2010 West Michigan Whitecaps Season Tracker

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EARLY LEAD EVAPORATES AS 'CAPS DROP OPENER
06/08/2010 10:58 PM ET

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The West Michigan Whitecaps could not hold an early lead in Tuesday night's road trip opener against the Cedar Rapids Kernels, falling by a 6-2 score on Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

As interdivisional play continues, West Michigan (23-35) began a six-game road trip against the top two teams in the Eastern Division standings on Tuesday. After the 'Caps jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, however, first-place Cedar Rapids (37-21) stormed back for six unanswered runs and used a five-run outburst in the third to snatch the victory.

The Whitecaps looked strong to open the game. After the first two batters of the first were retired, Kernels' starter Ariel Pena walked both Wade Gaynor and Jordan Lennerton. Avisail Garcia stepped in next and swung at the first pitch he saw, grounding a base hit up the middle that plated Gaynor for a 1-0 lead. In the second, Jimmy Gulliver led off with a single and was promptly doubled to third by Billy Alvino. Jamie Johnson followed with a run-scoring groundout for a 2-0 edge.

Shortly thereafter, the Kernels turned things around. After pushing across a two-out run in the second to cut the deficit in half, Cedar Rapids sent 10 men to the plate and took the lead with a big rally in the bottom of the third.

West Michigan starter Jade Todd issued a pair of walks to start the inning and Matt Long doubled home the game-tying run. One out later, Casey Haerther singled home the go-ahead run while advancing Long to third. Todd struck out the next batter and was on the verge of escaping the jam with just a 3-2 deficit, but Cedar Rapids seized control over a sequence of the next three pitches.

With Justin Bass batting and runners at the corners, Haerther broke for second base as the Kernels aggressively attempted the double steal. Long raced towards the plate as the throw sailed to second and Haerther slid in ahead of the tag, while Long scored easily for a 4-2 lead. The next pitch with singled to center as Bass drove in Haerther, and Michael Wing lined the very next offering to right for a run-scoring triple and a 6-2 Cedar Rapids advantage.

Despite the flurry of scoring early, neither team was able to score past the third inning.

Pena (1-1) settled in to earn the victory for the Kernels, overcoming five walks and an early deficit to throw six innings. He was charged with two runs on four hits while fanning five, and was followed by a trio of hurlers that combined for three shutout frames of one-hit relief.

Todd (0-7) suffered his seventh straight loss to open the season for West Michigan. The lefty was touched up for six runs on six hits over 2.2 innings before relievers Nolan Moody and Nathan Newman combined for 5.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

In the seventh, Jamie Johnson singled to left to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. He is batting .349 with 10 RBI during the streak, which is just one shy of the team-high established by Jordan Lennerton from May 21-June 2.

The Whitecaps continue a six-game road trip to the Western Division with a 7:35 p.m. ET first pitch against the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Wednesday, June 9. West Michigan sends RHP Trevor Feeney (6-3, 3.08) to the mound for game two of a three-game series against LHP Tyler Skaggs (5-2, 2.63) and the Kernels. Following the road trip, the 'Caps will be back at Fifth Third Ballpark for a three-game set against the Lake County Captains that starts on Tuesday, June 15, with an all-you-can-eat food package on a Fat Tuesday and Senior Night. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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KERNELS RALLY TO KNOCK OFF 'CAPS AGAIN
06/09/2010 10:11 PM ET

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The West Michigan Whitecaps could not hold a 2-0 lead for the second straight night on Wednesday, falling to the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 5-2, on Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

After jumping out to another early advantage, West Michigan (23-36) managed just one hit after the third inning while Cedar Rapids (38-21) rallied for five unanswered runs to improve to a dominant 20-4 on their home turf.

The Whitecaps led 2-0 with ace Trevor Feeney on the mound before the Kernels reached the scoreboard in the fourth. Casey Haerther sent a liner to right that turned into a triple when Avisail Garcia failed to make a diving catch, and Jose Jimenez followed with a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-1 ballgame.

Two innings later, 'Caps starter Trevor Feeney issued his first walk of the game with two outs in the sixth. It turned out to be bad timing, as Jimenez followed by turning on a 1-1 pitch left up in the zone and cracking a two-run homer that put Cedar Rapids ahead by a 3-2 score.

The Kernels tacked on a pair of key insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. With runners at second and third, Casey Haerther lined the first pitch he saw up the middle for a two-run single that gave Cedar Rapids a 5-2 cushion.

Piggyback starter Tyler Kehrer (2-2) earned the win out of the Kernels bullpen, facing the minimum over three hitless innings of relief after Tyler Skaggs started and pitched the first five frames. Johnny Hellweg (7) worked around an infield single that led off the ninth for his seventh save in as many tries.

Feeney (6-4) suffered the loss for West Michigan, though he pitched better than his final line suggests. After carrying a shutout into the fourth and the lead into the sixth, Feeney was ultimately charged with five runs on nine hits over 7.1 innings of work.

The Whitecaps took their early lead in the top of the second inning. After reaching on a one-out single, Alexis Espinoza stole second and advanced to third when the catcher's throw skipped into center field. Michael Rockett followed with a grounder to the right side of a drawn-in infield that was stopped by a diving Jean Segura at second base, but the throw to the plate was not in time as Espinoza slid in for the game's first run. Rockett eventually came home to score on an infield single by Jamie Johnson with two outs in the frame.

The Whitecaps continue a six-game road trip to the Western Division with a 7:35 p.m. ET first pitch against the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Thursday, June 10. West Michigan sends all-star LHP Giovanni Soto (4-3, 1.99) to the mound for the finale of a three-game series against LHP Stephen Locke (1-0, 3.38) and the Kernels. Following the road trip, the 'Caps will be back at Fifth Third Ballpark for a three-game set against the Lake County Captains that starts on Tuesday, June 15, with an all-you-can-eat food package on a Fat Tuesday and Senior Night. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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KERNELS "LOCK" DOWN SERIES SWEEP
06/10/2010 10:46 PM ET

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The West Michigan Whitecaps were stifled by the Cedar Rapids Kernels and starting pitcher Stephen Locke on Thursday night in a 5-2 loss on Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

After West Michigan (23-37) was swept by first-place Cedar Rapids (39-21) in the three-game series, the Whitecaps will continue their six-game road trip against the Western Division with a three-game set in Quad Cities over the weekend.

On Thursday, Kernels' starter Stephen Locke was the man of the hour. The 24-year-old lefty carried a one-hit shutout into the seventh inning before the Whitecaps stung him for two late home runs. Despite the longballs, Locke (2-0) earned the win with seven strikeouts over eight strong innings, allowing just two runs on five hits. He went deep into the ballgame despite throwing just 85 pitches, and recorded 19 of his 24 outs either on the ground or through the strikeout.

Meanwhile, the Kernels mounted a rally in the bottom of the third inning to break a scoreless tie. Jon Karcich drew a leadoff walk and Matt Long singled him to second with one away. Jean Segura started the scoring with an RBI-single through the right side. With men at second and third Casey Haerther hit a grounder to shortstop, but the throw to the plate by Hernan Perez was off line and Long slid home safely. Cedar Rapids capped the rally with their second double-steal of the series, as Haerther induced a rundown between first and second while Segura broke for the plate and beat the throw for a 3-0 advantage.

One inning later, the Kernels added two unearned runs in the fourth. With runners at second and third and two away, Long hit a hard grounder to the right side that snuck under the glove of first baseman Jordan Lennerton. Both runners scored on the error as Cedar Rapids pushed the lead to 5-0.

West Michigan made a game of it late, getting leadoff home runs from Wade Gaynor in the seventh and Michael Rockett in the eighth to pull to within 5-2.

The late power surge was not enough, however, as Jeremy Berg (4) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the save for the Kernels.

Giovanni Soto (4-4) suffered the loss for the Whitecaps, lasting just 2.2 innings and allowing three runs on three hits and three walks in his first start since being named a Midwest League All-Star on Tuesday.

The Whitecaps continue a six-game road trip to the Western Division with an 8:00 p.m. ET first pitch against the Quad Cities River Bandits on Friday, June 11. West Michigan sends RHP Ramon Lebron (4-3, 5.63) to the mound for the first game of a three-game series against RHP Deryk Hooker (2-2, 2.70) and the River Bandits. Following the road trip, the 'Caps will be back at Fifth Third Ballpark for a three-game set against the Lake County Captains that starts on Tuesday, June 15, with an all-you-can-eat food package on a Fat Tuesday and Senior Night. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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SEVEN-RUN FIRST SINKS 'CAPS EARLY
06/11/2010 11:15 PM ET

DAVENPORT, IA - The West Michigan Whitecaps had their fate determined early on Friday night, serving up seven runs in the first inning of an 8-3 loss to the Quad Cities River Bandits at Modern Woodmen Park.

West Michigan (23-38) is now 0-4 to start their six-game Western Division road trip, losing the series opener against the second-place River Bandits after suffering a series sweep at the hands of first-place Cedar Rapids earlier in the week. After their offensive outburst set the tone, the Quad Cities (36-25) pitching staff racked up 13 strikeouts without issuing a walk to secure the victory.

The River Bandits jumped all over Whitecaps' starter Ramon Lebron, batting around in the bottom of the first inning and sending him to the showers early.

After singles by Michael Swinson and Ryan Jackson started the rally, Jason Stidham clubbed a two-run triple to the base of the wall in center that gave Quad Cities a 2-0 lead before an out had been recorded. After a groundout, Lebron issued consecutive walks to Robert Stock and Frederick Parejo that loaded the bases. C.J. Beatty drove home a run with a groundout to first for a 3-0 advantage.

Things continued to unravel from there. Edgar Lara followed by smacking an opposite-field double into the right-center field gap that plated two more runs. Lebron issued another walk before being removed, but reliever Nathan Newman was greeted with a two-run triple by Swinson that sailed over the head of Jamie Johnson in center field.

When the dust had settled, the River Bandits had sent 11 men to the plate and taken a 7-0 lead on five hits and three walks.

