2010 West Michigan Whitecaps Season Tracker

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ESPINOZA, SOTO LEAD 'CAPS TO SERIES WIN
05/06/2010 2:37 PM ET

MIDLAND, MI - Alexis Espinoza and Elvin Soto each collected two hits and two RBI as the West Michigan Whitecaps held on for a 4-3 win over the Great Lakes Loons on Thursday morning at the Dow Diamond.

West Michigan (10-18) also got 4.1 scoreless frames of two-hit relief in taking two of the three from the rival Loons. Great Lakes (17-10) came back to tie the score at one point and continually threatened, but stranded 13 runners on base in the loss.

The Whitecaps took a first-inning lead thanks in part to some wild pitching. Two walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases with two outs, setting the stage for Soto to get his first plate appearance since April 16. Showing no signs of rust, the 20-year-old first baseman turned on the first pitch he saw and ripped a two-run single to right for a 2-0 lead.

The Loons threatened West Michigan's lead in the bottom of the second, but a pair of big plays at the plate kept them off the board. With a man aboard and nobody out, Lenell McGee lined a double down the left field line and Gorman Erickson tried to score from first. But Michael Rockett fired a strike to the plate and Billy Alvino withstood a vicious collision to hold onto the ball. Meanwhile, McGee took third on the play at the dish. The very next pitch was a bouncer to third baseman Luis Palacios, who chased McGee towards the plate and threw him out to extinguish the rally.

Espinoza checked in with a two-out, solo homer in the fifth to push the 'Caps advantage to 3-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, however, the lead disappeared. Christian Lara led off the frame with a towering solo homer to left, but it was a two-out rally later in the inning did the bulk of the damage. Jerry Sands was at second when Brian Cavazos-Galvez lifted a fly ball to deep right. Espinoza drifted back to the wall but the ball caromed off his glove, allowing a run to score on a double. Brian Ruggiano followed with another two-base hit that tied the game at 3-3.

The deadlock remained until the top of the seventh as the 'Caps recaptured the lead with a two-out rally. The bases were empty when Wade Gaynor lined a double that one-hopped the wall in left field. Espinoza followed with a clutch triple to deep center field, plating Gaynor for a 4-3 edge.

The bullpen held on from there, forcing Great Lakes to strand six runners without scoring a run over the last four frames. Victor Larez (2-4) tossed 2.1 innings and allowed just one hit for the victory, while Cory Hamilton (2) earned the save with two scoreless frames at the back end of the bullpen.

The Whitecaps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday, May 7, for a 6:35 p.m. game in which LHP Giovanni Soto (1-2, 2.59) will pitch for West Michigan against RHP Jason McEachern (0-4, 6.75) of the Bowling Green Hot Rods. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Brandon Inge Bobblehead Doll presented by Pepsi, and four randomly placed bobbleheads will be autographed by Brandon Inge. 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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HOT RODS RUN WILD, WIN OPENER
05/07/2010 10:10 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps ran into a small-ball style of baseball that proved to be too much in a 4-1 loss to the Bowling Green Hot Rods on Friday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (10-19) struggled to defend against the speedy, bunt-happy Hot Rods in a game that was played through a steady rain and 40-degree temperatures. Bowling Green (9-19) collected eight of their 14 hits on infield singles and swiped six bags to win their fourth consecutive game.

The Hot Rods established their small-ball style of play early by using infield singles and stolen bases to reach the scoreboard.

Mayo Acosta led off the second by squeaking a bouncing ball through the middle of the diamond and Julio Cedeno beat out a bouncer to the left side for an infield single. The two baserunners pulled off a double steal with one out, enabling Acosta to score the game's first run on a groundout by Robi Estrada. On the very next pitch Ty Morrison caught the defense off guard with a drag bunt down the first base line, beating it out for a two-out, run-scoring bunt single and a 2-0 lead.

In the third, Dustin Biell's leadoff single was followed by a double off the bat of Ryan Wiegand to stretch the advantage to 3-0.

West Michigan got on the board in the sixth inning after Avisail Garcia reached on a double and scored on a fielder's choice groundout by Elvin Soto.

During the next half inning, however, the Hot Rods answered. Another infield single from Chris Murrill led off the frame. After stealing second, Murrill scored when an infield bouncer that turned into a throwing error to make it a 4-1 ballgame.

Jason McEachern (1-4) earned the win with six solid innings, scattering seven hits and allowing one run while fanning four and walking one. Alex Koronis (1) pitched a pair of relief innings to earn the save, retiring all six batters he faced and striking out the last five Whitecaps hitters of the game.

Giovanni Soto (1-3) suffered the loss for West Michigan after yielding three runs on 10 hits over five frames. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.

The Whitecaps continue their home series against the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Fifth Third Ballpark on Saturday, May 8, with a 7:00 p.m. first pitch. RHP Ramon Lebron (3-1, 3.32) will take the hill for West Michigan against RHP Wilking Rodriguez (1-1, 3.21) of the Hot Rods. Fans will be treated to the first post-game fireworks show of the year, presented by Farm Bureau Insurance, and are encouraged to dress comfortable as the Whitecaps present a Salute to Sweatpants theme throughout the evening. 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 RIDE FOURTH-INNING RALLY TO VICTORY
05/08/2010 10:20 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps got all the offense they needed in one fourth-inning rally on Saturday night, holding on for a 4-2 win over the Bowling Green Hot Rods to even their three-game series at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (11-19) scored all four of their runs and collected three of their four hits during a seven-batter stretch in the fourth inning, and will look to take the rubber match of the series on Sunday afternoon. Bowling Green (9-20) kept fighting but stranded 11 runners on base as their four-game winning streak came to an end.

The game was scoreless until the decisive bottom of the fourth when the first five batters of the inning reached base.

Mike Gosse was hit by a pitch, Wade Gaynor drew a walk, and Jordan Lennerton singled to load the bases with nobody out. Avisail Garcia promptly bounced a high chopper over the third baseman's head to start the scoring with a two-run single. West Michigan reloaded the bases on a base hit by Alexis Espinoza, setting the stage for Lennerton to race home on a wild pitch. After Hernan Perez scored Garcia on a sacrifice fly to right, the 'Caps took control with a 4-0 lead.

That was enough for Ramon Lebron (4-1) to earn the win with his second consecutive scoreless outing. The 21-year-old Dominican used seven strikeouts to work around four hits and four walks. He stranded seven Hot Rods baserunners over his five shutout frames, leaving the bases loaded in the fifth.

Bowling Green cut the lead in half in the top of the eighth. After throwing scoreless frames in the sixth and seventh, Whitecaps reliever Jose Ortega allowed a single and issued a walk to the first two batters of the frame. Following a pitching change, Kyle Spraker lined a two-run single to right off Kenny Faulk to pull Bowling Green to within 4-2.

But the Whitecaps were able to hang on. Faulk retired the next three batters to limit the damage and get out of the eighth. In the ninth inning, Melvin Mercedes recovered from a pair of one-out walks to induce consecutive fly outs and secure his third save of the year.

Wilking Rodriguez (1-2) suffered the loss for Bowling Green courtesy of the key fourth-inning rally. He retired 14 of the 16 batters he faced outside of that frame, but in the end was touched for four runs on four hits and three walks over six innings.

The Whitecaps wrap up their home series against the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Fifth Third Ballpark on Sunday, May 9, with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch. RHP Trevor Feeney (3-2, 3.14) will take the hill for West Michigan against LHP Kyle Lobstein (0-2, 5.09) of the Hot Rods. The Whitecaps will be wearing special jerseys for Breast Cancer Awareness day, some of which will be auctioned off to raise money for the Grand Rapids chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It will also be a Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Family Day featuring player autographs and catch on the field pre-game as well as kids run the bases post-game. Last but not least, a special Mother's Day Brunch will be hosted in the Pepsi Stadium Club. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive replicas Breast Cancer Awareness jerseys courtesy of Sprint, the first 1,000 kids will eat free and the first 500 mothers will be given Mother's Day Flowers thanks to Holwerda Retail Garden. 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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WHITECAPS LOSE WILD ONE, 10-7
05/09/2010 4:55 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Sunday afternoon's ballgame at Fifth Third Ballpark featured 17 runs, 32 hits and six errors on a sunny day in suburban Grand Rapids, but the West Michigan Whitecaps ended up on the short end of a wild 10-7 loss to the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

West Michigan (11-20) got three-hit games from Wade Gaynor and Jordan Lennerton as the offense registered 12 hits, but Bowling Green (10-20) pounded out 20 knocks - including seven infield singles - on their way to winning two of three games in the series.

The Hot Rods jumped out to an early lead with seven hits in the first inning. Tyler Bortnick started the rally with a one-out double and Bowling Green loaded the bases with a pair of infield singles. A third consecutive infield hit by Mayo Acosta scored the first run of the afternoon. Two batters later, Kyle Spraker took a full-count, two-out pitch and lined it to center for a two-run single. Robi Estrada followed with a base hit to reload the bases and Ty Morrison added another two-run single as the Hot Rods seized control with a 5-0 lead.

The two clubs traded runs the rest of the afternoon as the Whitecaps battled back.

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Gaynor and Lennerton drove back-to-back doubles to get West Michigan on the board.

The 'Caps trailed 6-1 when the top of the order rallied in the third. Jamie Johnson doubled to left and moved to third on a line-drive single by Hernan Perez up the middle. Gaynor and Lennerton followed with consecutive run-scoring singles to make it a 6-3 ballgame after four hits in a row, but a double play abruptly halted the rally there.

The deficit was 7-3 when West Michigan tallied single runs in the fourth and fifth. Alexis Espinoza led off the fourth inning with a deep fly to right-center that was lost in the sun and dropped in for a triple, and he scored when the next batter grounded out to short. The fifth-inning rally was started by another two-out double from Gaynor, and when Garcia singled to right the Whitecaps pulled within 7-5.

