Great Lakes' lead in east remains three games
The West Michigan Whitecaps came out swinging on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Ballpark, jumping ahead early and pounding a pair of home runs to beat the Great Lakes Loons, 8-1, for their fourth straight victory.
COMSTOCK PARK -- With just eight games remaining in the regular season, West Michigan (33-29, 59-72) reduced their magic number to five while padding their lead over the Lansing Lugnuts in the race for the Eastern Division's final playoff spot. The Whitecaps are 24-8 since July 28 and 9-7 on the year against Great Lakes (41-21, 84-47).
The Whitecaps hit the ground running with a three-run rally in the opening frame. Leadoff batter Jamie Johnson provided the spark with a leadoff single and Corey Jones sliced a liner to left for a one-out base hit. Wade Gaynor came through with a double down the third base line for the big blow, driving in both runners and later scoring on an error for a 3-0 lead.
That was plenty for Patrick Cooper (2-1) and the Whitecaps' pitching staff.
West Michigan's 21-year-old starter rolled through one of the Midwest League's most potent offenses, retiring 15 of the first 16 batters he faced and carrying a one-hit shutout into the seventh inning on his way to the victory. Chased from the game by a two-out RBI-double in the seventh, Cooper limited the Loons to one run on three hits over 6.2 solid innings of work. He struck out three and walked three, allowing multiple baserunners in an inning just once.
Meanwhile, the offense built a sizeable cushion.
Jeff Rowland stroked a run-scoring single through the right side in the fourth inning and Hernan Perez added a solo homer in the fifth. Alexis Espinoza provided the icing on the cake in the seventh inning, blasting an opposite-field three-run homer that made it an 8-1 ballgame.
Following Cooper's departure, the Whitecaps' bullpen turned in another solid performance.
Zach Samuels came in with runners at second and third and two outs in the seventh, inducing an inning-ending groundout to strand the runners before cruising through a 1-2-3 eighth inning. Nathan Newman finished things off with a scoreless ninth.
Five days after tossing six scoreless frames to beat West Michigan on his home turf, Greg Wilborn (4-2) was knocked around for the loss on Sunday at Fifth Third Ballpark. The talented 23-year-old lefty was charged with five runs - four earned - on nine hits over five innings of work.
Only two regular season home games remain at Fifth Third Ballpark as the Whitecaps host the Great Lakes Loons for game three of a four-game set on Monday, August 30, at 7:00 p.m. RHP Trevor Feeney (10-13, 3.40) is scheduled to take the mound for West Michigan against RHP Josh Wall (8-6, 3.76) of the Loons.