Quad Cities cruised to the victory from there, led by starter Deryk Hooker (3-2) and his five scoreless innings. The 20-year-old righty from San Diego scattered five hits while fanning six and walking none. In the process, Hooker lowered his ERA at Modern Woodmen Park to a paltry 0.30 with 36 strikeouts and just five walks in 30 innings of work.

Lara added a solo homer in the sixth to push the River Bandits lead to 8-0 before the Whitecaps finally cracked the scoreboard in the top of the eighth.

For the second straight night Wade Gaynor broke up the shutout with a late solo home run, blasting his fifth longball of the year with one out in the eighth. Jordan Lennerton followed with a double and Avisail Garcia reached on an infield single to put runners at the corners. Ronnie Bourquin plated Lennerton with a groundout and Michael Rockett added an RBI-single to bring the 'Caps to within 8-3, but it was too little too late.

Lebron (4-4) suffered the loss for West Michigan after getting knocked around for seven runs on four hits and three walks over just two-thirds of an inning. Since throwing back-to-back scoreless outings on May 3 and May 8 to improve to 4-1 and lower his earned run average to 2.70, the 21-year-old Dominican has gone 0-3 with a 22.00 ERA in four shaky starts.

The Whitecaps continue a six-game road trip to the Western Division with a 7:00 p.m. ET first pitch against the Quad Cities River Bandits on Saturday, June 12. West Michigan sends RHP Jacob Turner (1-3, 4.01) to the mound for the second game of a three-game series against RHP Eric Fornataro (5-4, 3.84) and the River Bandits. Following the road trip, the 'Caps will be back at Fifth Third Ballpark for a three-game set against the Lake County Captains that starts on Tuesday, June 15, with an all-you-can-eat food package on a Fat Tuesday and Senior Night. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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'CAPS RALLY BACK BUT LOSE IN EXTRAS
06/12/2010 10:55 PM ET

DAVENPORT, IA - The West Michigan Whitecaps fought back from a 3-0 deficit to force extra innings on Saturday night, only to watch the Quad Cities River Bandits walk off with a 4-3 win in the bottom of the 10th inning at Modern Woodmen Park.

The loss was the fifth in a row for West Michigan (23-39), equaling their longest losing streak of the season. The Whitecaps need a win over Quad Cities (37-25) in the series finale on Sunday evening to avoid going 0-6 on the current Western Division road trip.

Trailing 3-0 after six innings of play, the Whitecaps clawed their way back into the ballgame with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. There were two away when Alexis Espinoza blasted a run-scoring double off the top of the wall in right-center, and two pitches later Michael Rockett's single plated Espinoza to bring the 'Caps within 3-2.

Two innings later, a key error helped West Michigan tie the score in the top of the ninth.

After Ronnie Bourquin drew a leadoff walk, Espinoza sent a one-hopper to the mound that appeared to be a sure double play ball. The throw to second from pitcher Jesse Simpson was low and bounced into shallow right, however, leaving runners at the corners with nobody out. Rockett followed with the game-tying single, rolling a groundball up the middle that brought home Bourquin for a 3-3 tie.

After evening the score, the Whitecaps nearly pushed across the go-ahead run. There were runners at second and third and one out when Jimmy Gulliver sent a bouncer to the right side, but the River Bandits had the infield in and threw out Espinoza at the plate. Later in the frame, Hernan Perez flew out to center as West Michigan stranded the bases loaded in the ninth.

The 3-3 deadlock remained until the 10th inning, when the River Bandits got back-to-back one-out singles from Michael Swinson and Ryan Jackson to place men on the corners. With the infield in, Whitecaps reliever Kenny Faulk induced a groundout to second that forced the runners to hold. Clean-up batter Niko Vasquez stepped in next, however, and smacked an 0-1 pitch to the wall in left-center for the game-winning hit and the 4-3, walk-off win.

Aaron Terry (2-2) earned the victory after throwing a scoreless top of the 10th for Quad Cities, while Faulk (2-2) suffered the loss in the bottom half of the frame for West Michigan.

The late action overshadowed an early pitchers' duel between a pair of Midwest League All-Stars.

Jacob Turner started for the 'Caps and allowed just three hits with five strikeouts over 5.2 innings. He was taken out of the game with two outs in the sixth, at which point the lone run against him came around to score after his removal. The River Bandits went on to score two more runs in the frame against reliever Victor Larez to jump out to a 3-0 lead.

Turner's counterpart was Eric Formataro, who carried a three-hit shutout into the seventh before the Whitecaps were able to break through. Fornataro struck out five and did not issue a walk while allowing two runs on six hits over seven innings.

The Whitecaps conclude a six-game road trip to the Western Division with a 6:00 p.m. ET first pitch against the Quad Cities River Bandits on Sunday, June 13. West Michigan sends LHP Jade Todd (0-7, 5.52) to the mound for the finale of a three-game series against RHP Michael Blazek (2-3, 4.79) and the River Bandits. The 'Caps will be back at Fifth Third Ballpark for a three-game set against the Lake County Captains that starts on Tuesday, June 15, with an all-you-can-eat food package on a Fat Tuesday and Senior Night. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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TOUGH-LUCK TODD TOSSES THREE-HITTER, TAKES LOSS
06/13/2010 9:15 PM ET

DAVENPORT, IA - Jade Todd was fantastic in his best outing of the year on Sunday evening, but even a complete game three-hitter could not stop the West Michigan Whitecaps' losing streak in a 2-1 loss to the Quad Cities River Bandits at Modern Woodmen Park.

West Michigan (23-40) sunk to 17 games below .500 after their sixth consecutive loss, their longest skid of the season. Quad Cities (38-25) handed the Whitecaps a second series sweep in a row during an 0-6 road trip against the top two teams in the Western Division.

Todd (0-8) was tremendous for most of the evening, suffering his eighth consecutive loss to open the season despite allowing just three hits over eight strong innings. The lefty struck out five and issued one walk, using 83 efficient pitches for the complete game and finishing strong by striking out the side in the eighth. Unfortunately, two of the three hits against Todd were solo homers that propelled the River Bandits to victory.

Quad Cities reached the scoreboard when Edgar Lara clubbed a solo homer on an 0-2 pitch in the third, but the Whitecaps mounted a serious threat in the top of the fourth. It all started when Alexis Espinoza beat out an infield single with two away while Michael Rockett promptly doubled him to third. Eric Roof followed with a deep fly ball to left, but Jason Stidham raced back, spun around and made a sprawling catch on the warning track as he fell into the base of the wall - saving two runs and preserving the River Bandits' 1-0 lead.

In the bottom half of the frame, Stidham stepped to the plate with one out and blasted a 3-1 pitch over the right field fence. The Florida State product's fifth home run of the year gave Quad Cities a 2-0 edge.

That score held until the seventh, when Chris Sedon stroked on a one-out single and Hernan Perez reached base on an error. The next batter was Wade Gaynor, who swung at an 0-2 pitch and laced a base hit through the left side that plated Sedon to cut the deficit to 2-1.

The Whitecaps comeback stalled there, however. West Michigan left 13 men on base and stranded multiple runners in an inning on six separate occasions, including each of the last three frames.

Ronnie Bourquin gave the 'Caps hope with a two-out double in the ninth and Espinoza came up with two on and two out. But exactly one week after his walk-off homer beat Peoria at Fifth Third Ballpark, Espinoza flied out on the eighth pitch of a dramatic at-bat against reliever Jason Novak to end the game.

Michael Blazek (3-3) earned the win for Quad Cities with five shutout frames, capping a series in which River Bandits starters combined to go 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA (17IP/2R), 17 strikeouts and just one walk. Novak (1) faced just one batter, but notched the biggest out of the game to earn his first save of the year.

After an off-day on Monday, the Whitecaps return to Fifth Third Ballpark for a three-game set against the Lake County Captains that starts with a 7:00 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday, June 15. West Michigan will send RHP Trevor Feeney (6-4, 3.34) to the mound against RHP Austin Adams (2-3, 3.72) of the Captains. All fans can take advantage of an all-you-can-eat food package on a Fat Tuesday while those 50 and older are eligible for half-price box and reserved seats thanks to a Bob Evans Senior Night. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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'CAPS FAST START CAN'T SLOW DOWN CAPTAINS, RAIN
06/15/2010 10:11 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps came out swinging to start their final home series of the first half on Tuesday, but a roaring comeback by the Lake County Captains followed by a powerful rainstorm resulted in a 7-5 loss in a rain-shortened, five-inning contest at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (23-41) jumped out to a 5-1 lead after three innings of play only to watch Lake County (41-23) storm back for six unanswered runs before heavy rains forced the umpires to halt the action. The Whitecaps current seven-game losing streak is their longest since 2007 and tied for the second longest in franchise history.

Following an 0-6 road trip, the Whitecaps wasted little time seizing control with four extra base hits and seven total hits through the first three frames.

Jamie Johnson led off the first with a triple to left-center moments before Wade Gaynor clubbed his team-leading sixth home run of the year to left. In the second, Ronnie Bourquin doubled and scored on a base hit by Jimmy Gulliver, running over the catcher on a vicious play at the plate. The Whitecaps lead was 3-1 when Gaynor doubled and scored in the third and Michael Rockett added a run-scoring single that put West Michigan in front, 5-1.

But as a steady rain hovered over Fifth Third Ballpark, the first-place Captains never rolled over.

Lake County's Jeremie Tice checked in with a two-out single to plate a run in the top of the fourth. One batter later, Jason Smit doubled him home to make it a 5-3 ballgame.

With the contest heading towards official status in the fifth, the Captains made their move. Base hits by Delvi Cid and Bo Greenwell set the stage for Casey Frawley to tie the score with a seeing-eye, two-run single that glanced off the glove of a diving Hernan Perez at shortstop. One pitch later, Chun Chen cracked a two-run homer to left-center that gave Lake County the decisive 7-5 margin.

After the 'Caps went down in order in the bottom of the fifth, the game was put into a delay until being officially called by the umpires.

Vidal Nuno (2-1) earned the win for the Captains despite getting knocked around for five runs on eight hits over four innings of work. Nick Kirk (1) earned the save with a scoreless fifth inning in his first appearance with Lake County.