Bowling Green answered with single runs in the sixth and seventh to make it 9-5, but the 'Caps continued to fight. After Perez drew a leadoff walk and came around to score in the bottom of the seventh, Luis Salas doubled and scored on an error in the eighth to bring West Michigan to within 9-7.

But that was as close as the Whitecaps would get.

Kyle Lobstein (1-2) earned the win for the Hot Rods despite allowing five runs on nine hits over five innings. Scott Shuman (3) tossed the final two frames for the save.

The loss went to Trevor Feeney (3-3, 4.02), who came into play with five quality starts through his first six outings. On Sunday, however, he was roughed up for seven runs - six earned - on 13 hits over four innings of work.

The Whitecaps hit the road to open a three-game series against the Lansing Lugnuts with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch on Monday, May 10, at Cooley Law School Stadium. RHP Jacob Turner (0-0, 2.13) will take the hill for West Michigan against LHP Aaron Loup (2-0, 1.74) of the Lugnuts. The Whitecaps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Thursday, May 13, to open a seven-game homestand, welcoming the South Bend Silver Hawks to town for an Altogas Thrifty Thursday. 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 START FAST BUT CAN'T HOLD ON
05/10/2010 10:37 PM ET

LANSING, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps shot out of the gates strong on Monday night, but could not hold an early lead in a 6-5 loss to the Lansing Lugnuts at Cooley Law School Stadium.

West Michigan (11-21) jumped ahead 3-0 with three consecutive extra-base hits to open the ballgame, but managed to turn eight singles into just two runs the rest of the way. Lansing (18-14) battled back with speed and timely hitting to win the opener of a three-game series between the in-state rivals.

The Whitecaps waged an early assault on the scoreboard Monday night. Jamie Johnson led off the top of the first by smacking an opposite-field triple off the wall in left-center and Michael Rockett sliced a run-scoring double down the right-field line. Wade Gaynor promptly capped the rally with a mammoth two-run homer to the kid's play area in left, giving West Michigan a 3-0 lead before the game's first out had been recorded.

The Lugnuts battled back in the bottom of the third as Balbino Fuenmayor led off with a double to deep center field. Eric Eiland followed with a bouncer to short and Hernan Perez came up throwing towards third, but Fuenmayor was called safe by base umpire Taro Hamano despite protests from the Whitecaps. The next batter sent another bouncer to Perez, who again tried to cut down the lead runner as Fuenmayor slid home safely. Later in the frame Eiland scored on a sacrifice fly as Lansing cut the deficit to 3-2.

Jordan Lennerton's RBI-single with two outs in the top of the fifth made it a 4-2 lead for West Michigan, but Lansing evened the score with a rally in the bottom half of the inning. Eiland led off with a walk and scored on a double by Kenny Wilson, chasing Whitecaps' starter Jacob Turner from the game. A hit batsman and a walk loaded the bases before a wild pitch allowed Wilson to tie the game at 4-4.

In the sixth, the Lugnuts took the lead. A.J. Jimenez led off with a double, moved to third on a groundout and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Eiland. Later in the frame a two-out error kept the inning alive, and Ryan Schimpf delivered a run-scoring single to stake Lansing to a 6-4 advantage.

The 'Caps pulled within a run after Eric Roof's third hit of the night plated Mike Gosse with two outs in the eighth. But the Lugnuts countered with closer Steve Turnbull (6), who retired the next four batters in order to earn his sixth save in as many tries this season.

A pair of relievers were credited with the winning and losing decisions. Matt Wright (1-0) was rewarded with the victory after throwing 1.2 scoreless frames for the Lugnuts, while Victor Larez (2-5) suffered the loss after allowing two runs - one earned - on two hits over two frames.

The Whitecaps continue a three-game series against the Lansing Lugnuts with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday, May 11, at Cooley Law School Stadium. LHP Jade Todd (0-4, 4.66) will take the hill for West Michigan against LHP Evan Crawford (1-1, 3.13) of the Lugnuts. The Whitecaps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Thursday, May 13, to open a seven-game homestand, welcoming the South Bend Silver Hawks to town for an Altogas Thrifty Thursday. 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.

WHITECAPS RAINED OUT IN LANSING
05/11/2010 2:35 PM ET

LANSING, MI - Tuesday's scheduled game between the West Michigan Whitecaps and the Lansing Lugnuts has been postponed due to rain.

The make-up game has been scheduled for Tuesday, May 25, when the two clubs will play a doubleheader beginning at 6:05 p.m. at Cooley Law School Stadium in Lansing. The twin bill will consist of two seven-inning games with a 30-minute break in between.

The Whitecaps finish the current series against the Lansing Lugnuts with a regular nine-inning game at 10:35 a.m. on Wednesday, May 12, at Cooley Law School Stadium. LHP Jade Todd (0-4, 4.66) will take the hill for West Michigan.

The 'Caps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Thursday, May 13, to open a seven-game homestand with a 6:35 p.m. start against the South Bend Silver Hawks on an Altogas Thrifty Thursday. 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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GAYNOR HOMERS AGAIN, 'CAPS FALL IN LANSING
05/12/2010 1:50 PM ET

LANSING, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps were no match for talented lefty Evan Crawford in a 7-1 loss to the Lansing Lugnuts on Monday at Cooley Law School Stadium.

West Michigan (11-22) got an early homer and a 2-for-4 effort from Wade Gaynor, but managed just four hits and five baserunners as a team. Lansing (19-14) got a stellar performance from Crawford and a 3-for-4 game from Chris Hopkins on their way to a sweep in the rain-shortened two-game series.

Crawford (2-1) was dominant on Monday, allowing just one run on four hits over eight stifling innings to earn the win. He recorded 17 outs on the ground and retired 15 consecutive batters between the second and sixth innings. Crawford struck out four and walked one.

Each club put a single run on the scoreboard in the opening frame. In the top of the first, Gaynor cleared the berm in left field with a solo shot for his second tape-measure homer in as many games. In the bottom half of the inning, the Lugnuts answered with a two-out rally as Mark Sobolewski singled home Ryan Schimpf for a 1-1 tie.

Lansing took control over the next two frames. The second inning started with a single and a walk before Hopkins and Ryan Goins checked in with run-scoring singles. In the third, Sobolewski led off with a single and scored on an A.J. Jimenez sacrifice fly for a 4-1 advantage.

The Lugnuts went back to work in the sixth as Hopkins delivered a run-scoring two-out single that chased 'Caps starter Jade Todd from the game. Balbino Fuenmayor promptly scored on a wild pitch from reliever Nathan Newman that allowed Hopkins to take second base. Kenny Wilson followed with an infield single that a charging Gaynor could not barehand, and Hopkins raced around third and scored to make it a 7-1 ballgame.

Todd (0-5) suffered the loss for West Michigan, allowing seven runs - six earned - on nine hits over 5.2 innings of work.

The Whitecaps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Thursday, May 13, to open a seven-game homestand with a 6:35 p.m. start against the South Bend Silver Hawks on an Altogas Thrifty Thursday. LHP Giovanni Soto (1-3, 3.07) is slated to take the mound for West Michigan against RHP Chase Anderson (2-3, 2.51) of the Silver Hawks. 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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ROOF'S BAT, SOTO'S ARM LEAD 'CAPS TO VICTORY
05/13/2010 9:31 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps opened a seven-game homestand in style with a 7-0 win over the South Bend Silver Hawks on Thursday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (12-22) got a standout offensive performance from Eric Roof, who doubled, tripled and drove in four runs as one of five position players to register a multi-hit game. Meanwhile, starter Giovanni Soto led a trio of hurlers in a six-hit shutout against South Bend (16-19).

The game was scoreless until the Whitecaps busted out for a big rally in the bottom of the fourth. After a one-out error allowed Jordan Lennerton to reach base, Avisail Garcia singled him to second and Alexis Espinoza put the 'Caps on the board with a line-drive single to left-center. Mike Gosse drew a walk to load the bases, setting the stage for Eric Roof to deliver the big hit. With a 1-2 count, the left-handed hitting Roof cracked a bases-clearing double that one-hopped the wall in right-center and gave West Michigan a 4-0 advantage.

Soto (2-3) did the rest, striking out eight batters over 6.1 scoreless frames. The 18-year-old lefty allowed just four singles and three walks, as only one Silver Hawks baserunner reached second base against him. When Soto was done, Jose Ortega added 1.2 innings of relief before Melvin Mercedes finished things off in the ninth.

The Whitecaps tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Garcia and Espinoza each singled, putting runners at the corners to open the inning. After a fly out and a pitching change, Garcia raced home on a wild pitch from reliever Chris Odegaard. Roof followed another big hit to right-center, sending a liner that bounced to the wall for an RBI-triple. After Hernan Perez added a run-scoring single, the 'Caps took a commanding 7-0 lead.

In addition to Roof's big game, Perez went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Garcia, Espinoza and Michael Rockett added two knocks apiece as West Michigan totaled 12 hits as a team.

Chase Anderson (2-4) took the loss for South Bend after allowing four runs - three earned - on eight hits over six innings.

The Whitecaps continue their seven-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday, May 14, with a 6:35 p.m. start against the South Bend Silver Hawks. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a special t-shirt presented by Little River Casino Resort. RHP Ramon Lebron (4-1, 2.70) is slated to take the mound for West Michigan against Jenison native LHP Dan Taylor (2-2, 4.22) of the Silver Hawks. 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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GARCIA'S WALK-OFF LIFTS 'CAPS TO VICTORY
05/14/2010 10:03 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps thrilled fans at Fifth Third Ballpark with their first walk-off win of the season Friday night, using a two-out rally in the 11th inning to deliver a 4-3 win over the South Bend Silver Hawks.

After a wild opening frame that saw five combined runs cross the plate, the two clubs combined for just two runs the rest of the way. Ultimately, it was a walk-off single by Avisail Garcia that gave West Michigan (13-22) their second consecutive win to open a seven-game homestand while South Bend (16-20) dropped their fourth straight.

