Whitecaps Ride Durham's Blasts to 10-7 Comeback Win over Hawks

July 28, 2013 - Midwest League (MWL1)
South Bend Silver Hawks News Release


First baseman Lance Durham launched homers in back-to-back innings to lead the West Michigan Whitecaps to a stirring comeback victory over the South Bend Silver Hawks 10-7 on Sunday afternoon. Durham's two-run homer in the seventh cut the Hawks lead to 6-4 and his three-run bomb in the eighth, gave the Whitecaps the lead for good.

The West Michigan Whitecaps, Class-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers wasted no time in lighting up the scoreboard in the first. Left fielder Danry Vasquez led off the game driving the first pitch to deep center. Just when it looked like center fielder Breland Almadova was going to make the catch, the ball popped out of his glove, allowing Vasquez to reach second on the error. After advancing to third on a 4-3 groundout by shortstop Jared Reaves, Vasquez crossed home on a wild pitch to right fielder Jeff Holm to give the Whitecaps an early 1-0 lead.

South Bend (65-40, 21-15) struck back quickly in the bottom of the frame. Right fielder Socrates Brito reached on a fielder's choice and then moved up to second on a wild pitch. After third baseman Brandon Drury walked, the Hawks knotted the score at one a piece on designated hitter Rudy Flores' single to right. The rally ended there as Whitecaps starter Montreal Robertson was not exposed for any more runs in the first thanks to an inning ending double play.

The Hawks pulled ahead in the bottom of the second. First baseman Carter Bell reached on an E-3 fielding as West Michigan first baseman Lance Durham dropped the throw from third. Left fielder Alex Glenn followed with a triple to the right field corner to plate Bell. Then during shortstop Andrew Velazquez's at bat, Robertson's second wild pitch allowed Glenn to cross home and give the Hawks a 3-1 edge.

Both teams added run support in the third. Second baseman Harold Castro led off the inning with a triple to right field as the ball took a high bounce off the turf over Brito's head and out to the wall. A sacrifice fly to right by Vasquez narrowed the gap to 3-2. In the bottom of the inning, South Bend was able to get the run back as well as expand their lead. Drury ripped a double to left-center and came around to score on Almadova's single to center. It looked like the Whitecaps might have had a play on Drury at the plate, but Durham cut off the throw, allowing Drury to score and Almadova to move up to second. Catcher Michael Perez then connected on his first of two doubles on the day with a shot to the right-center gap that plated Almadova. Bell followed with a double of his own to score Perez and put the Hawks out in front 6-2.

West Michigan (50-54, 17-17) countered with a couple more runs in the seventh. Designated hitter Dean Green roped a double off the batter's eye in center. After a quick chance to catch his breath, Green trotted home on Durham's homer off the bridge above the centerfield wall. His first of two homers on the day, it took a brief conference between the umpires to declare that the ball had indeed cleared the fence and hit off the bridge overhead and closed the gap to 6-4.

The Silver Hawks, Class-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks kept their foot on the accelerator in the seventh. Brito drew a walk from Whitecaps reliever Calvin Drummond (2-1) and then quickly stole second. A line drive single to left field was enough to bring Brito home from second and give the Hawks a 7-4 advantage.

West Michigan, came up with a huge eighth inning to wrest the lead back from the Silver Hawks. Jose Jose (0-1) came on in relief of Darrah to start the top of the eighth. After retiring the first batter of the inning, Whitecaps shortstop Jared Reaves hit a slow chopper towards the mound that Jose fielder and fired into right field. Reaves went to first on the infield hit and then advanced all the way over to third on the throwing error. Right fielder Jeff Holm drove Reaves home with a sacrifice fly to center that cut the Hawks lead to 7-5. Third baseman Jason King dunked a single into center field with two outs that was nearly snagged by a diving attempt by Hawks center fielder Almadova. Green then blooped one into short left to put runners at first and second. Durham was up next and turned on a 2-0 pitch from Jose that landed well over the right-center field fence for a three-run homerun and an 8-7 Whitecaps lead. Jose followed that up by plunking center fielder Connor Harrell and giving up an RBI double to catcher Adolfo Reina that extended the West Michigan lead to 9-7. That was it for Jose as he surrendered six runs (five earned) in just two-thirds of an inning. Matt Sample entered the game and walked the first two batters he faced to load the bases. A passed ball then advanced all three runners, allowing Reina to score and making it a 10-7 Whitecaps lead.

Josh Turley entered the game in the bottom of the eighth in relief of Drummond. He worked around a leadoff ground-rule double to catcher Michael Perez to pitch a scoreless inning. He turned the ball over in the ninth to Cory Knebel (S, 8). Knebel made short work of the Hawks, setting down the top of the order on just seven pitches for the save.

The Hawks and Whitecaps will play the rubber game of the three-game series on Monday afternoon. It's the Businessperson's Special on Monday and the game will begin at 1:05pm. For $10 you receive a field box seat, a hotdog, and a soda so come spend an extended lunch hour at Coveleski Regional Stadium. It is also Belly Buster Monday at the Cove so upgrade your ticket for a wristband that includes unlimited hotdogs, hamburgers, popcorn and peanuts during the game.



Midwest League Stories from July 28, 2013


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