The loss went to Trevor Feeney (6-5), who was charged with seven runs - four earned - on 10 hits over four innings of work.

The Whitecaps continue their final home series of the first half at Fifth Third Ballpark with the second game of a three-game set against the Lake County Captains at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 16. West Michigan will send all-star LHP Giovanni Soto (4-4, 2.37) to the mound against RHP Austin Adams (2-3, 3.72) of the Captains. Fans will be treated to the popular entertainment of Breakin' BBoy McCoy, the breakdancing bat boy, as well as a special Wednesday edition of post-game fireworks presented by Farm Bureau Insurance. It will also be AT&T Night at the ballpark and a Wellness Wednesday presented by Priority Health. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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SOTO'S THREE-HIT SHUTOUT SNAPS LOSING STREAK
06/16/2010 9:46 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Giovanni Soto twirled a complete game three-hit shutout on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Ballpark as the West Michigan Whitecaps snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over the Lake County Captains.

Soto's gem came on a night in which the crowd was already buzzing after the Whitecaps welcomed the seven millionth fan through the gates since opening their doors in 1994. Ten-year-old Lauren Schaltz from Hudsonville was the lucky fan, winning a laundry list of prizes highlighted by two round-trip tickets on AirTran Airways, a flat-screen LCD TV, a Nintendo Wii, a package of Tigers and Whitecaps tickets, autographed baseballs and a host of other goodies.

Meanwhile, Soto's performance puts West Michigan (24-41) in a position to win the series against first-place Lake County (41-24) in their final home game of the first half on Thursday.

Soto joined Trevor Feeney as the only Whitecaps to throw a nine-inning complete game in 2010, but the 19-year-old all-star from Puerto Rico becomes the first to do so without allowing a run.

Soto (5-4) allowed just three singles, two of which were of the infield variety while the third was a liner that popped in and out of the glove of a leaping Hernan Perez at shortstop. He issued one walk, retiring 26 of the Captains' 30 batters and facing just three over the minimum. Soto threw only 98 pitches and struck out seven, inducing awkward contact and easy outs all night long. In the process, the crafty southpaw lowered his ERA to a sparkling 2.05 through his first 12 starts of the season.

Meanwhile, the Whitecaps took advantage of a defensive misplay to score the only run of the night. Michael Rockett led off the third by stinging a liner to center that caused Delvi Cid to charge in, but the ball sailed over the outfielder's head and bounced all the way to the wall. Rockett ended up with a triple, and later in the frame Jamie Johnson's RBI-single gave West Michigan the 1-0 lead.

While Soto stole the show, Lake County also pitched a three-hitter between starter Austin Adams and reliever Nick Sarianides.

The hard-throwing Adams (2-4) struck out seven while allowing just one run on three hits and one walk in five innings of work. Sarianides followed by retiring all nine batters he faced with three perfect frames out of the bullpen.

The Whitecaps conclude the home portion of their first-half schedule at Fifth Third Ballpark with the finale of a three-game set against the Lake County Captains at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 17. West Michigan will send RHP Ramon Lebron (4-4, 7.08) to the mound against RHP Clayton Cook (2-4, 4.50) of the Captains. Fans will be treated to $2 food and beverage specials on an Altogas Thrifty Thursday as well as a special post-game concert by "Oracle" on Led Zeppelin Night. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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GULLIVER'S WALK-OFF CAPS ANOTHER 1-0 WIN
06/17/2010 11:53 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Something about a homestand finale seems to get the West Michigan Whitecaps up for a dramatic finish.

On Thursday night at Fifth Third Ballpark, the Whitecaps wrapped up the home portion of their first-half schedule with a 1-0 win over the Lake County Captains that was capped by Jimmy Gulliver's walk-off double with two outs in the bottom of the 11th.

The dramatic victory came just 10 days after Alexis Espinoza closed out their previous homestand with a walk-off home run in extra innings. Thursday's win gave West Michigan (25-41) two of the three games in the series, knocking Lake County (25-41) out of first place for the first time this half and dealing a serious blow to the Captains' quest for a divisional title.

Despite a pair of dramatic plays at the plate earlier in the evening, the game was scoreless heading into the bottom of the 10th inning. Jordan Lennerton started the decisive rally with a one-out single and pinch runner Avisail Garcia promptly stole second base. After Espinoza struck out, Captains reliever Preston Guilmet intentionally walked Tony Plagman. With two outs and runners at first and second, Gulliver worked the count full before smacking the game-winning double into the gap in left-center to send the crowd into pandemonium with the 1-0 walk-off victory.

Kenny Faulk (3-2) earned the win out of the bullpen, tossing a scoreless top of the 11th and notching a crucial strikeout to strand two runners on base. That capped a combined three-hit shutout that also featured five scoreless frames from starter Ramon Lebron, two hitless innings from Richard Zumaya in his Whitecaps debut, and three pressure-packed, hitless frames from Nathan Newman.

The performance was the second consecutive three-hit shutout by West Michigan against Lake County.

Guilmet (0-1) suffered the loss for the Captains, allowing one run on three hits in 1.2 innings.

Before reaching extra frames, both teams were denied scoring opportunities on well-defended plays at the plate.

In the bottom of the second inning, the Whitecaps' Luis Sanz tried to score from second base on a two-out single by Jamie Johnson. Left-fielder Bo Greenwell fired a bullet to the plate, and catcher Chun Chen withstood a vicious collision and held onto the ball to retire Sanz and end the inning.

In the top of the eighth Lake County mounted a threat. Casey Frawley was at third when Chen drove a one-out fly ball towards right field, but Alexis Espinoza was able to make the catch on the run towards the foul line. As Frawley tagged and raced home, Espinoza squared to the plate and fired a strike to the catcher Sanz that preserved the scoreless tie.

The Whitecaps finish the first half of the 2010 season with a road series against the Bowling Green Hot Rods. The opener of the three-game set will be at 8:05 ET on Friday night, with top prospect and all-star RHP Jacob Turner (1-3, 3.72) scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Wilking Rodriguez (4-4, 3.84) of the Hot Rods. After the all-star break the 'Caps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday, June 25, kicking off the second half with a Tigers Friday featuring appearances and autographs from former Detroit Tigers Juan Berenguer and Ozzie Virgil, as well as a t-shirt giveaway for the first 1,000 fans through the gates. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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GAYNOR DRIVES IN FOUR AS 'CAPS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT
06/19/2010 12:22 AM ET

BOWLING GREEN, KY - Apparently, playing baseball in the state of Kentucky agrees with Wade Gaynor.

Returning to the state where he grew up and the city where he starred collegiately, Gaynor finished a double shy of the cycle and had a hand in all six of his team's runs as the West Michigan Whitecaps knocked off the Bowling Green Hot Rods, 6-2, on Friday night at Bowling Green Ballpark.

West Michigan (26-41) won their third straight game as Gaynor went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and four driven in to take the opener of the three-game set against Bowling Green (29-38).

The Whitecaps jumped on Hot Rods' starter Wilking Rodriguez from the outset. Jamie Johnson led off the ballgame by splitting the gap in left-center with an opposite-field double. After he advanced to third on a bunt, Gaynor lined an off-speed pitch into right-center for a run-scoring single. Gaynor moved to second on a groundout and scored on Avisail Garcia's two-out double for an early 2-0 lead.

Two innings later, Gaynor was at it again. Moments after Hernan Perez was hit by a pitch, the Western Kentucky product turned on the very next offering and drove a laser over the left field fence for a two-run homer. Gaynor's team-leading seventh homer of the year - and fourth in his last eight games - extended the 'Caps lead to 4-0.

In the fifth inning, Gaynor and the Whitecaps continued to build their lead. With one out, Perez hit a deep fly ball to center that was bobbled and dropped by Chris Murrill as he raced back to the wall. Gaynor followed by stroking a fastball into the gap in left-center and racing around the bases for an RBI-triple. When Jordan Lennerton singled through a drawn-in infield on the next pitch, West Michigan had a comfortable 6-0 advantage.

That was enough to help Jacob Turner (2-3) to his second professional win. The righty scattered seven hits over 5.2 innings, allowing two runs while fanning two and walking one.

Bowling Green managed to scratch across both of their runs during the end of Turner's outing. Mark Thomas led off the fifth with a double to the wall and scored on an infield single by Mayo Acosta. In the sixth, Tyler Bortnick led off with a line drive towards the left field corner 318 feet away, narrowly sneaking it over the wall to pull the Hot Rods to within 6-2.

Zach Samuels (1) made sure Bowling Green never got any closer. The reliever came in for Turner in the sixth and twirled 3.1 hitless innings out of the bullpen for his first save as a professional.

After throwing back-to-back shutouts on Wednesday and Thursday, the Whitecaps pitching staff ran their scoreless innings streak to 24 on Friday night before finally allowing a run in the fifth. Over the last three ballgames, West Michigan has allowed just two runs and 13 hits in 29 impressive innings of work.

Rodriguez (4-5) suffered the loss for Bowling Green after getting knocked around for six runs - five earned - on eight hits over six innings of work.

The Whitecaps wind down the first half of the 2010 season with a road series against the Bowling Green Hot Rods. The second game of the three-game set will be at 8:05 ET on Saturday night, with LHP Jade Todd (0-8, 5.14) scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Kirby Yates (1-2, 2.00) of the Hot Rods. After the all-star break the 'Caps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday, June 25, kicking off the second half with a Tigers Friday featuring appearances and autographs from former Detroit Tigers Juan Berenguer and Ozzie Virgil, as well as a t-shirt giveaway for the first 1,000 fans through the gates. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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WHITECAPS GO DOWN QUIETLY TO END HALF

06/20/2010 6:24 PM ET

BOWLING GREEN, KY - The West Michigan Whitecaps could not get anything going against Bowling Green Hot Rods' starter Kyle Lobstein on Sunday afternoon, losing 2-0 in the final game of the first half at Bowling Green Ballpark.

West Michigan (26-43) finished the first half of the season with their worst end-of-half record in franchise history after dropping two of three to Bowling Green (31-38) over the weekend.