The game was tied at 3-3 in the bottom of the 11th when Wade Gaynor came through with a big two-out double to extend the inning. On a 2-2 pitch, Garcia drove him in with a liner to left-center that cleared the short-stop and sent the home fans into a frenzy with a 4-3 win.

Kenny Faulk (1-0) earned the victory with three shutout innings out of the bullpen. Bradin Hagens (0-3) suffered the loss for South Bend, retiring the first two batters he faced in the 11th inning before giving up the game-winning hits.

The dramatic finish overshadowed a game that featured a wild beginning before settling into an excellent display of pitching.

The Silver Hawks took an early lead on Matt Davidson's two-run homer in the top of the first, but the Whitecaps capitalized on a wacky play in the bottom half of the frame to put a three-spot on the board.

Jamie Johnson and Michael Rockett opened the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles and Gaynor followed with a liner to right that dropped in for a base hit. Right fielder Alberto Diaz charged in but misplayed the ball, which rolled past him all the way to the wall. All three runners came around to score on the play as the 'Caps jumped out in front, 3-2.

The starting pitchers took over from there, as neither Ramon Lebron of the Whitecaps or Dan Taylor of the Silver Hawks allowed another run.

Ramon Lebron struck out eight over five innings, allowing just two runs on two hits and retiring the last 11 batters he faced. Taylor countered with seven strong frames, setting down 13 in a row at one point and fanning seven batters while allowing just one earned run (three total) on six hits.

South Bend battled back to even the score in the eighth. David Narodowski led off with a single and moved to second on a base hit by Keon Broxton. After a bunt advanced the runners to second and third, Bobby Borchering tied the game at 3-3 with a run-scoring groundout.

The deadlock remained until the bottom of the 11th, when the Whitecaps ended the night in dramatic fashion.

The Whitecaps continue their seven-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark on Saturday, May 15, with a 7:00 p.m. start against the South Bend Silver Hawks. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a special bobblehead doll courtesy of Bates Footwear on Safety and Security Night, and fans will also be treated to post-game fireworks presented by Farm Bureau Insurance. RHP Trevor Feeney (3-3, 4.02) is slated to take the mound for West Michigan against LHP Mike Belfiore (1-2, 3.38) of the Silver Hawks. 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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FEENEY TWIRLS COMPLETE GAME, 'CAPS WIN
05/15/2010 10:00 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Trevor Feeney was the man of the hour on Friday night at Fifth Third Ballpark, pitching a complete game victory to lead the West Michigan Whitecaps to a 3-1 win over the South Bend Silver Hawks in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 7,520.

Feeney's nine-inning performance led West Michigan (14-22) to their first three-game winning streak of the season while South Bend (16-21) suffered their sixth consecutive loss.

The Silver Hawks struck early in the top of the first. Keon Broxton doubled to lead off the ballgame, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Owings.

That was the end of the story as far as Feeney (4-3) was concerned. The 23-year-old right-hander out of Northern Illinois University allowed only the one unearned run on six hits while fanning seven and issuing one walk. It took him just 107 pitches to navigate through nine steady frames.

Meanwhile, the Whitecaps offense gave him a lead in the bottom of the second. With one away, Avisail Garcia tied the game on an opposite-field solo homer to right. Alexis Espinoza followed with a single and moved all the way to third base after an apparent pickoff turned into a two-base error. With the infield in, Eric Roof lined a base hit up the middle that plated Espinoza for a 2-1 advantage.

West Michigan tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth. Jordan Lennerton sent a bouncing ball inside the first base line for a leadoff double and advanced to third on a bounce-out by Garcia. One pitch later, Espinoza drove a fly ball to deep right that easily scored Lennerton on a sacrifice fly for a 3-1 edge.

Mike Belfiore (1-3) suffered the loss for South Bend. The lefty was touched for two runs - one earned - on five hits over five innings of work.

The Whitecaps continue their seven-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark on Sunday, May 16, with a 1:00 p.m. start against the South Bend Silver Hawks on Foremost Insurance Night. Tigers' first-round pick RHP Jacob Turner (0-0, 3.78) is slated to make his home debut for West Michigan against RHP Charles Brewer (2-3, 1.46) of the Silver Hawks. Sid the Science Kid will be making a special appearance courtesy of WGVU, and a Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Family Day means that the first 1,000 kids will eat for free. Pre-game festivities include player autographs and the opportunity to play catch on the field, while kids can run the bases after the game. 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 WHITECAPS RALLY FALLS SHORT
05/16/2010 5:02 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps nearly overcame a six-run deficit on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Ballpark, but their hard-charging rally ultimately fell short in a 6-5 loss to the South Bend Silver Hawks.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for West Michigan (14-23), but the Whitecaps still took three out of the four games in the series. South Bend (17-21) spoiled the home debut of Detroit Tigers' first-round pick Jacob Turner, who wowed the home crowd with an impressive outing before the late comeback bid stole the show.

The 'Caps were trailing 6-0 and seemingly out of the game when they rallied for four consecutive singles to open up the bottom of the eighth. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Wade Gaynor sent a bouncing ball through the left side of the infield for an RBI-single. Avisail Garcia followed with a sacrifice fly and Alexis Espinoza added a run-scoring groundout as West Michigan cut the deficit to 6-3.

The comeback effort continued against South Bend's Chris Odegaard in the bottom of the ninth. Mike Gosse beat out an infield single and Billy Alvino drew a one-out walk to bring the potential game-tying run to the plate. Jamie Johnson made it a two-run game with a run-scoring single through the left side, but Michael Rockett struck out looking on a disputed pitch over the inside corner. With two away, Gaynor singled to left-center to score Alvino and advance Johnson - the potential game-tying run - to third base. But on a 2-1 pitch, Garcia bounced into a game-ending fielder's choice as the Silver Hawks held on for the 6-5 win.

Odegaard (1) earned his first save of the year while Diogenes Rosario (2-0) was rewarded for five shutout relief innings with the win.

Though Turner (0-1) suffered the loss, the 18-year-old was dominant for most of his outing and carried a two-hit shutout into the sixth inning. He struck out seven batters over 5.1 frames and was charged with two runs on four hits and one walk. He set down 16 of the first 18 batters he faced before the Silver Hawks finally got to him in the sixth inning.

The game was scoreless into the top of the sixth when Turner won a 12-pitch battle against David Narodowski, striking him out with a curveball to retire his 12th consecutive batter.

From there, however, South Bend was able to break through.

Keon Broxton drew a one-out walk and Chris Owings singled him to second. Bobby Borchering followed with a base hit to right that chased Turner from the game and plated Broxton for the first run of the afternoon. Later in the frame, reliever Luis Sanz was charged with a bases-loaded balk as the Silver Hawks took a 2-0 lead.

South Bend added a single run in the seventh before plating three more in the eighth to take a 6-0 lead.

After a day off on Monday, the Whitecaps resume their seven-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark with a 6:35 p.m. start against the Lake County Captains on Tuesday, May 18. Promotions include Peanut Free Night presented by Grand Rapids Allergy in addition to the standard Fat Tuesday all-you-can-eat ticket package and half-price box and reserved seats for seniors on Bob Evans Senior Night. LHP Jade Todd (0-5, 5.45) is scheduled to start for West Michigan against RHP Danny Salazar (1-1, 5.27) 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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'CAPS DROP SERIES OPENER TO LAKE COUNTY

05/18/2010 10:02 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - A pair of solo home runs were enough to sink the West Michigan Whitecaps in a series-opening 5-2 loss to the Lake County Captains on Tuesday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (14-24) spent most of the night with a bend-but-not-break mentality, allowing 14 hits but forcing the Captains to strand 12 baserunners. After battling back for a brief 2-1 lead in the middle innings, the Whitecaps watched Lake County (28-11) tied the score with an unearned run in the seventh before taking the lead with a solo homer in the eighth.

Early on, the Captains scored the game's first run on a leadoff homer by Casey Frawley in the third. But that was all the scoring that either starter would allow. While Lake County's Danny Salazar twirled five two-hit innings of shutout baseball, Jade Todd countered by scattering nine hits over six one-run frames for West Michigan.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Whitecaps rallied to take a lead against the Lake County bullpen. Mike Gosse got things started with a one-out double and moved to third after Wade Gaynor reached base on an infield single. With two outs in the inning, Avisail Garcia poked a line drive down the right field line that scored both runners for a triple as West Michigan jumped out to a 2-1 lead.

The 'Caps advantage was short-lived, however.

Frawley led off the top of the seventh with a leadoff single and was standing at second base when Jeremie Tice sent a bouncer down the third base line. Gaynor made a back-handed stab at the play but could not knock it down, and Frawley came around to tie the score at 2-2 on the costly two-out error.

Jason Smit broke the tie in the very next inning, powering a 4-for-5 night with a solo homer that narrowly cleared the fence just inside the foul pole located 317 feet down the left field line. A pair of run-scoring doubles added the insurance in the ninth as Lake County took a 5-2 lead.

Francisco Jimenez (5-1) earned the win with 2.2 innings out of the Captains' bullpen. After allowing a pair of runs in the sixth inning, he retired the last six batters he faced. Preston Guilmet (2) did the rest, setting down all four batters he faced and striking out the side in the ninth for the save.

Nathan Newman (0-2) suffered the loss for the Whitecaps. He was charged with two runs - one earned - on three hits over two innings of work.

The Whitecaps continue their seven-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark with an 11:00 a.m. start against the Lake County Captains on Wednesday, May 19. In addition to a School Day, it will also be a Peanut Free Day courtesy of Grand Rapids Allergy and a Wellness Wednesday, meaning that fans can walk the track pre-game and a Priority Health card gets fans $2 off a reserved ticket. LHP Giovanni Soto (2-3, 2.52) is scheduled to start for West Michigan against RHP Austin Adams (1-2, 3.81) 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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SOTO TWIRLS GEM, WHITECAPS WIN

05/19/2010 1:57 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps evened up a three-game series against the league-leading Lake County Captains with a 3-1 win on Wednesday morning at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (15-24) got another outstanding pitching performance from Giovanni Soto, who allowed just one unearned run over seven strong innings. Lake County (28-12) had a chance to take the lead in the sixth inning before a key double play put the Whitecaps on track for the victory.

