7-4) earned the win despite getting knocked around for five runs on 11 hits over five innings of work. Sanz (1-4) took the loss for West Michigan after getting battered for six runs on four hits in just two-thirds of an inning.

The Whitecaps continue a six-game Western Division swing with the opener of a three-game set in Kane County on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. ET. RHP Trevor Feeney (7-9, 3.49) is set to take the hill for West Michigan against RHP Dan Straily (6-6, 4.63) of the Cougars. The ‘Caps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Wednesday, July 21, for a 7:00 p.m. game featuring Hand Fans for the first 2,500 fans thanks to DFCU Financial and post-game fireworks courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance. 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 July 16, 2010


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