Whitecaps Win; Magic Number Drops to 3

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MWL West Michigan Whitecaps

Whitecaps Win; Magic Number Drops to 3

June 10, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


LANSING, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps took advantage of big nights from catcher Bennett Lee and infielder Peyton Graham to reduce their magic number for the playoffs down to three as part of a 6-2 victory over the Lansing Lugnuts in front of 3.847 fans at Jackson Field on Tuesday night.

The Whitecaps pitching staff kept the Lugnuts - one of the top hitting teams in the Midwest League - held to just two runs while keeping Lansing hitters off-balance throughout the evening. The trio of starter Hayden Minton and relievers Preston Howey and Colin Fields induced 12 ground ball outs to go along with five strikeouts. At the plate, Lee reached base three times, including his second home run of the season, while Graham recorded his third three-hit game of the season, going 3-for-5 with a run scored, two doubles, and two RBI. With eight games remaining in the 2025 first half, the Whitecaps can clinch their first trip to the postseason since 2018 with two more wins in the final five games of their series in Lansing.

The Whitecaps scored their first run by taking advantage of Lansing's defense. After a Lugnuts fielding error put runners at the corners with one out, a fielder's choice from Ben Malgeri, on a Minor League Rehab Assignment with the 'Caps, plated the first run and gave West Michigan a 1-0 lead. Lansing quickly knotted the game at one in the second with a solo home run from Nate Nankil to even the score. The contest remained tied until the Whitecaps were at the plate with two outs in the fifth when catcher Bennett Lee pounded a 400-foot solo home run to give West Michigan a 2-1 advantage. In the seventh, the 'Caps broke through against the Lansing bullpen when Seth Stephenson drilled a run-scoring single to propel the Whitecaps to a two-run edge at 3-1. Later in the frame, Max Clark delivered a run-scoring bloop single, and Peyton Graham cracked his third hit of the night - one that put the 'Caps ahead for good - with a two-run double to give West Michigan a 6-1 lead. An RBI single from Ryan Lasko in the ninth brought the Whitecaps lead to 6-2, but it was too little, too late as the 'Caps pulled closer to the 2025 postseason.

The Whitecaps record jumps back to 20 games over .500 at 39-19, while Lansing falls to 33-25. Minton (1-1) picks up his first win of the season for tossing five innings and allowing just one run, while Lugnuts starter Corey Avant (2-2) suffers his second loss - allowing just two runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out seven in an otherwise effective performance. Infielder Andrew Jenkins, back from Triple-A Toledo, went 2-for-4 with a double in his return.

UP NEXT

The Whitecaps continue this all-important six-game series against the Lansing Lugnuts from Jackson Field on Wednesday at 7:05 pm. Pitchers Max Alba and Jake Garland are expected to be the starting pitchers for West Michigan and Lansing. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:50 pm on 106.1 FM 'The Ticket' and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids. Catch all the action on the radio or listen to the game live at whitecapsbaseball.com.

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Midwest League Stories from June 10, 2025


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