The score was tied at 1-1 when the Captains' Casey Frawley reached third base with just one out in the top of the sixth. But after pitching around the dangerous Bo Greenwell, Soto induced an inning-ending double play ball from Chun Chen to escape the jam.

Moments later, West Michigan seized the opportunity to snatch the lead. Avisail Garcia bounced the first pitch of the bottom of the sixth to third base and reached when Adam Abraham dropped the ball. Two pitchers later, Alexis Espinoza made the Captains pay by splitting the gap in right-center for a run-scoring triple. Espinoza eventually scored on a passed ball with two outs as the Whitecaps took a 3-1 lead.

That was plenty for Soto (3-3), who fired off seven impressive innings while allowing just one unearned run and four hits, all of which were singles. He struck out two, walked one and induced a pair of double play balls. The only two baserunners that reached scoring position against him did so with the aid of an error, as the 19-year-old southpaw from Puerto Rico lowered his ERA to 2.11 with his fourth quality start in eight outings.

Nolan Moody and Jose Ortega (1) each added scoreless innings of relief, and Ortega struck out the side in the ninth to earn his first save of the year.

Marty Popham (3-1) suffered the loss for the Captains after entering in the fourth inning as Lake County's piggyback starter. He was charged with two unearned runs on three hits over four innings, fanning five and walking one.

The scoring started early as the two clubs traded runs in the opening frame.

Lake County took advantage of a one-out error in the top of the first when Garcia misplayed a line drive to right, allowing Argenis Martinez to wind up at third base. Greenwell followed with an RBI-groundout to open the scoring.

In the bottom half of the inning, Jamie Johnson drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third base on a double by Michael Rockett. Johnson promptly scored on a groundout by Wade Gaynor to even the score at 1-1.

The Whitecaps conlcude their seven-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark with a 6:35 p.m. start against the Lake County Captains on Thursday, May 20. In addition to West Michigan Glass Block Night, it will also be an Altogas Thrifty Thursday featuring $2 specials on hot dogs, beer, soda and soft pretzels. RHP Ramon Lebron (4-1, 2.84) is scheduled to start for West Michigan against RHP Trey Haley (3-0, 3.67) 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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'CAPS LOSE FINALE, FINISH HOMESTAND 4-3

05/20/2010 10:46 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Thursday night was a night to forget for the West Michigan Whitecaps, who finished an otherwise strong homestand with a 15-5 loss to the Lake County Captains at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (15-25) went 4-3 during the home stretch despite dropping two of three games to the Captains. Lake County (29-12) pounded out 15 hits and took advantage of eight walks and four errors. All nine Captains' batters registered hits and eight of the nine added at least one run scored and one RBI.

The scoring started in the top of the third when Jeremie Tice bounced a two-run double down the third base line. In addition to increasing his league-leading RBI total to 34, the hit also gave Lake County a 2-0 lead.

The Captains proceeded to score three runs in each of the next three innings.

In the fourth, a throwing error allowed a run to score and helped spark another surge by Lake County. Argenis Martinez added an RBI-single and Bo Greenwell followed with a sacrifice fly to push the edge to 5-0. One inning later, a two-run homer by Casey Frawley capped a rally that extended Lake County's lead to 8-1.

The Whitecaps mounted a comeback bid in the middle innings. In the bottom of the fifth, Wade Gaynor smacked a run-scoring double and Avisail Garcia chipped in with an RBI-groundout. After Alexis Espinoza plated Gaynor with a base hit to left, West Michigan cut the deficit to 8-4.

But the Captains kept on coming.

Chun Chen doubled home a pair of runs in the sixth and came around on a base hit by Adam Abraham to make it an 11-4 ballgame.

After Hernan Perez singled and scored for the Whitecaps in the bottom of the sixth, Lake County crossed the plate four more times in the eighth. The first four batters of the inning all reached base and eventually scored. Greg Folgia's two-run double capped the rally, giving Lake County a commanding 15-5 advantage.

Captains' starter Trey Haley lasted just four innings, leaving Antwonie Hubbard (2-0) to earn the win with 2.1 frames of relief.

West Michigan starter Ramon Lebron (4-2) suffered the loss after getting roughed up for five runs - four earned - on six hits and four walks. He struck out six in three innings of work.

The Whitecaps hit the road for an eight-game, seven-day road trip that begins with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch at Fort Wayne on Friday, May 21. RHP Trevor Feeney (4-3, 3.38) is scheduled to start for West Michigan against LHP Nick Greenwood (3-0, 3.67) of the TinCaps. The Whitecaps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday, May 28, to start a season-long 10-game homestand with The Score Night, including a special visit from the ZOOperstars zany entertainment act. 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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SERIES OPENER SUSPENDED DUE TO RAIN
05/21/2010 9:39 PM ET

FORT WAYNE, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps tried to open a four-game series against the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Friday night at Parkview Field, but persistent rains throughout the evening ensured that only Mother Nature could emerge victorious.

After three rain delays totaling one hour and 46 minutes in length - and just one inning and 12 minutes of baseball - the game was suspended in a scoreless tie in the top of the second. Jordan Lennerton was at the plate with a full count, the bases empty and nobody out.

After a 17-minute delay due to heavy late afternoon rains prior to first pitch, a 58-minute delay took place following lighting and rain during the middle of the first inning. Play resumed long enough to get through the bottom of the first, but with Lennerton at the plate leading off the top of the second the skies opened again.

The Whitecaps and TinCaps will resume the suspended game at 5:05 p.m. on Saturday evening. Upon the conclusion of the nine-inning contest, the two clubs will play a shortened seven-inning game to fulfill Saturday's regularly scheduled affair. Victor Larez will take the mound first when play resumes, while Jacob Turner is scheduled to start the second game. There will be a 30-minute break in between the two contests.

West Michigan is beginning an eight-game, seven-day road trip that begins with a four-game weekend series in Fort Wayne before moving to Lansing for a doubleheader on Tuesday followed by single games on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Whitecaps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday, May 28, to start a season-long 10-game homestand with The Score Night, featuring a special visit from the ZOOperstars zany entertainment act. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com. -end-

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 SLUGFEST BEFORE DROPPING NIGHTCAP
05/22/2010 10:53 PM ET

FORT WAYNE, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps started Saturday evening's busy slate of baseball by outlasting the Fort Wayne TinCaps in a slugfest, holding on for a 12-10 win at Parkview Field. In the nightcap, Fort Wayne battled back for a 4-1 win to split the night's action.

West Michigan (16-26) used an eight-run fifth inning to power the game one victory, while Fort Wayne (20-22) got a double and a homer from Everett Williams to highlight their victory in the second contest.

Saturday's action officially started on Friday night, when three rain delays totaling one hour and 46 minutes in length forced the game to be suspended. After 12 minutes and one inning of game action, the game was halted in a scoreless tie with the first hitter of the top of the second in the batter's box.

When play resumed on Saturday evening, Michael Rockett started the scoring in the top of the fourth. After smacking a leadoff triple, he came home to score on an infield single by Wade Gaynor for a 1-0 edge.

One inning later, West Michigan exploded for an eight-run, eight-hit top of the fifth inning to jump ahead by a commanding 9-0 lead. Twelve Whitecaps batters came to the plate during the rally, with eight different 'Caps collecting a hit and scoring a run. With one away they strung together six consecutive singles, while the only extra-base hit of the frame - a two-run double by Eric Roof - capped the scoring and left the Whitecaps with a seemingly comfortable lead.

Fort Wayne made it interesting, however, charging back into the game with a four-run rally in the sixth and a five-run outburst in the seventh. Jason Hagerty clubbed two-run homers in both innings as the TinCaps refused to give up.

Fortunately for the Whitecaps, Kenny Faulk came in to save the day. After notching a big strikeout to strand the bases loaded and preserve a 12-9 lead in the seventh, the lefty tossed a scoreless eighth before coming back out for the ninth. Again the TinCaps rallied, turning a leadoff double into a run and putting the potential game-tying run on base. But with a 12-10 lead and men at the corners, Faulk induced a game-ending groundout to complete 2.1 innings of work and notch his second save of the season.

Victor Larez (3-5) earned the win for West Michigan with three scoreless innings of relief, while Nick Greenwood (2-2) was roughed up for eight runs - seven earned - over 3.1 frames in the loss for Fort Wayne.

In the second game of the day, the TinCaps survived an early pitcher's duel to even the series.

The Whitecaps again reached the scoreboard first, stringing together three consecutive singles to open the top of the fourth inning. After Mike Gosse bounced a base hit through the right side, Gaynor crossed the plate for a 1-0 edge.

Fort Wayne had an answer, however, and his name was Everett Williams. The TinCaps' outfielder clubbed a two-run homer that sparked a three-run rally in the fourth inning, and then doubled and scored in the fifth for a 4-1 advantage.

Jerry Sullivan (3-2) earned the win with six innings of one-run ball, while Nick Schumacher (8) tossed a perfect seventh for the save. Jacob Turner (0-2) suffered the loss for West Michigan, retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced - and striking out six of them - before Fort Wayne got to him in the fourth.

The Whitecaps continue their eight-game, seven-day road trip with the third game of a four-game set at Fort Wayne on Sunday, May 23. First pitched is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. with LHP Jade Todd (0-5, 4.87) slated to start for West Michigan against LHP Mike Watt (2-3, 5.21) of the TinCaps. The Whitecaps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday, May 28, to start a season-long 10-game homestand with The Score Night, featuring a special visit from the ZOOperstars zany entertainment act. 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 COME BACK TWICE BEFORE FALLING IN NINTH
05/23/2010 7:34 PM ET

FORT WAYNE, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps battled hard on Sunday afternoon, but after they trailed by as many as four runs and pulled off a game-tying rally in the top of the ninth, it was the Fort Wayne TinCaps that emerged with a 7-6, walk-off win at Parkview Field.

