Whitecaps Wash Away Fort Wayne, 3-0
May 13, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release
FORT WAYNE, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps enjoyed a cameo from a big leaguer while scrapping their way to a 3-0 shutout win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps on a rain-soaked Tuesday night at Parkview Field.
The evening began with Detroit Tigers pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long looking sharp with three scoreless, hitless innings while striking out two and his fastball reaching as high as 94 mph. With the victory, the Whitecaps now sit three games in front of the TinCaps and Lansing Lugnuts for first place in the Midwest League Eastern Division and are ten games over .500 for the first time since the 2022 season.
Tuesday's contest began with a lengthy rain delay, spanning one hour and 40 minutes. Once the game finally got underway, West Michigan opened the scoring when John Peck launched his third home run of the season - a solo shot in the top of the fourth to give the 'Caps a 1-0 lead. Meanwhile, Gipson-Long cruised through his three-inning start, capping his night when first baseman Izaac Pacheco made a lunging catch to take away an extra-base hit from TinCaps first baseman Addison Kopack before turning the catch into an inning-ending double play. In the sixth, Izaac Pacheco delivered a two-out, RBI-Triple to extend the lead to 2-0 before a run-scoring single by Peyton Graham gave the Whitecaps a 3-0 advantage. Meanwhile, pitcher Carlos Marcano kept TinCaps hitters off balance and tossed the next five innings of scoreless baseball, including inducing a pair of double plays.
The Whitecaps improve to 22-12 while the TinCaps fall to 19-15. Marcano (1-1) tossed five shutout frames while allowing just three hits in picking up his first win of the season. Fort Wayne starter Ian Koenig (1-1) allowed all three 'Caps runs in 5.2 frames in taking his first loss of the 2025 season. West Michigan reliever Carlos Lequerica tossed a perfect ninth inning to collect his first save of the season. The shutout becomes the fifth time West Michigan has held their opponent scoreless in a contest, which ranks second in the Midwest League (Quad Cities, 7).
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps continue this six-game series from Parkview Field against the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Wednesday at 6:35 pm. Pitchers Rayner Castillo and Clark Candiotti, the son of former big league pitcher Tom Candiotti, get the starts for West Michigan and Fort Wayne. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty starts on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:20 pm on 106.1 FM 'The Ticket' and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids to catch all the action or listen to the game live at whitecapsbaseball.com.
Midwest League Stories from May 13, 2025
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- Whitecaps Wash Away Fort Wayne, 3-0 - West Michigan Whitecaps
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- Lugnuts Steal 7-6 Walk-Off Win from Cubs in 10 Innings - South Bend Cubs
- Down to Their Final Strike, Nuts Rally to Walk off the Cubs in 10 - Lansing Lugnuts
- Dayton Dragons GameDay Notes for Tuesday (7:30 PM at Quad Cities) - Dayton Dragons
- Copen K's 7, Vetrano Homers and Sirota Has Three-Hit Loons Debut, Great Lakes Win 3-1 - Great Lakes Loons
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