Sunday's game was dominated by Lobstein (4-3), who was stifling over seven shutout innings and limited the Whitecaps to just four hits. All four were singles and two of the hits never left the infield. The 20-year-old southpaw struck out five batters while issuing one walk and improved to 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in the month of June.

The Hot Rods broke onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the second with a solo homer by Brett Nommensen that curled inside the right field foul pole. Two innings later, a leadoff double by Tyler Bortnick turned into a run when Mayo Acosta delivered a run-scoring double with two outs for a 2-0 lead.

That was all the scoring in the game. After Lobstein's seven impressive innings, Alex Koronis and Scott Shuman completed the combined five-hit shutout. Each reliever threw one scoreless frame, with Shuman notching his ninth save of the year.

The loss went to Trevor Feeney (6-6) despite a solid outing. The Whitecaps' workhorse was charged with two runs on four hits in five innings of work, striking out five without issuing one walk. Feeney heads into the All-Star break with a league-high 95.1 innings pitched and an impressive 76:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio to go along with his sturdy 3.59 ERA.

While RHP Jacob Turner and LHP Giovanni Soto head to Fort Wayne to participate in the festivities surrounding the Midwest League All-Star Game on Tuesday, the rest of the Whitecaps will be off for the next four days. Following the All-Star break, the 'Caps kick off the second half at Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday, June 25, with a Tigers Friday featuring appearances and autographs from former Detroit Tigers Juan Berenguer and Ozzie Virgil, as well as a t-shirt giveaway for the first 1,000 fans through the gates. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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'CAPS STRAND 10, DROP SECOND-HALF OPENER
06/25/2010 10:16 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps began play with a clean slate on Friday night, but stranded 10 runners in a 2-1 loss to the Lake County Captains in the first game of the second half at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (0-1, 26-44) got solid pitching and collected 10 hits to the Captains' seven, but went just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position as Lake County (1-0, 45-25) improved on the best record in the Midwest League.

The Whitecaps got six strong innings from Giovanni Soto (5-5), who allowed one earned run (two total) on four hits over six innings and struck out six without issuing a walk. Zach Samuels followed with two shutout frames out of the bullpen while Kenny Faulk pitched in with a scoreless ninth.

West Michigan could not get the big hit, though, stranding at least one man on base in seven of their nine offensive innings.

Their best chance came in the eighth inning. Trailing 2-1 with men at second and third and nobody out, Tony Plagman and Michael Rockett were each retired on shallow pop outs. After a walk loaded the bases, Hernan Perez bounced out to end the threat.

Lake County took the lead in the top of the fourth thanks to a pair of Whitecaps errors. Shortstop Hernan Perez committed a fielding error on a groundball near second with one out and third baseman Wade Gaynor made an errant throw with two away. Moments later, Jeremie Tice bounced a 1-2 curveball up the middle for an RBI-single and a 1-0 lead.

Lake County added a key insurance run in the sixth, when Delvi Cid smacked a leadoff triple and scored on a single by Casey Frawley for a 2-0 advantage.

The Whitecaps scored their only run in the bottom of the seventh. Newcomer Clay Jones, the Tigers' 32nd-round pick in the 2010 draft, yanked a leadoff double to left as part of a 2-for-3 night in his professional debut. After moving to third on a single by Perez, Jimmy Gulliver delivered a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Clayton Cook (3-4) earned the win for the Captains, striking out six without issuing a walk and allowing five hits in five scoreless innings.

The Whitecaps continue the first series of the second half at Fifth Third Ballpark with a 7:00 p.m. first pitch on Saturday, June 26. RHP Trevor Feeney (6-6, 3.59) is scheduled to start for West Michigan against LHP Matt Packer (5-3, 2.19) of the Lake County Captains. The first 1,000 fans will receive seat cushions thanks to Assurant Health and everybody will enjoy post-game fireworks presented by Farm Bureau Insurance. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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PACKER SPINS GEM, SHUTS OUT WHITECAPS
06/26/2010 10:12 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps went down quietly for a second straight night on Saturday, falling to the Lake County Captains by a 5-0 score in front of a crowd of 8,147 at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (0-2, 26-45) has managed just one run through the first two games of the second half, thanks in part to a dominant effort by Lake County (2-0, 46-25) starter Matt Packer on Saturday.

Packer (6-3) was brilliant throughout the evening, setting career highs with nine strikeouts over eight innings to lead the Captains to a six-hit shutout in just his seventh career start. The 22-year-old lefty allowed five hits, two of which were infield singles. None of the 24 outs Packer recorded left the infield, as three line drive singles marked the only time the Whitecaps put the ball into the outfield. The 32nd-round pick out of the University of Virginia in 2009 induced 13 outs on the ground, struck out nine, and recorded a pair of line-outs to cruise through his eight frames on just 87 pitches.

Whitecaps' starter Trevor Feeney (6-7) was also strong despite taking the loss. The 24-year-old out of Northern Illinois tossed six solid frames for his team-leading 10th quality start, becoming the first Midwest Leaguer to log more than 100 innings in the process. Feeney scattered eight hits but allowed just one run, striking out five and walking one.

Lake County's only run against Feeney came in the fourth. Jeremie Tice led off the frame with a double and advanced to third on a groundout, but Feeney retired the next batter on a bounce-out to short with the infield in that forced the runner to hold. Nearly out of the jam, Adam Abraham delivered a double down the third base line to plate Tice for a 1-0 edge.

It was still just a one-run game in the fifth when West Michigan mounted their only threat against Packer. Consecutive one-out singles and a hit batsman loaded the bases, marking the only time the Whitecaps advanced runners into scoring position. With a chance to tie the score Jamie Johnson hit a ball hard up the middle, but Packer snared the one-hopper and started a 1-2-3 double play to end the threat.

The Captains did the rest of the damage against the Whitecaps' bullpen. Jason Smit smacked a solo homer against Victor Larez in the seventh and a pair of errors in the eighth inning helped Lake County to two more runs. In the ninth, Richard Zumaya was touched for his first run allowed since joining West Michigan when Roberto Perez capped a 4-for-5 night with a two-out RBI-double that pushed the Captains' lead to 5-0.

The Whitecaps continue the first series of the second half at Fifth Third Ballpark with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch on Sunday, June 27. RHP Ramon Lebron (4-4, 6.31) is scheduled to start for West Michigan against RHP Brett Brach (0-3, 4.03) of the Lake County Captains. The first 1,500 fans through the gates will receive a Team Photo courtesy of Holiday Inn Express. There will also be an appearance from Super Why, presented by WGVU, on a Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Family Day. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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WHITECAPS SHUT OUT AGAIN, SWEPT BY CAPTAINS
06/27/2010 6:50 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps were shut out for the second straight day on Sunday, sitting through a rain delay of nearly two-and-a-half hours before losing to the Lake County Captains, 8-0, to complete a three-game sweep at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (0-3, 26-46) managed just one run during the sweep and has scored only 11 runs in their last eight games, unable to take advantage of a stellar 2.23 staff ERA over that time. Adam Abraham was the star of the show for Lake County (3-0, 47-25) on Sunday, as the former University of Michigan standout went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI.

Whitecaps starter Ramon Lebron initially looked strong, tossing a scoreless first inning and striking out the first two batters in the second. Things quickly unraveled from there.

After issuing a two-out walk, Lebron went to three-ball counts to each of the next two batters. Both men singled, including a run-scoring hit by Trent Baker. The very next pitch to Abraham was hammered over the left field fence for a three-run homer as the Captains quickly grabbed a commanding 4-0 lead.

Lake County cruised from there. After adding an unearned run in the third, Abraham continued his big day with a two-out run-scoring double in the sixth that stretched the advantage to 6-0. In the ninth, new Whitecaps reliever Miguel Mejia walked in a pair of runs to cap the scoring and give the Captains an 8-0 win.

Brett Brach (1-3) picked up his first win of the year for Lake County, throwing six steady innings of scoreless baseball. He allowed six hits - five of which were singles - while striking out five without issuing a walk.

When Brach was finished, Tyler Sturdevant (1) took over and added five more punch-outs over three innings of one-hit ball to complete Lake County's combined six-hit shutout.

Lebron (4-5) suffered the loss for West Michigan, lasting just 1.2 innings and allowing four runs on three hits and three walks.

The Whitecaps begin a six-game road trip with a 7:00 p.m. first pitch on Monday, June 28, in South Bend. RHP Nathan Newman (0-2, 3.92) is scheduled to start for West Michigan against RHP Eric Smith (5-3, 2.74) of the Silver Hawks. The 'Caps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark in style next weekend with a Fourth of July celebration against Dayton that will feature exhilarating fireworks presented by Farm Bureau Insurance. The Sunday, July 4, contest will also be a Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Family Day while the first 1,000 fans will receive t-shirts thanks to Bissell. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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SCORELESS STRETCH CONTINUES WITH 1-0 LOSS
06/28/2010 10:48 PM ET

SOUTH BEND, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps were shut out for a third consecutive game with a 1-0 loss to the South Bend Silver Hawks on Monday night at Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium.

West Michigan (0-4, 26-47) has gone 29 straight innings without scoring a run, outscored 16-1 in four straight losses to start the second half. The Whitecaps continued a trend of exceptional pitching, but South Bend (2-1, 32-39) scored the only run of the night on a bloop-single in the second.

Nathan Newman (0-3) and Zach Samuels combined on a five-hitter. Making his first start of the year, Newman tossed four strong innings and allowing one run on three hits while fanning four and walking one. Samuels was also impressive, retiring 12 of the 14 batters he faced and striking out four over four shutout innings of two-hit ball.

Over their last nine games the Whitecaps pitching staff has posted a 2.12 ERA, but the offense has scuffled to an average of just 1.2 runs per game.

On Monday, West Michigan could not take advantage of nine hits and five walks, stranding 11 runners - including nine in scoring position - and bouncing into a pair of double plays.

Meanwhile, the Silver Hawks scored the game's lone run in the bottom of the second.