West Michigan (16-27) overcame a pair of deficits and leaned heavily on an overtaxed bullpen that was called to action early after an injury-shortened outing by starter Jade Todd. Fort Wayne (21-22) won for the sixth time in their last seven games thanks to a walk-off single by Jeudy Valdez that came with a full count, the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

The game was tied 6-6 in the bottom of the ninth when Whitecaps reliever Jose Ortega retired the first two batters of the inning, but Rymer Liriano singled to extend the inning and cap an afternoon in which he went 3-for-3 and reached base five times. After a base hit, a stolen base and an intentional walk loaded the bases, Valdez stepped in with a chance to be the hero. After working the count full and fouling off a series of pitches, Valdez lined the eighth pitch of the sequence up the middle for the 7-6 victory.

That made a winner out of Nick Schumacher (2-1), who allowed one run in one inning and was charged with just his second blown save of the year before his team rallied in the bottom of the ninth. Ortega (0-2) suffered the loss after giving up two runs on six hits over 1.2 frames.

The late drama overshadowed a game that saw West Michigan pull off a pair of valiant comebacks.

Trailing 4-0 in the top of the sixth, the Whitecaps exploded for a furious one-out rally in which seven consecutive hitters reached base. Jordan Lennerton got it started with a one-out single and advanced to third after a fielder's choice and an error allowed Avisail Garcia to reach base. Alexis Espinoza and Mike Gosse each followed with run-scoring singles to cut the deficit in half, while Luis Palacios cranked a two-run double into the left field corner to tie the score. With the infield drawn in, Eric Roof capped the rally with a single through the middle that gave West Michigan a 5-4 lead.

But in a game where neither time was willing to give up, the TinCaps battled back. Nate Freiman doubled and scored in the seventh, tying the game on a base hit by Edinson Rincon. One inning later, Liriano led off with a two-base hit and scored on a knock by Danny Payne as Fort Wayne recaptured a 6-5 lead.

In the top of the ninth, it was the Whitecaps turn. Jamie Johnson led off with a double against Schumacher, who entered play tied for third in the Midwest League with eight saves. The next batter was Michael Rockett, who flared a bloop-single down the right field line to score Johnson and make it a 6-6 game.

Early on, Fort Wayne seized control with a four-run rally in the bottom of the fourth.

Everett Williams drew a leadoff walk and Freiman smacked a ground rule double that became lodged in the padding around a piece of signage on the left field wall. Jason Hagerty followed by bouncing a two-run single up the middle that not only gave the TinCaps a lead, but also glanced off the outreached throwing hand of Jade Todd and forced the Whitecaps starter out of the game. Reliever Nathan Newman eventually worked his way out of the inning, but not before issuing three walks - including two with the bases loaded - as Fort Wayne took a 4-0 lead.

The Whitecaps continue their eight-game, seven-day road trip with the finale of a four-game set at Fort Wayne on Monday, May 24. First pitched is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. with RHP Trevor Feeney (4-3, 3.32) slated to start for West Michigan against RHP Daniel Sarria (1-0, 2.21) of the TinCaps. The Whitecaps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday, May 28, to start a season-long 10-game homestand with The Score Night, featuring a special visit from the ZOOperstars zany entertainment act. 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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WILD PITCH DOOMS 'CAPS TO ANOTHER WALK-OFF LOSS
05/24/2010 11:16 PM ET

FORT WAYNE, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps lost in walk-off fashion for a second consecutive night on Monday, losing 3-2 on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Fort Wayne TinCaps at Parkview Field.

West Michigan (16-28) got eight strong innings from starter Trevor Feeney and three-hit games from both Jordan Lennerton and Alexis Espinoza in the loss. Fort Wayne (22-22) chipped away to overcome a 2-0 deficit and force extra innings, eventually escaping with their seventh win in the last eight games.

The game was tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the 10th when the TinCaps' Danny Payne delivered a pinch-hit single against Melvin Merdeces to lead off the frame. He advanced to second on a bunt and moved to third on a bounce-out. With two away Everett Williams drew a five-pitch walk, forcing Mercedes to issue an intentional free pass to the dangerous Nate Freiman. With the bases loaded and two outs, Mercedes threw a 1-1 pitch to Jason Hagerty that skipped past the catcher, allowing Payne to score for a 3-2 win.

As the Fort Wayne players celebrated their second walk-off win in as many nights, West Michigan suffered their sixth loss in the last eight ballgames.

Mercedes (1-2) took the loss for the Whitecaps, issuing three walks and uncorking the decisive wild pitch over 1.2 innings of work. Haydon Beard (2-1) was rewarded for a scoreless top of the 10th inning with the win for Fort Wayne.

Early on, the Whitecaps broke onto the scoreboard with single runs in each of the first two frames.

With two outs in the first, Avisail Garcia lined a clean single to center field. He was running on a 3-2 pitch when Lennerton lifted a towering fly ball that bounced off the wall in the left field corner, putting West Michigan ahead 1-0 on the RBI-double.

In the second inning, Luis Palacios and Billy Alvino each singled with one out to put runners on first and second. There were two away when Mike Gosse bounced a base hit through the left side, and when Palacios knocked the ball away from the catcher on the ensuing play at the plate, the 'Caps extended their lead to 2-0.

Meanwhile, Feeney turned in another strong outing on the mound. The righty tossed eight innings while allowing two runs on six hits, striking out six and walking one.

Fort Wayne finally broke through against Feeney in the sixth to cut the lead in half. After Jonathan Galvez singled and stole second, Williams drove an 0-2 pitch the other way for a run-scoring double that made it a 2-1 game.

West Michigan had chances to add to the lead in the seventh and eighth innings, but came up empty on both occasions. Consecutive singles to lead off the eighth were followed by a sacrifice bunt, but the rally was squashed when Palacios was thrown out easily at the plate after Gosse sent a one-hopper back to the mound. One inning later, a leadoff double by Lennerton went for naught when Rymer Liriano threw him out trying to score on a single by Espinoza.

Trailing by just a run, the TinCaps made West Michigan pay in the eighth. With one away, Jeudy Valdez yanked an 0-2 pitch over the fence in left field, tying the score at 2-2 with a solo home run.

The Whitecaps continue their eight-game, seven-day road trip with a four-game, three day series that starts with a doubleheader in Lansing on Tuesday, May 25. First pitched for Game One is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. with LHP Giovanni Soto (3-3, 2.11) slated to start for West Michigan against RHP Chad Jenkins (3-2, 3.62) of the Lugnuts. The Whitecaps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday, May 28, to start a season-long 10-game homestand with The Score Night, featuring a special visit from the ZOOperstars zany entertainment act. 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 COMPLETE GAME SHUTOUT HIGHLIGHTS DOUBLEHEADER SPLIT
05/25/2010 10:59 PM ET

LANSING, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps split a doubleheader with the Lansing Lugnuts on Tuesday night at Cooley Law School Stadium.

Giovanni Soto twirled a complete game shutout to lead West Michigan (17-29) to a 3-0 victory in the opener, while Lansing (27-18) battled back with five doubles to power a 7-1 win in the nightcap.

Soto (4-3) was the story in game one, tossing seven dominant innings and striking out six to earn the win. He allowed four hits and walked two, inducing three double play balls and picking off one runner while preventing the Lugnuts from scoring. Dating back to May 7, the 19-year-old Puerto Rican left-hander has now thrown 22.1 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.

Facing Toronto Blue Jays first-round pick Chad Jenkins, the Whitecaps scored all three of their runs in the top of the third. Eric Roof got the rally started with a single to right and Jamie Johnson reached base on a bunt single to the left side of the infield. Michael Rockett followed with a double that bounced down the third base line and plated both runners for a 2-0 lead. Later in the frame, the bases were loaded when Rockett scored on a two-out wild pitch for a 3-0 advantage.

Jenkins (3-3) suffered the loss for Lansing, allowing three runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings.

After the Whitecaps won the first game, the Lugnuts jumped all over West Michigan in game two.

Lansing came out swinging in the bottom of the first, smacking four doubles and plating four runs on five hits against Victor Larez. After Mark Sobolewski drove in the first run with a groundout, Brad McElroy, Sean Ochinko and Ryan Schimpf delivered three consecutive run-scoring doubles to grab a 4-0 lead.

Luis Palacios tripled and scored in the top of the third to get West Michigan on the board, but Lansing had an answer in the bottom half of the frame. After a hit batsman and a single put a pair of Lugnuts on the bases, Eric Eiland split the gap in left-center with a two-run triple that pushed the lead to 6-1. Lansing added another run in the fourth for the 7-1 final.

Aaron Loup (3-0) earned the victory with five solid innings, giving up one run on two hits and striking out four. Larez (3-6) suffered the loss after getting roughed up for six runs on nine hits over 2.1 frames.

The Whitecaps continue their eight-game, seven-day road trip with game three of a four-game series in Lansing on Wednesday, May 26. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. with RHP Ramon Lebron (4-2, 3.63) slated to start for West Michigan against RHP Ryan Tepera (4-1, 3.55) of the Lugnuts. The Whitecaps will return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday, May 28, to start a season-long 10-game homestand with The Score Night, featuring a special visit from the ZOOperstars zany entertainment act. 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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EIGHT-RUN INNING KNOCKS OFF WHITECAPS
05/26/2010 11:07 PM ET

LANSING, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps could not overcome an eight-run rally in the bottom of the third inning of a 9-5 loss to the Lansing Lugnuts on Wednesday night at Cooley Law School Stadium.

West Michigan (17-30) pounded out 13 hits led by Jordan Lennerton's 3-for-4 night and two-hit games by Michael Rockett, Wade Gaynor and Mike Gosse, but Lansing (28-18) took control with the emphatic rally in the third inning.

Early on, the Whitecaps held two separate leads.

Lennerton started the scoring in the top of the first, smacking a two-out double that plated Gaynor for a 1-0 lead.

