COMSTOCK PARK - In their Marvel Heroes weekend, the West Michigan Whitecaps continued the Second Half of their season with a three-game series against their longtime rivals, the Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics.
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AN UNWELCOME RETURN
Though they had a few days off to regroup, the Whitecaps continued their midseason struggles in the series opener on Friday.
After a couple of scoreless innings, the Lugnuts manufactured four runs in the top of the third, highlighted by a two-run single from Euribiel Angeles. The Whitecaps got on the board after Josh Crouch drove in Eliezer Alfonzo in the sixth, but Lansing came up with four more runs in the seventh the put the game away, as the visitors kicked off the weekend by beating up the ‘Caps, 8-1.
West Michigan had plenty of opportunities to score more on Friday night, including loading up the bases in the fifth. They ended up going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, leaving seven stranded in the loss. Carlos Mendoza, Roberto Campos and Izaac Pacheco each had two hits in the contest.
THAT’S MORE LIKE IT
Unlike the series opener, both teams got the offense going early.
The Lugnuts would strike first with a run in the opening half inning, but the Whitecaps came back in a couple of runs in the bottom of the first, with Roberto Campos and Luis Santana each driving in runs.
West Michigan extended their lead to two in the following inning, as Brady Allen homered for the 11th time in 2023. From there, the ‘Caps defense took over. Though Lansing closed the gap with a run in the seventh, the home side would be able to grab their first win of the weekend by a final score of 3-2.
Troy Melton had a solid start, giving up just one run over four innings, while Erick Pinales (3-0) was credited with the win after striking out two in a scoreless fifth frame.
CAMPOS HAS HIMSELF A DAY
In the series finale on Sunday, the Whitecaps had a hot start, thanks to one swing of the bat from Roberto Campos. The outfielder’s three-run home run, his fifth of the season, gave the home crowd something to cheer about.
Lansing wasted little time to answer, scoring twice in the top of the second to cut the West Michigan lead to one. Similar to what happened on Saturday, both teams’ defenses stepped up, as the ‘Caps’ bullpen came in clutch to keep the Lugnuts off the board as well.
Some insurance for the home team came in the bottom of the eighth, as Campos drove in his fourth run of the game. Gabriel Sequeira came in the ninth to close out the contest, helping the Whitecaps to a series win with a 4-2 victory.
Campos accumulated two of West Michigan’s three hits on Sunday. Though Lansing ended up with nine hits, seven pitchers stepped up for the ‘Caps, combining for eighth strikeouts, with Angel Reyes (2-2) earning the win after tossing a scoreless fourth inning, striking out two.
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After taking two of three from their rivals, the Whitecaps (40-43) are 8-10 in the Second Half, sitting fourth in the Midwest League East, four games back of the Fort Wayne TinCaps, who sit atop the division.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Whitecaps are back on the road for the first time in two weeks, as they pay a visit to the Advanced-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, the South Bend Cubs.
South Bend has been having a tough 2023 season after winning the championship last year. They currently have the worst record in the Midwest League, holding a 36-47 overall record, with a 6-12 record in the Second Half after winning two of three in their weekend set with the Quad Cities River Bandits.
These two teams met at LMCU Ballpark last August, with the ‘Caps salvaging a split in their six-game series.
Read more articles about the Whitecaps on MLive.com
UPCOMING SCHEDULE (Home games in BOLD)
- Tuesday, July 18 @ South Bend Cubs (7:05 p.m. ET)
- Wednesday, July 19 @ South Bend Cubs (12:05 p.m. ET)
- Thursday, July 20 @ South Bend Cubs (7:05 p.m. ET)
- Friday, July 21 @ South Bend Cubs (7:05 p.m. ET)
- Saturday, July 22 @ South Bend Cubs (7:05 p.m. ET)
- Sunday, July 18 @ South Bend Cubs (2:05 p.m. ET)
You can watch and listen to the Whitecaps all season on MiLB.TV
- Buy Whitecaps tickets: Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek
Check out the Midwest League standings and results here
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