West Michigan earns 11-4 victory
MIDLAND -- The Great Lakes Loons allowed a season-high 19 hits to the West Michigan Whitecaps on Saturday, who outscored the home team 11-4 in front of the third-largest crowd in Dow Diamond history (6,040).
“It’s just one of those games you know,” Loons manager Juan Bustabad said. “Over the course of 140 games, you’re going to have some bad ones and tonight was one. It all starts with our pitching. We need to get better starting pitching and relievers coming in there, but we keep swinging the bat and that’s a good sign.”
The Loons scored a pair of runs over the first two innings on a Luis Alberto Sanz throwing error and Christian Lara’s sacrifice fly to take the early lead, but the Whitecaps batted around in the third inning for five runs and never looked back.
With one out, Michael Rockett started the Whitecaps big third inning by hitting a double, then moved to third on Corey Jones’ single to left. Wade Gaynor hit a sharp grounder that deflected off of Loons second baseman Joe Becker’s glove to score Rockett. Avisail Garcia hit a single for another run, before Clay Jones ripped a two-out bases-clearing double to make it 5-2.
Loons shortstop Rafael Ynoa hit his eighth home run of the season in the fourth inning to pull Great Lakes within two, but it did not phase West Michigan, who went on to score six runs over the next three innings.
Starting for the Loons was southpaw Ryan Christenson, who surrendered seven runs on 10 hits over 4.1 innings to register his first Midwest League loss and increase his ERA to 6.75. J.B. Paxson came in at relief to allow three runs, one earned, on six hits in 1.2 innings, before Edwin Contreras gave up the final West Michigan run over two innings of work. Andy Suiter loaded the bases before finishing out the scoreless ninth.
The Loons pitching staff amassed 50 batters faced over the standard nine-inning game, with five of the Whitecaps hitters making six plate appearances. West Michigan’s Corey Jones and Avisail Garcia both had four-hit nights; Garcia finishing a home run shy of the cycle. Jared Wesson (7-1, 2.54) picked up the win, allowing four runs over five innings.
The Loons will host game two Sunday at 3:05 p.m. and will send RHP Matt Magill (6-4, 3.46) to the hill against West Michigan’s RHP Victor Larez (7-9, 4.27). It’s Family Fun in the SUNday at Dow Diamond, where post-game kids can run the bases.
The Great Lakes Loons are a fourth-year Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and members of the Midwest League. For more information about the Loons, visit Loons.com or call 989-837-BALL.