After Brad McElroy tied the score with a solo homer in the second, West Michigan rallied again in the top of the third. Billy Alvino singled, Jamie Johnson reached on a would-be double play ball that turned into an error, and Rockett added a base hit to load the bases with nobody out. Alvino came home on the ensuing fielder's choice groundout from Gaynor, while Lennerton added a run-scoring single to right for a 3-1 Whitecaps lead.

But in the bottom of the third, Lansing exploded for a big inning. Eric Eiland drew a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a groundout. With the action on the bases seemingly getting to Whitecaps starter Ramon Lebron, the next four Lansing batters hit safely and nine in a row went on to reach base. Ryan Goins singled home Eiland with one out and scored on a double by Mark Sobolewski to tie the game.

The Lugnuts took a lead on McElroy's RBI-single, but they were far from done. Another base hit and a walk loaded the bases before A.J. Jiminez chased Lebron from the game with a run-scoring base hit. Balbino Fuenmayor greeted reliever Nolan Moody with a two-run double to left center, and Eiland followed with a rally-capping knock that, coupled with an error, plated two more runs. When the dust had settled, 13 Lugnuts had come to the plate and scored eight runs on seven hits for a commanding 9-3 lead.

The 'Caps fought hard to get back into the game, scoring single runs in the fifth and eighth innings. But West Michigan stranded eight runners over that span - and 10 total - as Lansing held on.

Ryan Tepera (5-1) took the win for the Lugnuts despite allowing four runs - three earned - on nine hits over 5.2 innings of work. Steve Turnbull (11) earned the save after entering with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth. He needed just two pitches to escape that jam before cruising through the ninth.

Lebron (4-3) suffered through the loss after coming unraveled in the third inning. He was charged with eight runs on seven hits over 2.1 frames, striking out four and walking two.

The Whitecaps wrap up their eight-game, seven-day road trip in Lansing on Thursday, May 27. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. with RHP Jacob Turner (0-2, 4.15) slated to start for West Michigan against RHP Ryan Shopshire (2-3, 5.51) of the Lugnuts. The Whitecaps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday, May 28, to start a season-long 10-game homestand with The Score Night, featuring a special visit from the ZOOperstars zany entertainment act. 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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TURNER EARNS FIRST PRO WIN AS 'CAPS SPLIT
05/27/2010 10:41 PM ET

LANSING, MI - Jacob Turner earned his first professional win and the West Michigan Whitecaps salvaged a four-game series split with a 4-2 victory against the Lansing Lugnuts on Thursday night at Cooley Law School Stadium.

West Michigan (18-30) also got 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball from a pair of relievers while forcing the league-leading Lansing (28-19) offense to strand 11 men on base.

Turner (1-2), the ninth overall pick in the 2009 draft, picked up his first victory in his seventh professional start just six days after his 19th birthday. The righty struck out five batters over 5.1 innings while allowing two runs on seven hits.

The Whitecaps gave him a lead in the top of the second. Jordan Lennerton, Avisail Garcia and Mike Gosse delivered three straight singles to load the bases with nobody out. Although Billy Alvino grounded into a double play that helped Lansing minimize the damage, Lennerton scored on the twin killing to put the 'Caps ahead, 1-0.

In the fourth, West Michigan added another run. After drawing a leadoff walk, Wade Gaynor used a wild pitch and a stolen base to reach third with just one out. On a 3-2 pitch, Garcia singled through a drawn-in infield to make it a 2-0 ballgame.

The Lugnuts tied the score on Balbino Fuenmayor's two-run homer in the fourth, but West Michigan recaptured the lead in the very next half inning.

With one out in the top of the fifth, Elvin Soto and Luis Palacios benefitted from eight straight balls to draw back-to-back walks. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Jamie Johnson broke the tie with a run-scoring single to right. Following a hit batsman that loaded the bases, Gaynor drove in another run with a fielder's choice groundball that pushed the lead to 4-2.

The bullpen did the rest. After Turner's departure in the sixth, Jose Ortega came in to toss 2.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts. He gave way to Kenny Faulk, who struck out the last batter of the eighth to strand a pair of runners. He went on to retire the heart of the Lugnuts' batting lineup in order in the ninth, earning his third save of the year.

Ryan Shopshire (2-4) suffered the loss for Lansing, allowing four runs on five hits over 4.1 innings.

The Whitecaps return to Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday, May 28, to start a season-long 10-game homestand with a four-game series against the Dayton Dragons. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. and LHP Jade Todd (0-5, 5.15) will take the mound for West Michigan against RHP J.C. Sulbaran (3-3, 5.00) of the Dragons. The game kicks off a loaded Memorial Day Weekend at Fifth Third Ballpark with The Score Night, featuring a special visit from the ZOOperstars zany entertainment act. 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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DRAGONS STUN 'CAPS WITH LATE RALLY
05/28/2010 10:18 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps dropped a heart-breaker on Friday night, taking a one-run lead into the ninth inning before letting it slip away in a 5-4 loss to the Dayton Dragons at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (18-31) got eight strong innings from starter Jade Todd and led by a 4-3 score with two outs and the bases empty in the ninth inning before Dayton (20-29) stunned the home crowd with the late rally.

After Kenny Faulk retired the first two batters in the top of the ninth, Cameron Satterwhite and Alex Oliveras drew back-to-back walks to keep the ballgame alive. With two on and two out, Andrew Means lined a single to right and Avisail Garcia came up throwing to the plate. But the ball skipped past the catcher Eric Roof moments before Satterwhite barreled into him shoulder-first, leaving Roof on the ground as Oliveras raced around to score. While Whitecaps' trainer Corey Tremble tended to Roof, the Dragons had suddenly seized a 5-4 lead.

West Michigan mounted a mild threat in the last of the ninth. After replacing Roof defensively in the top of the frame, Billy Alvino led off with a clean single to center. He moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, but Chris Sedon grounded out and Jamie Johnson's liner to left was caught by Oliveras to end the game.

Chase Ware (1) pitched the final frame for Dayton to earn the save, while Doug Salinas (3-2) was rewarded for two scoreless innings of relief with a win.

Faulk (1-1) was charged with the loss as well as a blown save after allowing two runs - one earned - on one hit in one inning of work.

The late action overshadowed a game in which the 'Caps led most of the way, thanks in part to a fantastic pitching performance by Todd.

The 20-year-old left-hander cruised through eight solid innings of work, allowing three runs - two earned - on seven hits while fanning four and walking one.

Meanwhile, West Michigan scored two runs in both the second and third innings to take a lead.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second, Roof drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on a base hit by Luis Salas, who ended up at second base after Roof slid in ahead of the throw at third. Sedon tied the score on the first pitch he saw in a Whitecaps uniform, lifting a sacrifice fly to center. Johnson followed with a run-scoring triple for a 2-1 advantage.

After the Dragons tied the score in the top of the third, the 'Caps went back to work in the bottom half of the frame. Wade Gaynor led off with a double and Jordan Lennerton singled to put men at the corners. Garcia and Roof each checked with run-scoring singles that gave West Michigan a 4-2 advantage that held until the ninth-inning drama.

The Whitecaps continue a season-long 10-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark with a 7:00 p.m. first pitch against Dayton on Saturday, May 29. RHP Trevor Feeney (4-3, 3.18) will take the mound for West Michigan against RHP Josh Ravin (2-4, 3.61) of the Dragons. The Memorial Day weekend festivities continue with 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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LAREZ, WHITECAPS HOLD ON IN NINTH
05/29/2010 10:31 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps survived another scare on Saturday night, holding on for a 6-5 win over the Dayton Dragons at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Hernan Perez went 3-for-3 with a homer to lead West Michigan (19-31) and Jordan Lennerton drove in a pair of runs and extended his hitting streak to a team-high nine games. But one night after Dayton (20-30) survived a one-run deficit with the bases empty, two outs and two strikes in the ninth, the Whitecaps were able to withstand another late Dragons rally.

The 'Caps took a 6-5 lead into the ninth before Didi Gregorius reached on an ominous leadoff error. One out later, he moved into scoring position on an infield single by Tommy Nurre - the Dragons' 14th hit of the night. But righty Victor Larez buckled down for a pair of strikeouts, getting Josh Garton swinging on a pay-off pitch before freezing Frank Pfister with a fastball at the knees.

Larez earned his second save of the year while Trevor Feeney (5-3) grabbed the win. Feeney scattered 10 hits over six innings, allowing three runs while fanning six without issuing a walk.

Josh Ravin (2-5) suffered the loss after getting roughed up for five runs - four earned - on eight hits over five innings.

The late action capped an exciting night of baseball in which the game swung back and forth early.

The 'Caps loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the first, taking a lead on Lennerton's sacrifice fly. The game was tied at 1-1 with two outs in the bottom of the fourth when Michael Rockett skied a two-out triple off the wall in left field. Moments later, Rockett came home on a balk to give West Michigan a 2-1 advantage.

In the top of the fifth, the Dragons rallied to jump ahead. Alex Oliveras led off with a double, advanced to third on a single by Andrew Means, and scored on a base hit up the middle by Gregorius. Henry Rodriguez followed with a run-scoring double that put Dayton ahead by a 3-2 score. At a key point in the game, however, Whitceaps Feeney battled back to retire the next three batters in order and strand men at second and third to limit the damage.

West Michigan answered immediately in the bottom half of the frame. Jimmy Gulliver drew a walk, stole second and promptly scored the game-tying run on Jamie Johnson's single to left. Perez followed with a base hit that put runners on first and second. Wade Gaynor laid down a bunt to the left side that both the pitcher and the third baseman attempted to field, but when the hurler Ravin picked up the ball he threw blindly to the vacant base at third. Johnson scored easily as the ball rolled down the left field line, and Perez came home one batter later on a single by Lennerton that made it a 5-3 ballgame.

Perez added a solo homer in the seventh that pushed the lead to 6-3 and turned out to be a crucial insurance run as the Dragons mounted a late rally.

Garton led off the eighth inning with a solo homer that cut the lead to two, and doubles from Frank Pfister and Cameron Satterwhite pulled Dayton to within 6-5.

