Whitecaps Fall Again, Swept In South Bend
August 26, 2014 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release
SOUTH BEND, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps suffered just their second series sweep of the season following a 5-3 loss to the South Bend Silver Hawks on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field.
The three consecutive losses tie a season-high losing streak for West Michigan (39-25, 80-54), who will try to avoid losing four straight games for the first time all year as their road trip continues on Wednesday night in Fort Wayne. The victories pull South Bend (38-26, 78-55) to within one game of the Whitecaps in the MWL-East second half standings.
The Silver Hawks took the lead almost immediately. Andrew Velazquez led off the bottom of the first with a single and quickly scored on a triple by Chuck Taylor, giving South Bend a 1-0 lead before an out was recorded.
Whitecaps' starter Jon Maciel settled in from there, cruising into the fifth inning before allowing another hit while the offense tied the game in the fourth. After singles by Wynton Bernard and Mike Gerber put runners at the corners, a fielder's choice groundout by Raph Rhymes scored Bernard to tie the game at 1-1.
But Maciel ran into more trouble in the fifth inning, serving up a leadoff double to Jamie Westbrook before D.J. Bowman delivered the biggest hit of the night, a two-run homer to left field that made it a 3-1 ballgame.
West Michigan had opportunities to get back in the game in the middle innings, putting the leadoff man on base in four consecutive frames between the fourth and seventh but managing just two runs over that time. The Whitecaps struggled to a 1-for-8 mark with runners in scoring position. The lone exception was an RBI-single by Jeff Holm that cut the deficit to 3-2 in the top of the sixth.
South Bend answered with sacrifice flies in the sixth and seventh to stretch their lead to 5-2.
Domingo Leyba belted his first Midwest League home run in the ninth inning to reach the decisive 5-3 margin. The 18-year-old shortstop prospect continues to swing a hot stick, batting .522 with 15 runs scored and eight multi-hit games in his last 13 contests.
Brent Jones (5-2) earned the win for South Bend, tossing six solid innings of two-run baseball. A fourth-round pick in the 2014 draft, Jones allowed six hits with four strikeouts and two walks and stranded runners at the corners in each of his last two frames.
Maciel (6-7) suffered the loss, giving up three runs on five hits over 4.1 innings.
All-Star closer Silvino Bracho worked the ninth and earned his league-leading 26th save despite allowing the home run to Leyba.
The Whitecaps continue their final road trip of the regular season with a 7:05 p.m. game on Wednesday night against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. RHP Austin Kubitza (10-2, 2.38) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Ronald Herrera (6-9, 4.17) of Fort Wayne. The next home game at Fifth Third Ballpark will feature post-game fireworks on Saturday, August 30, and the Whitecaps are guaranteed at least one home playoff game on Thursday, September 4. 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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