Ramon Castillo reached base on a one-out single and advanced all the way third when Newman snapped off two consecutive wild pitches with Alberto Diaz at the plate. That forced the infield in with the runner at third and just one out. Newman jammed Diaz on the next offering, but Diaz managed to bloop it over the drawn-in infield for a run-scoring single to shallow center.

Diogenes Rosario (4-2) earned the win for South Bend, allowing five hits and walking four but throwing five scoreless innings.

The Whitecaps continue a six-game road trip at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29, with game two of a three-game series in South Bend. LHP Jade Todd (0-8, 5.14) is scheduled to start for West Michigan against RHP Eric Smith (5-3, 2.74) of the Silver Hawks. The 'Caps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark next weekend with a Fourth of July celebration against Dayton that will feature an exhilarating fireworks presented by Farm Bureau Insurance. The Sunday, July 4, contest will also be a Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Family Day and the first 1,000 fans will receive t-shirts thanks to Bissell. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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WHITECAPS SNAP SCORELESS STREAK BUT LOSE IN EXTRAS
06/29/2010 4:38 PM ET

SOUTH BEND, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps got excellent pitching and finally pushed across a run to snap a lengthy scoreless streak, but still ended up on the wrong end of a 2-1, 10-inning loss to the South Bend Silver Hawks on Tuesday afternoon at Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium.

West Michigan (0-5, 26-48) ended a 34 inning scoreless streak with a game-tying run in the sixth, but issued a walk-off walk in tying a season-high seven-game losing streak. The Whitecaps have been outscored 18-2 and have yet to hold a lead in five losses since the All-Star break, and will need a win against South Bend (3-1, 33-39) on Wednesday night to avoid a second consecutive sweep.

The 'Caps pitching staff continued to perform at a high level in spite of a short start by Jade Todd, who was forced out of the game due to an apparent injury after just three pitches. Four relievers combined to throw 9.1 innings while allowing just two runs, led by five strong frames from Victor Larez immediately after Todd's removal.

Over their last 10 games, the West Michigan pitching staff has posted a 2.09 ERA. During that same time period, the offense has mustered just 1.2 runs per game.

On Tuesday, the South Bend pitching staff was even stronger, racking up 16 strikeouts and holding the 'Caps to one run on four singles.

The game was scoreless until South Bend broke through in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Victor Estevez was running on a pitch that Keon Broxton ripped down the left field line. Estevez scored all the way from first on the double for a 1-0 lead.

One pitch later, David Nick threatened to add to the advantage with a liner up the middle. Center fielder Jamie Johnson charged in to field the single and fired to the plate, gunning down Broxton to hold the deficit at one.

Moments later, Johnson came through with another big play. Chris Sedon led off the top of the sixth with a clean single to center and advanced to second base on a hit by Luis Sanz. After Johnson failed to bunt the runners along, he took a full swing at a 3-2 pitch and bounced a single through the middle to score Sedon and tie the game at 1-1.

That was all the scoring until the contest stretched into extra innings.

After retiring the first seven batters he faced, Whitecaps reliever Kenny Faulk gave up an infield single to Broxton with one out in the 10th. Nick then singled through the hole on the right side to chase Faulk from the game. Richard Zumaya came in and registered a huge strikeout against the dangerous Bobby Borchering for the second out, but promptly walked Matt Davidson to load the bases. With the bags packed, two away, and the game on the line, Zumaya followed with four straight balls to walk Ramon Castillo and force in the game-winning run as the Silver Hawks celebrated a 2-1 victory.

Faulk (3-4) was charged with the loss while Adam Worthington (1-1), who threw a perfect top of the 10th, was credited with the win.

The Whitecaps continue a six-game road trip at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 30, with the finale of a three-game series in South Bend. LHP Giovanni Soto (5-5, 2.00) is scheduled to start for West Michigan against RHP Randy Rodriguez (0-1, 3.79) of the Silver Hawks. The 'Caps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark next weekend with a Fourth of July celebration against Dayton that will feature an exhilarating fireworks presented by Farm Bureau Insurance. The Sunday, July 4, contest will also be a Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Family Day and the first 1,000 fans will receive t-shirts thanks to Bissell. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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'CAPS BREAK OUT OF FUNK WITH 15-3 ROUT
07/01/2010 12:20 AM ET

SOUTH BEND, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps entered play in a deep offensive funk on Wednesday night, but exploded to set season-highs for runs, hits and margin of victory during a 15-3 blowout win over the South Bend Silver Hawks at Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium.

After scoring just two runs in their previous six games, West Michigan (1-5, 27-48) scored three times before an out was recorded on their way to a six-run first inning Wednesday night. In avoiding a three-game sweep against South Bend (3-2, 33-40), the Whitecaps pounded out a season-high 18 hits as all nine starters scored runs and eight of the nine recorded multi-hit games and picked up an RBI.

From the opening frame, the Whitecaps looked nothing like a team that entered play the lowest scoring in the Midwest League.

Jamie Johnson started the first-inning rally with a leadoff single, and a walk and an error helped load the bases with nobody out. The Whitecaps followed with station-to-station baseball as three consecutive singles from 2010 draftees Tony Plagman, Robert Brantly and Clay Jones drove in a run each. Michael Rockett, batting seventh in the order, brought home a fourth run with a fielder's choice groundout that marked the first out of the game. Jimmy Gulliver added an RBI-single and Hernan Perez capped the rally with a run-scoring groundout, as West Michigan sent 11 men to the plate and took a 6-0 lead.

That was just the tip of the iceberg.

In the third inning, Jeff Rowland singled home a run in his Midwest League debut and Wade Gaynor followed with a two-run single. The Silver Hawks countered with three runs in the bottom of the frame, but the Whitecaps went back to work in the fifth. Rowland checked in with another RBI-single and a wild pitch with the bases loaded pushed the Whitecaps lead to 11-3.

With the rout underway, the Silver Hawks opted to throw the final two innings with a pair of infielders on the mound. They began the night with spot starter Randy Rodriguez (0-2), who got knocked around for six runs - four earned - on five hits and lasted just two-thirds of an inning. After three other relievers took their turns, second baseman David Narodowski came in to pitch the eighth.

In the ninth, Narodowski swapped positions with shortstop Victor Estevez who took the mound. After retiring the first two batters he faced, Estevez hit a man and issued a walk to propel the 'Caps to another rally. Robert Brantly promptly doubled home both runners for West Michigan's first extra-base hit of the night, and Clay Jones followed with a mammoth two-run homer - the first of his pro career - to make it a 15-3 game.

Silver Hawks Manager Mark Haley then sent Estevez back to shortstop and brought Narodowski back to the hill for the final out of the game.

Richard Zumaya (1-0) earned the win for West Michigan with 3.1 innings of scoreless relief after starter Giovanni Soto was removed due to an apparent arm injury in the third inning.

The Whitecaps continue a six-game road trip at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 1, with the opener of a three-game series in Lake County. RHP Trevor Feeney (6-7, 3.46) is scheduled to start for West Michigan against LHP Matt Packer (6-3, 1.88) of the Captains. The 'Caps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Sunday, July 4, with an Independence Day celebration against Dayton that will feature an exhilarating fireworks display presented by Farm Bureau Insurance. The contest will also be a Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Family Day and the first 1,000 fans will receive t-shirts thanks to Bissell. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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'CAPS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT WITH TWO-HIT SHUTOUT
07/02/2010 10:13 PM ET

EASTLAKE, OH - The West Michigan Whitecaps won another nail-biter on Friday night, pitching a combined two-hit shutout and riding Chris Sedon's solo home run to a 1-0 victory over the Lake County Captains at Classic Park.

West Michigan (3-5, 29-48) picked up their third consecutive victory after opening the half with five straight losses, suddenly finding themselves in a position to sweep the three-game series against Lake County (4-4, 48-29), who posted the best record in the Midwest League during the first half of the season.

The Whitecaps pitching staff has posted a stellar 1.92 ERA in their last 13 games despite a starting rotation that has been decimated by promotions, demotions and injury. Lefty Jared Wesson was tabbed to fill the rotation spot vacated by the demoted Ramon Lebron, and responded by leading a quartet of West Michigan hurlers in a two-hit shutout on Friday.

Wesson struck out six over 3.1 innings before reaching his pitch count, holding the Captains to two hits and walking two. After Lake County registered back-to-back singles with one out in the second, the 24-year-old out of Mississippi State punched out the next two batters to end the threat. Those turned out to be the only hits of the night for the Captains, who did not advance a runner into scoring position the rest of the way.

Miguel Mejia (1-0) relieved Wesson in the fourth and proceeded to retired all 11 batters he faced, earning the win with 3.2 perfect innings. Matt Little shrugged off a two-out walk on his way to throwing a scoreless eighth inning, and Kenny Faulk (4) worked around a two-out error in the bottom of the ninth to lock down the save.

The only run of the night scored in the top of the third, when Sedon launched a leadoff homer for the second game in a row. Using the same power that led to a school-record 22 home runs at the University of Pittsburgh in 2009, the 22-year-old second baseman took an 0-2 pitch and drove it the other way, clearing the right field fence for a 1-0 lead.

That doomed Brett Brach (1-4) to the loss despite a solid outing. Brach only gave up three hits in five innings, but the homer by Sedon was enough to propel the Whitecaps to victory.

The Whitecaps wrap up a six-game road trip at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 3, with the finale of a three-game series in Lake County. RHP Nathan Newman (0-3, 3.77) is scheduled to start for West Michigan against LHP Vidal Nuno (2-2, 6.51) of the Captains. The 'Caps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Sunday, July 4, with an Independence Day celebration against Dayton that will feature an exhilarating fireworks display presented by Farm Bureau Insurance. The contest will also be a Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Family Day and the first 1,000 fans will receive t-shirts thanks to Bissell. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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FIVE-RUN FIRST INNING PREVENTS WHITECAPS SWEEP
07/03/2010 10:34 PM ET

EASTLAKE, OH - The West Michigan Whitecaps fell behind early and never recovered on Saturday night, serving up five runs in the first inning of a 7-0 loss to the Lake County Captains at Classic Park.

