Whitecaps Long Ball too Much for Devil Rays
May 26, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Southwest Michigan Devil Rays News Release
The Southwest Michigan Devil Rays fell to the West Michigan Whitecaps Friday night by a score of 4-3. The battle went back and forth but the Whitecaps prevailed thanks to a pair of home runs by Rafael Mendez and Michael Hernandez.
Rays starter Jake McGee pitched three perfect innings to start the game but gave up a home run to Mendez in the top of the fifth inning. The homer was only the second given up by Jake this season but it wasn't the last of the night. The very next inning, Hernandez put one over the right field wall to give the Caps a 3-2 lead. McGee fanned seven batters to reclaim the Midwest League strikeout lead. McGee left after six innings and gave up five hits and three earned runs.
In the bottom of the sixth inning J.T. Hall hit a monster shot off the top of the Devil Rays sign in center field. The ball took a nasty hop off the wall and Hall got a triple out of it. It was the Rays' outfielder's third triple of the season. Hall scored by way of a sacrifice fly by Rhyne Hughes to tie the ballgame 3-3.
The Whitecaps scored a run in the eighth inning to break the tie. With Hernandez on second and Dusty Ryan on first, Justin Justice singled to left center to bring home Hernandez.
Chris Kelly pitched the seventh and eighth frames and allowed two hits and one earned run with a strikeout. Eddie DeLaCruz finished the game with a strikeout and one hit given up.
It was "Win a Grounds Crew Night" at C.O. Brown stadium and Wayne De Pree of Battle Creek was the lucky winner who gets his yard work done by the Devil Rays grounds crew. The crowd stayed after the game to enjoy the second of ten fireworks shows this year at the COB.
The Rays and Caps square off again Saturday night in the third game of this four-game set. The world famous Bama Air Dogs will be in attendance to perform the most amazing dog tricks you'll ever see. The national frisbee dog champion Bama Air Dogs are sponsored in part by Soft Rock 95.3. -KV
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Midwest League Stories from May 26, 2006
- Marek, Aldridge combine to help stop streak at 5 - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Cougars Bite Rattlers for Ninth in a Row - Kane County Cougars
- Silver Hawks defeat Dayton - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Pitching dominates as Swing lose nailbiter - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Whitecaps Long Ball too Much for Devil Rays - Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
- Error Gives L-Kings Extra-Inning Win - Clinton LumberKings
- Bees Send Snappers to Sixth Straight Loss - Beloit Sky Carp
- Rattler skid reaches four - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Long balls help West Michigan edge Devil Rays - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Silver Hawks Spoil Strong Dragons Pitching - Dayton Dragons
- Lansing Wins Third Consecutive Game - Lansing Lugnuts
- Hill joins Kernels, set to take the hill on Monday - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Lumber Kings Baseball Club starts June 17 - Clinton LumberKings
- All-Star festivities come to John O'Donnell - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Williams Trade Nets Dragons a Righty - Dayton Dragons
- Crabtree Rejoins LumberKings - Clinton LumberKings
- Duarte Delivers in the Clutch - Burlington Bees
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.
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