Wilkel, Wenceel, Whitecaps Win
August 17, 2018 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release
COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Newcomers Reece Hampton and Wenceel Perez combined for six hits in their Midwest League debuts and Wilkel Hernandez tossed six scoreless innings to help the West Michigan Whitecaps blank the Lansing Lugnuts 5-0 in front of 7.386 happy fans Friday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.
On Harry Potter Night, Whitecaps starter Wilkel Hernandez weaved a magic start in six outstanding innings, surrendering only two hits and striking out six Lugnuts. Hernandez worked just one inning where he had more than one Lugnut on the base paths. Meanwhile, the Whitecaps hopped all over Lansing starter Donnie Sellers, who was activated from the disabled list earlier that day. The first "Caps inning brought home two runs, one on infielder interference and another on an RBI-single by Jordan Pearce. Four of the 'Caps ten hits on the night took place in the first inning. West Michigan pushed their advantage to 3-0 in their fifth inning courtesy of a run-scoring single by Perez, who tallied a perfect 4-for-4 night in his first game as a Whitecap. The "Caps closed out the scoring in the eighth. Hampton laced an infield single, his second of the night and Perez singled as well to set the stage for Dylan Rosa, who's batting .339 in August. Rosa blasted a two-run single to left field to push the Whitecaps lead to 5-0. Ethan DeCaster stymied Lansing in the ninth as part of a three-inning relief performance for the Whitecaps and picked up his first save of 2018.
Hernandez (2-5) picked up the impressive win with his best start of 2018 and enabled West Michigan to take two of the three games vs. Lansing in the short homestand. The loss went to Sellers (6-3) who scattered five hits, and one earned run in four innings of work. With the victory, the Whitecaps hold a spot in the playoff picture and improve to 62-61 overall and 26-27 in the second half standings. Lansing falls to 73-51 in 2018 and 30-24 in the second half.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps hit the road for a three-game series against the Lake County Captains beginning Saturday at 7:00 pm. Carson Lance gets the start for West Michigan against Captains pitcher Gregori Vasquez. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty starts on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:50 pm. Tickets are available for any Whitecaps 2018 home contest by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or by visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.
Midwest League Stories from August 17, 2018
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