West Michigan (3-6, 29-49) still managed to win two out of three games in the series, but missed out on the opportunity for a series sweep and a four-game winning streak for the first time this season. Lake County (5-4, 49-29) thwarted those plans quickly with a five-run outburst in the bottom of the first.

Jason Smit singled with one away to start the rally, advancing to second on a stolen base and third on a wild pitch. After a two-out walk to Adam Abraham, Kyle Smith started the scoring with a line-drive single to center that plated Smit. The next batter delivered the big blow, however, as Roberto Perez took a 2-0 pitch and blasted an opposite-field, three-run homer to right. Chris Kersten added a single and scored on a double by Ben Carlson, staking Lake County to a 5-0 lead thanks to five two-out runs.

That margin remained until a key error helped the Captains add two more runs in the sixth. Whitecaps' shortstop Hernan Perez ranged to his left to field a one-hop liner behind second base, but his throw to first pulled Clay Jones off the bag as Roberto Perez reached on the leadoff error. One out later, Carlson yanked a triple down the right field line that rolled to the corner and scored Perez. Later in the frame, Delvi Cid smacked a run-scoring double that split the gap in left-center for a 7-0 advantage.

Vidal Nuno (3-2) earned the win for Lake County with five strong innings. He allowed just two singles and no runs, striking out five and walking one. Only one baserunner reached scoring position against him, occurring as the result of a two-out error in the fifth.

Whitecaps' starter Nathan Newman (0-4) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on five hits - all in the first - over four innings of work.

The Whitecaps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Sunday, July 4, with a 7:00 p.m. Independence Day celebration against Dayton that will feature an exhilarating fireworks display presented by Farm Bureau Insurance. The contest will also be a Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Family Day and the first 1,000 fans will receive t-shirts thanks to Bissell. RHP Victor Larez (4-6, 5.12) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Ricky Bowen (1-2, 4.76) of the Dragons. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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'CAPS FALL SHORT OF INDEPENDENCE DAY COMEBACK
07/04/2010 10:31 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps returned home to a Fourth of July celebration on Sunday night, but a late rally fell short in a 6-4 loss to the Dayton Dragons before a boisterous crowd of 8,070 at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (3-7, 29-50) fell behind early and spent the rest of the evening trying to claw their way back into the game, ultimately being undone by a pair of unearned runs in the eighth that proved to be the difference for Dayton (2-8, 32-47).

The Dragons struck the game's first blow in the opening frame, when Chris Richburg bashed a two-run homer to center field. Jimmy Gulliver's RBI-single in the bottom of the third cut the lead in half, but Dayton's Mark Fleury answered with a two-run double in the fourth to push the Dragons' lead to 4-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, West Michigan's Tony Plagman pulled a solo homer down the right field line to pull the 'Caps to within 4-2.

That was the score in the eighth, when a costly error helped Dayton add two key insurance runs. With Josh Garton at second and one away, Fleury drilled a ball to right that Avisail Garcia had to play off the wall. Garton initially held at second before seeing the ball drop, and the relay throws to the plate from Garcia and second baseman Chris Sedon reached catcher Rob Brantly well ahead of the runner. But Garton lowered his shoulder and plowed right through Brantly, knocking the ball loose to score the run. Brantly was charged with an error, and Cristobal Rodriguez followed with a sacrifice fly that made it a 6-2 ballgame.

In spite of the deficit, the Whitecaps continued to rally.

Clay Jones singled home Plagman to cut the margin to 6-3 in the eighth, while Jamie Johnson and Wade Gaynor each drew ninth-inning walks to spark a rally in the final frame. Garcia ripped a base hit to left with two outs to drive home Johnson, pulling the 'Caps within 6-4 and placing the potential game-tying run on base. But with the game on the line, Plagman flew out to right field as the comeback ran out of steam.

Ricky Bowen (2-2) earned the win for the Dragons, allowing two runs on seven hits over five innings. The loss went to Victor Larez, who was touched for four runs - three earned - on nine hits over five frames.

The Whitecaps continue an Independence Day series at Fifth Third Ballpark on Monday, July 5, with a 7:00 p.m. ballgame against the Dayton Dragons. RHP Luis Sanz (0-2, 4.97) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Tim Crabbe (1-1, 2.70) of the Dragons. Fans that bring a community or church bulletin to the ballpark will receive half-price box and reserved seats thanks to an All Faiths Night presented by JQ 99 FM. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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GAYNOR, SANZ BROTHERS FALL TO DAYTON
07/05/2010 10:23 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps nearly overcame a four-run deficit on Monday night, putting the potential game-tying run on base in the ninth inning before falling by a 6-5 score to the Dayton Dragons at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Wade Gaynor had a huge 3-for-4 night that included a triple, a home run, and four RBI, nearly single-handedly leading the West Michigan (3-8, 29-51) comeback effort against Dayton (3-8, 33-47).

Gaynor's big day started early with a solo homer in the first and a run-scoring single in the third that put the 'Caps ahead 2-0.

Dayton responded in the fourth as a three-run homer by Henry Rodriguez put the Dragons out in front. The visitors tacked on two more runs in the seventh and another in the eighth to stretch their lead to 6-2.

In the bottom of the eighth, Gaynor went back to work.

After a pair of walks opened the inning, the 22-year-old third baseman clubbed a 3-1 pitch to the base of the wall in center field, plating both runners with a one-out triple. The very next pitch squirted past the catcher, prompting Gaynor to race home and slide beneath the tag to bring West Michigan to within 6-5.

Unfortunately, that was as close as the 'Caps could get.

Hernan Perez singled with one out in the ninth to give West Michigan a chance, but Dayton closer Kevin Arico - the NCAA saves leader at the University of Virginia this spring - induced a pair of groundouts to end the game with his first professional save.

Tim Crabbe (2-1) earned the win for the Dragons, settling in after a shaky start to hold the Whitecaps to two runs over six innings.

Early on, the story of the night was a Whitecaps starting battery that featured a pair of siblings - pitcher Luis Angel Sanz and catcher Luis Alberto Sanz. It is unclear whether two brothers with the same first name have ever made up a starting battery in a professional baseball game before, but only 16 times at the major league level have two brothers ever worked in the same battery. On none of those occasions did the brothers share the same first name, with the most recent occurrence involving Larry and Norm Sherry of the 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers.

The elder Sanz (0-3), a 22-year-old pitcher, was saddled with the loss after allowing five runs on five hits in 6.2 innings of work. His younger brother, the 19-year-old Luis Alberto, went 1-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.

The Whitecaps wrap up an Independence Day series at Fifth Third Ballpark against the Dayton Dragons with a Noon start on Tuesday, July 6. RHP Trevor Feeney (7-7, 3.29) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP J.C. Sulbaran (3-4, 4.71) of the Dragons. The contest will feature all-you-can-eat food specials on a Fat Tuesday, and a Bob Evans Senior Day offers fans ages 50 and over half-price box and reserved seats. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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WHITECAPS SWEPT WITH AFTERNOON LOSS
07/06/2010 3:43 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps were swept away by the Dayton Dragons with a 7-3 loss on Tuesday afternoon at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (3-9, 29-52) managed just five hits on Tuesday, dropping their fourth straight game in a sweltering afternoon affair that saw head indexes reach into the 90's. Dayton (4-8, 34-47) scored two runs in the first inning and never looked back, pounding out 15 hits on the day.

Cameron Satterwhite and Chris Richburg delivered consecutive run-scoring doubles in the top of the first to put the Dragons on the board. In the third, Ryan LaMarre manufactured another run. After reaching on an infield single, he stole two bases and scored on a groundout to give Dayton a 3-0 lead.

It turned out to be a big day for LaMarre, a second-round pick out of the University of Michigan in this summer's draft. He went on to a 4-for-5 game that included a double, four runs scored and three stolen bases.

The Whitecaps scratched across an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth, but Dayton responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to make it a 5-1 ballgame.

West Michigan showed signs of life in the bottom of the fifth. After Jeff Rowland coaxed a two-out walk, Michael Rockett drilled a 2-0 pitch for a two-run homer to left. Suddenly within a 5-3 deficit, the 'Caps were right back in the ballgame.

But Dayton added single runs in the sixth and eighth innings, while West Michigan went down quietly in a 7-3 loss.

J.C. Sulbaran (4-4, 4.50) earned the win with seven strong innings for the Dragons, allowing three runs - two earned - on three hits.

The loss went to Trevor Feeney (7-8), who was roughed up for five runs on 11 hits over five innings of work.

The Whitecaps hit the road for the first game of a three-game set against South Bend at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 7. LHP Jared Wesson (1-0, 1.40) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Brad Gemberling (2-5, 5.40) of the Silver Hawks. The 'Caps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Saturday, July 10, for a three-game series against the Lake County Captains that kicks off with a bucket hat giveaway presented by Sharkwater for the first 1,000 fans ages 21 and over, and post-game fireworks courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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WHITECAPS FALL IN 12, LOSE FIFTH STRAIGHT
07/07/2010 11:16 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps battled the South Bend Silver Hawks for a season-high 12 innings on Wednesday night, only to drop a fifth straight game in a 4-3 loss at Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium.

West Michigan (3-10, 29-53) out-hit South Bend (5-8, 35-46) in a game that was primarily dominated by pitching.

After five scoreless frames to open the ballgame, each team put three runs on the board in the sixth inning. The 3-3 deadlock remained until the bottom of the 12th, when the Silver Hawks started the decisive rally with two outs and the bases empty.

Whitecaps' reliever Shawn Teufel had retired the first eight batters he faced and nearly completed three perfect innings of work, but a close two-strike pitch with two outs was ruled a ball to Keon Broxton. The lanky left-hander ultimately walked Broxton, who advanced to third base on a hit-and-run single by David Nick. The next batter was Bobby Borchering, who lined a 2-2 pitch through the left side of the infield for a walk-off single and a 4-3 win.

Brian Budrow (3-2) earned the victory with three shutout innings for the Silver Hawks, while Teufel (0-1) was handed the loss.

When it was all said and done, 10 of the game's 12 innings featured scoreless baseball.

