Whitecaps Strand 14 Men On Base In Loss
Published on August 15, 2014 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release
MIDLAND, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps broke out of a recent offense funk with 15 hits on Friday night, but they also left 14 runners on base and came up short in a 5-4 loss to the Great Lakes Loons in the opener of a three-game series at Dow Diamond.
Eleven of the 14 runners that West Michigan (32-21, 73-50) stranded were left in scoring position after the 'Caps struggled to a 2-for-15 effort with runners in scoring position.
In a game that was tied at 4-4 after four innings, the Great Lakes (26-27, 60-63) bullpen hung on by a thread. The Loons' relief corps combined to throw five shutout innings even though the Whitecaps advanced a runner to third base in all five of their frames - including the bases loaded in the ninth inning.
Every Whitecaps' starter registered a hit, led by a 4-for-4 effort by 18-year-old Domingo Leyba, who reached base in all five of his plate appearances. Wynton Bernard was 2-for-5 with a double, Arvicent Perez was 2-for-2 with two RBI, and Ross Kivett was 2-for-5 with his first two Midwest League hits.
But, after the game swung back and forth and headed into the fifth inning in a 4-4 deadlock, the offenses suddenly struggled to cross the plate.
The only run that scored after that point came in the bottom of the seventh against hometown star Ryan Longstreth, who came out of the Whitecaps' bullpen to pitch in front of friends and family for the first time as a professional. Born in Midland and residing in nearby Beaverton, Michigan, the Central Michigan University product had men at the corners with two outs when Paul Hoenecke ripped a ground-rule double to right that gave the Loons a 5-4 lead.
Over the next two innings, the 'Caps took their hacks against Jacob Rahme, a flame-throwing reliever that entered play with a 23.2-inning scoreless streak that recently broke the Great Lakes franchise record for a reliever.
Rhame struck out the first two batters of the eighth inning before singles by Bernard and Javier Betancourt put men at the corners, but Raph Rhymes grounded into a fielder's choice to end the threat. In the ninth, singles by Jeff Holm and Leyba gave West Michigan a chance and a two-out error by the shortstop kept the ballgame alive.
But, with the bases loaded and two outs, Rhame struck out Bennett Pickar to end the night. It was the fourth strikeout for Rhame (6), who earned the save and extended his record scoreless innings streak despite allowing four singles in two innings.
Jordan Hershiser (1-1), the son of Los Angeles Dodgers' great Orel Hershiser, earned the win with two shutout innings of relief.
Longstreth (0-1) took the loss thanks to his first run allowed as a member of the Whitecaps in one inning out of the bullpen.
The Whitecaps continue a three-game road series against the Great Lakes Loons at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday night. LHP Kevin Ziomek (9-6, 2.31) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP John Richy (N/A) of Great Lakes. The next home game at Fifth Third Ballpark will be on Monday night at 7:00 p.m. with half-price box or reserved seats available to fans that bring a church or community bulletin to the box office on a JQ99 FM All Faith's Night. 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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