MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

Whitecaps Falter, Miss Out On Series Win

August 28, 2012 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


DAYTON, OH - The West Michigan Whitecaps fell short of a series victory with a 9-3 loss to the Dayton Dragons on Tuesday night at Fifth Third Field.

The loss capped a four-game split in Dayton (28-34, 58-74) and dropped West Michigan (33-31, 69-65) two games behind both Fort Wayne and Lake County with just six games remaining in the Eastern Divison's second-half playoff race.

The Whitecaps open a key three-game series against Fort Wayne on Wednesday night that will go a long way towards deciding which two teams will move on to the post-season.

On a night in which the Dragons boasted rehabbing All-Star Joey Votto in the heart of their order, the 2010 National League MVP was the only Dayton batter that did not record a hit on Tuesday. The home team pounded out 15 hits and got three RBI apiece from Juan Silva, Yorman Rodriguez and Sammy Diaz.

Pitching dominated the contest through the first three innings, but the offenses joined the action in the bottom of the fourth.

After walking Votto the first time he came to the plate, Whitecaps' starting pitcher Jeff Ferrell blew a 3-2 fastball past the slugger for his first strikeout of the night to open the bottom of the fourth inning.

The rest of his outing did not go as smoothly.

The next two batters each connected for solo home runs, with Rodriguez lining a longball inside the right field foul pole and Silva making it back-to-back jacks for a 2-0 lead.

West Michigan answered immediately, smacking three doubles in the top of the fifth. Lance Durham and Gabriel Purroy each drove in runs with their two-base hits as West Michigan tied the score at 2-2.

But in the bottom of the fifth, the Dragons seized the lead for good. After a leadoff single, Jefry Sierra laid down a bunt to the left of the mound - but both corner infielders charged the play and nobody covered first base. A sacrifice bunt then moved the runners to second and third and drew the infield in, setting the stage for Diaz to bounce a single through the middle for a 4-2 Dayton lead.

The Dragons plated two more runs before the inning was over, added a pair of unearned runs in the seventh, and capped their night with another run in the eighth for the nine-run outburst.

James Allen (8-4) pitched a gem to earn the win, limiting the Whitecaps to two runs on four hits over seven innings of work. Outside of a bumpy fifth inning, the only runners he allowed on base reached on a bunt-single and a fielding error. Allen struck out five without issuing a walk.

Ferrell (6-5) was charged with six runs on nine hits over 4.2 innings in the loss. The 21-year-old from North Carolina entered play with a 3-0 record and a 0.59 ERA in August and stretched his scoreless innings streak to 19.2 frames before serving up back-to-back home runs in the fourth.

The Whitecaps continue their final road trip of the year with the opener of a three-game series against the Fort Wayne TinCaps at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday night. RHP Wilsen Palacios (11-9, 3.85) is scheduled to take the hill for West Michigan against RHP James Needy (6-2, 1.95) of Fort Wayne. Just three home games remain the regular season, with the 'Caps kicking off their season-ending three-game series at Fifth Third Ballpark on Saturday, September 1, at 7:00 p.m. Fireworks will follow the ballgame. 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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Midwest League Stories from August 28, 2012


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