But in the ninth, Larez closed the door to deliver West Michigan a dramatic victory.

The Whitecaps continue a season-long 10-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch against Dayton on Sunday, May 30. LHP Jared Wesson (N/A) will take the mound for his West Michigan Whitecaps debut against LHP Justin Walker (1-6, 5.51) of the Dragons. The Memorial Day weekend festivities continue with a Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Family Day featuring free lunch for the first 1,000 kids, player autographs and the opportunity to play catch on the field pre-game, and the chance for kids to run the bases post-game. 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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INSIDE-THE-PARK HOMER PROPELS 'CAPS TO VICTORY
05/30/2010 4:39 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps won for the third time in four games on Sunday, jumping out to a 7-0 lead and holding on for a 7-4 victory over the Dayton Dragons at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (20-31) used a five-run outburst in the fourth inning and an inside-the-park home run by Jamie Johnson in the sixth to take a 2-1 series lead heading into Monday's daytime finale. Dayton (20-31) was held in check by Jared Wesson, who twirled six scoreless innings of three-hit baseball in his Midwest League debut.

The story early in the game was starting pitching, as Wesson and Justin Walker matched each other zero-for-zero.

After allowing a single on the first pitch of the afternoon, Wesson (1-0) settled in to retire the next 12 men he faced in order. The 24-year-old lefty out of Mississippi State set down 15 of the first 17 batters before the Dragons finally mounted a rally against him in the sixth. In all, Wesson allowed just three singles and two walks while fanning four over six shutout innings to earn the win.

Meanwhile, Walker had three scoreless frames under his belt before the Whitecaps exploded for a big inning in the bottom of the fourth. The rally started with base hits by Hernan Perez and Wade Gaynor, and there was one out when Avisail Garcia and Alexis Espinoza delivered back-to-back run-scoring singles. With two away, Eric Roof extended the inning by drawing a walk to load the bases. Chris Sedon followed with his first hit as a Whitecap - a two-run single to left - and Johnson drove him in with a double to stake West Michigan to a commanding 5-0 lead.

The 'Caps were back at it in the sixth. After Sedon drew a two-out walk, Johnson smacked a sinking liner to center. Andrew Means hesitated as he charged in, eventually making the decision to dive for a ball that skipped past him and rolled all the way to the wall. As the outfielders hurriedly retreated after the rolling baseball, Johnson burned around the bases for a stand-up, two-run inside-the-park home run that extended the advantage to 7-0.

The Dragons made a late push to make things interesting. In the eighth inning, Dayton sent nine men to the plate as a two-run single by Henry Rodriguez highlighted a four-run rally. One inning later, a pair of ninth-inning single brought the potential game-tying run to the plate before Nolan Moody used a strikeout and a groundout clinch his first save of the year.

Johnson went 2-for-5 with three RBI in the game and has now recorded both a hit and an RBI in five consecutive contests. Jordan Lennerton added a 2-for-4 afternoon to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, the longest by a Whitecaps hitter this season.

The Whitecaps continue a season-long 10-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch against Dayton on Monday, May 31. RHP Ramon Lebron (4-3, 5.35) will take the mound for West Michigan against RHP Jacob Johnson (1-4, 5.31) of the Dragons. The holiday weekend festivities continue with a special daytime contest on Memorial Day and All Faiths Day presented by JQ 99, offering fans that bring a church or community bulletin half-price box or 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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BULLPEN TOUCHED UP IN LATE LOSS
06/01/2010 2:37 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps could not protect a 4-0 lead on Tuesday, allowing eight unanswered runs to the hard-charging Burlington Bees in an 8-4 loss at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (20-32) led by four runs after five innings of play, but the bullpen faltered late as Burlington (18-34) put together four-run rallies in the both sixth and ninth innings. In addition to opening a three-game series, Tuesday's contest marked the beginning of a two-week stretch of interdivisional play between Midwest League teams.

The Whitecaps were sitting pretty during the first half of the contest.

With two men on and one out in the first inning, Jordan Lennerton blasted a 2-1 pitch to right-center that started the scoring with a two-run double. Two batters later, Michael Rockett added a two-base hit to left that scored Lennerton for a quick 3-0 advantage. Jimmy Gulliver added a sacrifice fly to put West Michigan ahead by a 4-0 score in the bottom of the fourth.

Meanwhile, starter Jacob Turner carried a four-hit shutout into the sixth inning.

The Bees started the game-tying rally with consecutive one-out singles by Joey Lewis and Carlo Testa in the sixth. Lewis scored when Rene Oriental ripped a grounder that snuck through the legs of third baseman Wade Gaynor, chasing Turner from the ballgame. Juan Graterol greeted reliever Victor Larez with a single that loaded the bases, and Hilton Richardson smacked a two-run single to right that made it a one-run game. Deivy Batista followed with a base hit that scored Graterol and tied the game at 4-4, though Richardson was gunned down at the plate to end the inning.

The 'Caps nearly broke the tie in the bottom of the eighth, threatening with runners at second and third and two away. Jamie Johnson smoked a 3-1 pitch up the middle, but Ryan Dennick somehow found a way to get a glove on it and rob Johnson of the potential go-ahead hit.

Moments later, Burlington finished their comeback in the top of the ninth against Jose Ortega. J.D. Alfaro singled, stole second, and scored the go-ahead run on a double by Lewis. Another base hit and a walk loaded the bases for Graterol, who's single to center drove in one run while another was cut down at the dish after catcher Billy Alvino withstood a vicious collision. After a pitching change, Ryan Wood delivered a two-run single that capped the Bees' 8-4, come-from-behind win.

Derrick (1-1) earned the victory for Burlington after contributing three scoreless innings of relief. Ortega (0-3) suffered the loss for West Michigan, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks in just 1.2 frames.

Despite the loss, Lennerton extended his hitting streak to a season-high 11-games with a 2-for-4 performance. During the stretch, he is batting an even .500 (20-40) with seven doubles, nine RBI and seven multi-hit games.

The Whitecaps continue a season-long 10-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark with an 11:00 a.m. first pitch on Wednesday, June 2. West Michigan will send LHP Jade Todd (0-5, 4.70) to the mound against RHP Brian Paukovits (2-2, 3.61) for the second game of a three-game set against the Burlington Bees, affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Wednesday's ballgame will be Nestle Quick Day at the ballpark as well as a Wellness Wednesday, enabling fans to walk around the warning track before the game and get $2 off reserved tickets by showing a Priorty Health card at the box office. 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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BEES OUTLAST 'CAPS, RAIN
06/02/2010 5:01 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Playing in between the raindrops at Fifth Third Ballpark, the West Michigan Whitecaps dropped a 4-0 decision to the Burlington Bees on Wednesday afternoon.

On a school day in which an enthusiastic crowd of 7,259 turned out for a ballgame, West Michigan (20-33) and Burlington (19-34) waited through a pair of rain delays totaling three hours and one minute before ultimately finishing the contest nearly six hours after the scheduled first pitch.

Heavy rains throughout the morning pushed back the original 11:00 a.m. start time for two hours and 39 minutes before the rain subsided, the field was readied for play, and the game finally started.

When play resumed, the Bees grabbed an early lead. After a one-out single by Deivy Batista in the top of the first, catching prospect Wil Myers clubbed a two-run homer to left. Rated as the No. 3 prospect in the Kansas City Royals' farm system, Myers' seventh bomb of the year gave Burlington a 2-0 lead.

They extended the advantage with single runs in the third and fourth. Batista doubled to spark the rally in the third, eventually coming around to score on a two-out knock by Joey Lewis. One inning later, Fernando Cruz singled and scored on a sacrifice fly to push the Bees' lead to 4-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, the skies opened up again and a steady rain fell persistently over the next few innings. The conditions of the mound continued to suffer until the game was put into a second rain delay before the start of the seventh inning. After a 22-minute wait, the tarp was removed and play resumed again.

Although the second delay cut his outing short, Burlington starter Brian Paukovits (2-2, 3.61) earned the win after twirling six shutout innings. The 22-year-old righty struck out seven without issuing a walk and allowed just three hits. Despite the deteriorating mound conditions as the rain worsened during the end of his outing, Paukovits retired the last eight batters he faced and struck out the last three.

The bullpens took over after the second delay and both teams were held scoreless over the final three frames. Scott Kelley (1) tossed all three innings for the Bees to earn the save, while Nathan Newman and Kenny Faulk combined for three shutout innings of relief for West Michigan.

The Whitecaps continue a season-long 10-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark with a 7:00 p.m. first pitch on Thursday, June 3. West Michigan will send RHP Trevor Feeney (5-3, 3.30) to the mound against RHP Tyler Sample (2-2, 4.20) for the finale of a three-game set against the Burlington Bees, affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Fans at Thursday's game will be treated to entertainment from the Famous Chicken and an Altogas Thrifty Thursday as well as a post-game concert by the Ragbirds. 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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FEENEY, GULLIVER LEAD 'CAPS TO 9-2 WIN
06/03/2010 10:23 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps equaled their largest victory of the season on Thursday night, getting eight strong innings from Trevor Feeney and four RBI from Jimmy Gulliver in a 9-2 win over the Burlington Bees at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Eager to avoid a series sweep, West Michigan (21-33) came out fighting and benefitted from 11 walks issued by the Burlington (19-35) pitching staff. The seven-run win tied a 7-0 performance against South Bend on May 13for their largest margin of victory this season.

Meanwhile, Feeney (6-3) pitched at least eight innings for the fifth time in 12 starts, increasing his league-leading total to 79 innings pitched and clinching his team-high sixth win. A day before his 24th birthday, the Northern Illinois product scattered seven hits and allowed just one run while fanning four and walking one.

While Feeney held the Bees in check, Gulliver provided the offense. The game was scoreless until he led off the bottom of the third with a base hit to right and later scored for a 1-0 edge.

In the fourth inning, Gulliver delivered the big blow of the night. With a pair of walks giving the Whitecaps two baserunners, the 23-year-old Eastern Michigan product lifted a towering three-run homer to right that extended the lead to 4-0.