The Whitecaps were the first to break through in the top of the sixth. After consecutive singles by Jamie Johnson and Michael Rockett, Wade Gaynor blasted a double off the top of the right field wall that plated Johnson and advanced Rockett to third. Avisail Garcia followed with a groundball single past a drawn-in shortstop to bring home Rockett, and moments later Gaynor scored on a wild pitch for a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom half of the frame, the Silver Hawks answered.

Whitecaps starter Jared Wesson had cruised through the first five frames - retiring 15 of the 16 men he faced - but opened the bottom of the sixth with a pair of walks and a single before being removed with the bases loaded and nobody out. Reliever Miguel Mejia nearly worked his way out of the jam, but South Bend's Matt Davidson came through with a two-out triple that bounced off the top of the wall in center field and tied the game at 3-3.

Before the decisive rally, each team had scoring opportunities go by the wayside in regulation.

In the top of the ninth, West Michigan took advantage of an error and a bunt-single to place runners at the corners with nobody out. Silver Hawks' reliever Adam Worthington was up to the task, however, striking out the next three batters swinging to wiggle his way out of trouble.

South Bend had chances in the both the eighth and ninth innings, drawing four walks between the two frames. Kenny Faulk was able to squash both rallies, however, stranding the bases loaded with a groundout in the eighth before battling back from a 3-0 count to strike out Broxton with two men on in the ninth.

The Whitecaps are on the road for game two of a three-game set against South Bend at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 8. RHP Nathan Newman (0-4, 4.38) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Diogenes Rosario (4-3, 2.57) of the Silver Hawks. The 'Caps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Saturday, July 10, for a three-game series against the Lake County Captains that kicks off with a bucket hat giveaway presented by Sharkwater for the first 1,000 fans ages 21 and over, and post-game fireworks courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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LATE COLLAPSE LEADS TO SIXTH STRAIGHT LOSS
07/08/2010 10:35 PM ET

SOUTH BEND, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps controlled the action for seven and a half innings on Thursday night, but an eighth-inning collapse led to a sixth straight defeat and a 7-5 loss to the South Bend Silver Hawks at Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium.

West Michigan (3-11, 29-54) scored twice in the top of the first and led by scores of 4-0 after four innings and 5-1 in the middle of the eighth. The lead disappeared in the bottom of the eighth, however, as South Bend (6-8, 36-46) crossed the plate six times to turn a four-run deficit into a two-run lead.

With Richard Zumaya on the mound for the Whitecaps, the decisive rally began harmlessly enough with an infield single by Ender Inciarte before Keon Broxton reached on a slow roller that snuck through the right side. David Nick then drove a deep fly ball to the track in left that appeared to be caught on the run by Jamie Johnson, but the ball popped out of his glove and left the bases loaded with nobody out. Bobby Borchering followed with a two-run single that cut the Whitecaps' lead to 5-3, while a hit batsman reloaded the bases and chased Zumaya from the game.

Entering with the bags packed and nobody out, Matt Little induced a swinging bunt to the left side from Ramon Castillo. The pitcher raced over to barehand the loose ball, but wildly flipped it past the catcher as two more runs came home to tie the score. After an intentional walk loaded the bases again, Matt Helm - the eighth batter of the inning - flew out to center for the first out of the frame. But David Narodowski followed with a two-run single that snuck inside the bag at third at gave the Silver Hawks a 7-5 lead - their first of the night.

West Michigan got a pair of singles in the ninth, putting the potential game-tying run aboard with one out and moving him into scoring position with two away, but a Clay Jones groundout ended the night.

Braden Hagens (2-4) earned the win for South Bend with three innings of one-run ball out of the bullpen, while Yonata Ortega (17) worked a scoreless ninth for the save.

Zumaya (1-1) suffered the loss for the Whitecaps, charged with five runs - four earned - on four hits in 1.2 innings.

Prior to the stunning turn of events in the bottom of the eighth, West Michigan held a comfortable lead for nearly the entire night. In addition to a strong start from Nathan Newman, who allowed just one run on two hits over 5.1 innings, the Whitecaps jumped onto the scoreboard early with a rally in the top of the first inning.

Jeff Rowland reached on a one-out single and moved to third after a double by Wade Gaynor. Both runners were forced to hold when Avisail Garcia bounced out with the infield in, but Michael Rockett came through with a two-out, two-run knock to give West Michigan a 2-0 lead.

Catcher Rob Brantly sparked the 'Caps to two more runs in the second and fourth innings. A third-round pick out of UC-Riverside in the June draft, the 20-year-old drew a leadoff walk in the second and scored on a two-out double by Rowland. In the fourth, Brantly sparked things with a leadoff double before scoring on a groundout by Johnson for a 4-0 advantage.

South Bend scratched across their first run in the sixth inning, but West Michigan scored an insurance run in the top of the eighth. Rockett led off the frame with a single as part of a 3-for-5 night, eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly by Hernan Perez for a 5-1 advantage. As it turned out, the lead would not last long.

The Whitecaps wrap up a road series in South Bend with the final game of a three-game set at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 9. RHP Victor Larez (4-7, 5.14) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Eric Smith (5-4, 3.15) of the Silver Hawks. The 'Caps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Saturday, July 10, for a three-game series against the Lake County Captains that kicks off with a bucket hat giveaway presented by Sharkwater for the first 1,000 fans ages 21 and over, and post-game fireworks courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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PLAGMAN POWERS 'CAPS TO 9-2 WIN
07/09/2010 10:46 PM ET

SOUTH BEND, IN - Something about getaway day in South Bend brings the best out of the West Michigan Whitecaps.

After closing out their last series at Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium with a 15-3 win on June 30, the West Michigan Whitecaps snapped a six-game losing streak and avoided a series sweep on Friday night with a 9-2 win over the South Bend Silver Hawks.

West Michigan (4-11, 30-54) got three RBI apiece from Tony Plagman and Wade Gaynor to power the offense, while table-setter Jamie Johnson reached base in four of his five trips to the plate. South Bend (6-9, 36-47) managed just five singles against a trio of Whitecaps hurlers that combined for 11 strikeouts.

For the third straight game, the Whitecaps reached the scoreboard first.

Plagman led off the top of the second by slicing a single down the left field line and Clay Jones followed with a walk. The runners were at the corners with one away when Hernan Perez lined a run-scoring single to right-center. Jimmy Gulliver added a sacrifice fly as West Michigan grabbed a 2-0 lead.

South Bend cut the lead in half on Bobby Borchering's two-run single in the third, but Gaynor countered with a two-out, run-scoring hit in the fifth that made it a 3-1 game.

Two innings later, the Whitecaps blew the game open.

Gulliver led off the top of the seventh with a single as West Michigan loaded the bases with nobody out, and the Eastern Michigan product scored on a fielder's choice by Gaynor. The big blow was delivered by Tony Plagman, who clubbed a three-run homer with two outs to provide the 'Caps with a six-run lead. Jones added a double and came around to score on a triple by Rob Brantly, as the Whitecaps' five-run inning put them in front by a comfortable 8-1 advantage.

In the eighth, Johnson doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gaynor for a 9-1 edge. The Silver Hawks pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the frame to reach the 9-2 final.

Victor Larez (5-7) earned the win with five strong innings of work, striking out seven and allowing one run on four hits. Jordan Pratt chipped in with two perfect innings of relief, while Zach Samuels gave up one hit and one unearned run over the final two frames.

Eric Smith (5-5) suffered the loss for South Bend with an uncharacteristically shaky outing. The Diamondbacks' second-round pick in 2009 was roughed up for six runs on five hits and five walks in 6.2 innings of work.

The Whitecaps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Saturday, July 10, to start a three-game series against the Lake County Captains with a bucket hat giveaway presented by Sharkwater for the first 1,000 fans ages 21 and over, and post-game fireworks courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance. RHP Luis Angel Sanz (0-3, 5.34) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Clayton Cook (4-4, 3.51) of the Captains. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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WHITECAPS START HOMESTAND WITH A "W"
07/10/2010 10:10 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps picked up their second straight win with a 3-2 victory over the Lake County Captains in front of a crowd of 6,867 on Saturday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Middle-of-the-order hitters Wade Gaynor, Avisail Garcia and Tony Plagman each went 2-for-4 with an RBI to power the West Michigan (5-11, 31-54) offense, while the 'Caps pitching staff held Lake County (8-8, 52-33) without a hit after the fourth inning.

After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, the Whitecaps rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame.

Jamie Johnson started the rally with a leadoff walk before stealing second and moving to third on a groundout. Gaynor tied the game with a line-drive single up the middle, while Plagman added an RBI-double to give West Michigan a 2-1 lead.

The Captains scratched across a run in the fourth, tying the score on a two-out double by Ben Carlson. As it turned out, that was the last hit the Whitecaps would allow.

West Michigan put together a two-out rally in the fifth to recapture the lead. Gaynor extended the inning with a double down the left field line and scored on a base hit by Garcia that dropped into center field for the decisive 3-2 margin.

Luis Angel Sanz (1-3) earned his first win of the season, gutting his way through five innings to hold the Captains to two runs on five hits. He struck out six and walked one. Sanz was able to limit the damage throughout his outing, striking out the side after the first two batters reached in the second inning and stranding five runners on the night.

The bullpen did the rest.

Shawn Teufel came in for the sixth and threw three hitless innings, striking out two while walking one and retiring nine of the 10 batters he faced. Kenny Faulk (5) finished things off with two punch-outs during a perfect ninth inning, including a swinging strikeout to end the game and send the crowd into a frenzy.

Clayton Cook (4-5) suffered the loss for Lake County after allowing three runs on six hits over five innings of work.

The Whitecaps continue a home series at Fifth Third Ballpark with a 1:00 p.m. start on Sunday, July 11, against the Lake County Captains. RHP Trevor Feeney (7-8, 3.54) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against LHP Matt Packer (6-4, 1.83) of the Captains. In addition to a Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Family Day, there will also be a special appearance from WordGirl courtesy of WGVU. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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CAPTAINS BEAT WHITECAPS TO EVEN SERIES
07/11/2010 4:03 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps had their brief two-game winning streak snapped with a 4-1 loss to the Lake County Captains on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Since West Michigan (5-12, 31-55) won the series opener on Saturday, the three-game set with Lake County (9-8, 53-33) will be decided in the rubber match on Monday night.

For the second game in a row the Captains jumped ahead with a run in the top of the first. Argenis Martinez was at first base when Chris Kersten clubbed a double to the wall in left-center, scoring the runner for a 1-0 lead.

Lake County never looked back, led by Kersten's 3-for-3 day that included two doubles and two RBI.

Meanwhile, Matt Packer (7-4) led a trio of Captains hurlers in a five-hitter, twirling six shutout innings and allowing just three singles. He struck out four and walked two while lowering his league-leading ERA to 1.68 and improving to 2-1 with a 0.46 ERA in three starts against the Whitecaps.

Slowly but surely, Lake County added their lead over the course of the afternoon.

Ben Carlson delivered a run-scoring single with two outs in the fourth to double the advantage, while Casey Frawley reached base on an error in the sixth and scored on a wild pitch for a 3-0 advantage. In the eighth inning, Delvi Cid led off with a base hit to right and came around on a two-out double by Kersten to build a 4-0 lead.

West Michigan avoided a shutout by scoring their lone run in the bottom of the ninth. With one away, Avisail Garcia took a 1-0 pitch and lifted it the other way for a solo home run. The 19-year-old's third bomb of the year pulled the Whitecaps to within 4-1.

Trevor Feeney (7-9) suffered the loss despite a solid outing. The righty was charged with three runs - two earned - on five hits over seven innings of work.

The Whitecaps wrap up a home series at Fifth Third Ballpark with a 7:00 p.m. start on Monday, July 12, against the Lake County Captains. LHP Jared Wesson (1-0, 2.22) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Brett Brach (1-4, 2.98) of the Captains. Fans will be treated to 10-cent hot dogs on Dime-A-Dog Night while a church or community bulletin is worth half-price box and reserved seats on a JQ 99 All Faiths Night. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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GAYNOR DRIVES IN FOUR AS 'CAPS TAKE SERIES
07/12/2010 11:02 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps came out swinging on Monday night, leading from wire-to-wire in an 11-6 win over the Lake County Captains in front of a well-fed crowd of 4,754 on Dime-A-Dog Night at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (6-12, 32-55) pounded out 14 hits, led by Wade Gaynor's 3-for-5 night that included four RBI as the Whitecaps won the rubber match of the three-game set against Lake County (9-9, 53-34).

West Michigan seized control early, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after two innings of play.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the first, Avisail Garcia grounded a two-run single up the middle to put the 'Caps on the scoreboard. One inning later, Hernan Perez delivered a sacrifice fly and West Michigan was off and running with a 3-0 lead.

The Captains scratched across a run in the top of the third, but the Whitecaps answered in the fourth with a two-out, two-run single by Gaynor that stretched the lead to 5-1.

In the fifth, the 'Caps crossed the plate six times to blow the game wide open.

Tony Plagman started the rally by clubbing a leadoff triple into the gap in right-center and later scored on a single by Clay Jones. With men at the corners and two outs, Lake County reliever Antwonie Hubbard issued three consecutive walks, two of which forced in runs. After a pitching change, Gaynor greeted the new hurler with another two-run single to right, while Plagman followed with a run-scoring double - his second extra-base hit of the inning - to give West Michigan a commanding 11-1 advantage.

That was plenty to spot Jared Wesson (2-0) the victory. The 24-year-old southpaw threw five strong innings and struck out a career-high eight batters while allowing just one run on three hits and two walks.

The Whitecaps bullpen was not nearly as sharp, issuing five walks in four innings. The Captains took advantage with three runs in the seventh and two in the ninth to reach the 11-6 final.

Lake County's Brett Brach (1-5) was saddled with the loss after allowing five runs on nine hits over four innings of work.

The Whitecaps hit the road for a six-game Western Division swing that begins with a three-game set in Clinton on Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. ET. RHP Nathan Newman (0-4, 4.12) is set to take the hill for West Michigan against RHP Erasmo Ramirez (5-3, 2.80) of the LumberKings. The 'Caps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Wednesday, July 21, for a 7:00 p.m. game featuring Hand Fans for the first 2,500 fans thanks to DFCU Financial and post-game fireworks courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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ERRORS, WALKS LEAD TO SLOPPY LOSS
07/14/2010 11:21 PM ET

CLINTON, IA - After a long drive west, the West Michigan Whitecaps lost the first game of a six-game road trip, 9-4, in a sloppy affair against the Clinton LumberKings on Wednesday night at Alliant Energy Field.

West Michigan (6-13, 32-56) committed three errors in the first three innings and issued four walks within the first five frames, helping Clinton (10-8, 47-40) establish a 5-1 lead on the strength of four unearned runs while three of the walks also came around to score.

The LumberKings jumped ahead early thanks to a key error in the bottom of the first. It was a fielding error charged to first baseman Tony Plagman that allowed Nick Franklin to reach base with one away, and Franklin reached scoring position moments later by stealing second. Later in the frame, Tim Morris grounded a two-out single up the middle to plate Franklin for the early 1-0 advantage.

The score was 2-0 when the Whitecaps made some noise in the top of the fourth. Clinton starter Erasmo Ramirez retired the first nine men he faced in order through the first three frames, but issued a walk to Jamie Johnson to open the fourth. One out later, newcomer Corey Jones delivered a run-scoring single in his second Midwest League at-bat since joining West Michigan earlier in the day. Wade Gaynor added a double that placed runners at second and third with just one away, but a strikeout and a groundout left them stranded and held the deficit at 2-1.

Shortly thereafter, Clinton pulled away.

In the bottom of the fourth, Whitecaps starter Nathan Newman walked the first two batters on just nine pitches. Gabriel Noriega then laid down a bunt that rolled right to a charging Plagman at first, but Plagman's throw to third was off the mark and skipped away towards the left field bullpen. Both runners scored and Noriega ended up at second. Franklin later delivered a sacrifice fly, capping a rally in which three unearned runs stretched the LumberKings' lead to 5-1.

In the fifth, Clinton took advantage of a leadoff walk to spark another rally. James Jones struck a triple to deep left-center that drove home a run, and Blake Ochoa followed with a sacrifice fly for a 7-1 advantage. Two innings later, Jones singled and Ochoa blasted a two-run homer as the lead swelled to 9-1 in the seventh.

Ramirez (6-3) earned the win for Clinton after limiting the Whitecaps to one run on three hits over six innings of work. He retired the side in order in four of his six frames and did not allow a baserunner until the fourth, notching four strikeouts along the way. While he entered play having issued just seven walks through 83.2 innings of work for a league-low average of 0.86 walks-per-nine innings, Ramirez issued three free passes on Wednesday - including a pair to Johnson, who is among the league leaders with 60 walks drawn.

West Michigan put up a fight in the ninth, stringing together three consecutive one-out singles that all came around to score for the 9-4 final.

Newman (0-5) took the loss for West Michigan after being charged with seven runs - three earned - on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts over 4.1 frames.

The Whitecaps continue a six-game Western Division swing with game two of a three-game set in Clinton on Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. ET. RHP Victor Larez (5-7, 4.90) is set to take the hill for West Michigan against RHP Nolan Gallagher (0-2, 3.72) of the LumberKings. The 'Caps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Wednesday, July 21, for a 7:00 p.m. game featuring Hand Fans for the first 2,500 fans thanks to DFCU Financial and post-game fireworks courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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PLAGMAN, 'CAPS EXPLODE FOR 7-1 WIN
07/15/2010 11:37 PM ET

CLINTON, IA - The West Michigan Whitecaps pounded out 14 hits and roared back for seven unanswered runs in a 7-1 win over the Clinton LumberKings on Thursday night at Alliant Energy Field.

West Michigan (7-13, 33-56) got three-hit games from Corey Jones, Tony Plagman and Clay Jones while Plagman, Avisail Garcia and Clay Jones each drove in a pair. Meanwhile, the powerful Clinton (10-9, 47-41) offense was held in check by a strong outing from Whitecaps' starter Victor Larez.

For the second straight game, the LumberKings took the lead with a run in the first inning. Clinton's top prospect, 19-year-old shortstop Nick Franklin, blasted his 16th homer of the year to right for a 1-0 edge.

On this night, however, the Whitecaps battled back.

After Rob Brantly drew a two-out walk in the second, Clay Jones doubled him home with a shot to deep right-center that tied the score. In the fourth, Wade Gaynor extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a leadoff single and advanced to third on a double by Plagman. Garcia followed with a sacrifice fly as West Michigan took a 2-1 lead.

After missing out on a pair of opportunities to stretch the lead - stranding the bases loaded in the fifth and men at the corners in the sixth - the Whitecaps were able to pull away late.

Corey Jones started a rally in the seventh with a one-out single, notching his second multi-hit effort in as many games since joining the 'Caps on Wednesday. After Gaynor worked the count full and drew a walk, Plagman plated both runners with a double for a 4-1 advantage.

Clay Jones doubled and scored in the eighth before West Michigan mounted another rally in the final frame. Again it was a single by Gaynor and a double by Plagman - his third of the night - that placed runners at second and third, while Garcia delivered another sacrifice fly and Clay Jones added a run-scoring single to cap the 7-1 victory.

That was plenty for Larez (6-7), who rebounded from Franklin's first-inning homer to fire off seven strong innings. He allowed just one run on three hits while fanning five and issuing one walk to win his second consecutive start.

Nolan Gallagher (0-3) suffered the loss for Clinton, pitching 5.2 innings and giving up two runs on six hits and three walks.

The Whitecaps continue a six-game Western Division swing with the finale of a three-game set in Clinton on Friday night at 8:00 p.m. ET. RHP Luis Angel Sanz (1-3, 5.11) is set to take the hill for West Michigan against RHP Taylor Stanton (6-4, 3.63) of the LumberKings. The 'Caps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Wednesday, July 21, for a 7:00 p.m. game featuring Hand Fans for the first 2,500 fans thanks to DFCU Financial and post-game fireworks courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.