West Michigan took advantage of more Burlington wildness in the sixth. Reliever Mitch Hodge came in for the Bees and faced five batters but failed to record an out, issuing three walks and allowing two hits. He walked Gulliver with the bases loaded to add another run, giving Gulliver his fourth RBI of the night. Hernan Perez followed with a two-run single and Ronnie Bourquin added a run-scoring hit later in the frame, staking the Whitecaps to a commanding 8-0 lead.

Michael Rockett doubled and scored in the seventh to make it 9-0 before the Bees scratched across single runs in the eighth and ninth innings for the 9-2 final.

Tyler Sample (2-3, 4.47) suffered the loss for Burlington, allowing just two hits but issuing five walks and allowing four runs over five frames.

The Whitecaps wind down their season-long 10-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark with the opener of a three-game series against the Peoria Chiefs, affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, on Friday, June 4. The 7:00 p.m. first pitch will feature LHP Giovanni Soto (4-3, 1.81) on the mound for the Whitecaps and RHP Nick Struck (2-4, 4.14) on the hill for the Chiefs. Jack Morris will be at the ballpark to meet with fans and sign autographs on the first of six Tiger Fridays in 2010, and the first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Jack Morris bobblehead doll. 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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GARCIA'S GAME-SAVING CATCH LEADS TO VICTORY
06/04/2010 11:18 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps put on a show Friday night, homering twice while tying a season-high with 16 hits and using a spectacular home run-robbing catch to beat the Peoria Chiefs, 9-4, in the opener of a three-game set at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (22-33) also tied a season-high with seven extra-base hits, but it was Avisail Garcia's tremendous grab in the eighth inning that robbed Peoria (29-26) of a potential go-ahead home run and brought the crowd of 6,313 to their feet.

The 'Caps were hanging on to a 5-3 lead at the time. The Chiefs opened the top of the eighth inning with a pair of singles and had men at first and second when Charles Thomas flew out to the wall in left field for the second out. On the very next pitch, Francisco Guzman clubbed a long fly to right that chased Garcia back to the wall. The 19-year-old prospect from Venezuela raced back and jumped high in the air, pulling back a potential three-run homer to preserve West Michigan's two-run advantage.

The exuberant crowd barely had a chance to sit down before Michael Rockett blasted the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth over the 400-foot marker in center field for a home run. Two outs later, Chris Sedon lifted a longball to right that bounced off the top of the wall and over the fence for his first home run as a professional. After a pitching change, Hernan Perez doubled home a run and scored on a base hit by Garcia, as West Michigan used a four-run eighth inning to jump out to a commanding 9-3 lead.

Although the Chiefs tacked on a final run in the ninth, the damage was already done. In addition to equaling season-highs with 16 hits and seven extra-base hits, a number of Whitecaps notched excellent individual efforts. Rockett led the way with a 3-for-4 night that included four RBI, while Sedon and Garcia also checked in with three-hit efforts.

Victor Larez (4-6) earned the win out of the bullpen, going 3.1 frames and allowing just one unearned run on four hits with three strikeouts. Peoria starter Nick Struck (2-5) took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits over four frames.

Although West Michigan built a lead early on, the Chiefs never went away.

The Whitecaps reached the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Jamie Johnson led off with a walk and Perez singled him to second, while Garcia poked an RBI-double down the first base line. Though West Michigan failed to add to the lead despite runners at second and third with nobody out, they took a 1-0 advantage.

After the Chiefs tied things up on a single by Justin Bour in the top of the third, the 'Caps answered with a two-out rally in the bottom half of the frame. A single, walk and a hit batsman loaded the bases, setting the stage for Rockett to smack a bases-clearing triple to center field. The three-run hit made it a 4-1 Whitecaps' lead.

Peoria tallied another single run in the top of the fourth, but West Michigan had another answer. Eric Roof led off the bottom of the frame with a double and scored on a two-base hit by Johnson that made it a 5-2 ballgame.

The Whitecaps wind down their season-long 10-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark with game two of a three-game series against the Peoria Chiefs, affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, on Saturday, June 5. The 7:00 p.m. first pitch will feature RHP Ramon Lebron (4-3, 5.35) on the mound for the Whitecaps and RHP Trey McNutt (4-0, 1.70) on the hill for the Chiefs. Fans in attendance will be treated to a spectacular post-game fireworks show 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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WHITECAPS AND CHIEFS SUSPENDED WITH 4-4 TIE
06/05/2010 9:45 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Mother Nature continued to wreak havoc at Fifth Third Ballpark on Saturday night, forcing the West Michigan Whitecaps and Peoria Chiefs into a rain-suspended game with a 4-4 tie in the middle of the third inning.

The two clubs will resume play at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, playing out the duration of the nine-inning game that began on Saturday. Following a 30-minute break, West Michigan (22-33) and Peoria (29-26) will wrap up the series with a seven-inning contest to account for Sunday's regularly scheduled game.

Before Saturday's rain became too much to play through, the Whitecaps shot out of the gates quickly against Chiefs' starter Trey McNutt, who entered play with an undefeated 4-0 record and the league's third-best ERA at 1.70.

Jamie Johnson led off the bottom of the first with a single through the left side, Wade Gaynor reached base on a one-out error, and Jordan Lennerton singled to center to load the bases. Avisail Garcia put the 'Caps on the board with a base hit up the middle and Ronnie Bourquin drew a four-pitch walk that forced home a second run. Michael Rockett followed with a sacrifice fly and Chris Sedon added a bloop single down the right field line as West Michigan seized a 4-0 lead.

The Chiefs wasted little time fighting back. Jae-Hoon Ha tripled and scored in the second to put Peoria on the board and DJ Fitzgerald cracked a two-run homer in the third. Later in the frame, Ha manufactured a run by drawing a walk, stealing second base and taking third on a wild pitch. Moments later, Mario Mercedes tied the score with a single down the first base line.

At the end of the top of the third, the game was put into a rain delay that lasted 46 minutes before being officially suspended until Sunday afternoon.

The Whitecaps wrap up their season-long 10-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark on Sunday, June 6, with a quasi-doubleheader that will feature the completion of Saturday's suspended nine-inning game followed by a seven-inning contest. The afternoon of baseball will begin with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch, and will feature Tigers' first-round pick and top prospect RHP Jacob Turner (1-2, 3.68) on the mound at some point for the Whitecaps. The first 1,000 kids through the gates will receive free food on a Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Family Day, while there will be player autographs and the opportunity to play catch on the field pre-game as well as kids running the bases post-game. 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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ESPINOZA'S TAPE-MEASURE BLAST LEADS TO SPLIT
06/06/2010 6:24 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Alexis Espinoza blasted a mammoth walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning on Sunday at Fifth Third Ballpark, helping the West Michigan Whitecaps end the day with a 3-2 victory after suffering an earlier 8-5 loss in the completion of Saturday night's rain-suspended ballgame against the Peoria Chiefs.

West Michigan (23-34) finished a 5-4 homestand in grand fashion, taking two of three games from Peoria (30-27) in the process.

In a game that was only scheduled to last seven innings, Espinoza came to the plate with a 2-2 score, two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the ninth. With a 3-1 count, the 21-year-old from Venezuela clubbed a ball to deep center that not only cleared the 400-foot fence, but landed atop the roof of the Pepsi Stadium Club. The jaw-dropping blast sent the crowd into a frenzy as the 'Caps spilled out of the dugout to celebrate a 3-2 win.

The dramatic homer capped a comeback that prevented the Whitecaps from losing twice in the same day.

After dropping the early game, West Michigan starter Jared Wesson struggled with his control in game two. Just one start after firing off six shutout innings in his Whitecaps' debut on May 30, the lefty out of Mississippi State walked three men in the first inning but wiggled out of the bases loaded jam. He was removed in the second after walking two more batters, both of which came home on a single by Jak-Ju Lee that gave the Chiefs a 2-0 lead.

The Whitecaps battled back to even things up, as Luis Salas doubled and scored on two-out singles in both the third and fifth innings. Hernan Perez brought him home in the third, while Jamie Johnson extended his hitting streak to 10 with the game-tying knock in the fifth.

Kenny Faulk (2-1) earned the win after tossing a scoreless top of the ninth, while Steven Grife (2-1) was victimized by Espinoza for the loss.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Chiefs won the completion of Saturday night's rain-suspended contest. West Michigan had jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning on Saturday night before Peoria rallied to tie the score shortly before the game was suspended. When play resumed on Sunday, the Whitecaps and Chiefs were tied at 4-4 heading to the bottom of the third.

The 'Caps won the race to the scoreboard when the action picked up on Sunday. Perez doubled to lead off the bottom of the fourth and moved to third on a groundout. With the infield in, Jordan Lennerton singled up the middle to put West Michigan ahead, 5-4.

In the seventh inning the Chiefs turned the tables, sending nine men to the plate and scoring four runs on five hits. Four consecutive singles opened the frame, as DJ Fitzgerald's base hit to right tied the score and a two-run single by Justin Bour gave Peoria the lead. Two outs later, Francisco Guzman's flare-single to center plated another run as the Chiefs seized an 8-5 advantage.

Su-Min Jung (5-3) took the win with five strong innings of relief, fanning five and allowing just one run. James Leverton (4) came in at the end to earn the save, facing just one batter but inducing a game-ending double play with the bases loaded.

Jacob Turner (1-3) suffered the loss, allowing four runs in one inning of an otherwise solid outing. The 19-year-old prospect tossed six frames of relief to start Sunday's action, but was charged with four runs on eight hits in the loss.

The Whitecaps take the day off on Monday before embarking on a six-game road trip to Western Division clubs in Cedar Rapids and Quad Cities. West Michigan sends LHP Jade Todd (0-6, 4.84) to the mound for Tuesday's series opener against the Cedar Rapids Kernels and RHP Ariel Pena (0-1, 3.65). Following the road trip, the 'Caps will be back at Fifth Third Ballpark for a three-game series 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.