PEORIA, IL – Pitcher Brant Hurter and infielder Carlos Mendoza shined in their Midwest League debuts as the West Michigan Whitecaps held on to defeat the Peoria Chiefs 9-8 Friday night at Dozer Park.
Hurter, promoted to West Michigan from Low-A Lakeland earlier this week, came one strikeout shy of
PEORIA, IL – Pitcher Brant Hurter and infielder Carlos Mendoza shined in their Midwest League debuts as the West Michigan Whitecaps held on to defeat the Peoria Chiefs 9-8 Friday night at Dozer Park.
Hurter, promoted to West Michigan from Low-A Lakeland earlier this week, came one strikeout shy of tying the single game-high for a Whitecaps starter, punching out seven batters through four innings of work while allowing two runs as ‘Caps pitching combined for 14 strikeouts in the narrow win. Meanwhile, Mendoza finished 2-for-4 with a double, triple, two runs scored and an RBI as West Michigan finished 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
The Whitecaps took a commanding lead out of the gate, plating three runs in the first three innings as Trei Cruz roped an RBI-Single before Bryant Packard and Josh Crouch laced RBI base hits to make it 3-0. Mendoza highlighted a two-run fourth inning with an RBI-Triple before Chiefs infielder Francisco Hernandez blasted a two-run home run followed by a run-scoring double from Mike Antico in the fifth, slimming the lead to 5-3. The Whitecaps responded quickly, as Packard added a two-run home run before Eliezer Alfonzo cracked a two-run double to extend the lead to 9-3. Peoria came storming back in the eighth inning, plating five runs – highlighted by a two-run double by Antico – but it was too late, as ‘Caps closer Elvis Alvarado retired the side in the ninth to secure the save and the slim Whitecaps victory.
Bryce Tassin (2-1) secures his second win allowing just one run through two innings with four punchouts as Alvarado collects his fourth save. Chiefs starter Wilfredo Pereira (3-3) suffers his third loss, tossing five innings while allowing five runs on six hits in the defeat. A win tomorrow or Sunday would mark the Whitecaps first series victory since winning four out of six in Fort Wayne on May 22. The Whitecaps improve to 29-32 as the Chiefs fall to 26-35. Packard paced the Whitecaps offense with a three-hit performance and has nine hits in 15 at-bats through three games of this series.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps continue this six-game series with the Peoria Chiefs from Dozer Park on Saturday at 7:35 pm. Pitchers Carlos Guzman and lefty John Beller take the mound for the ‘Caps and Chiefs. Broadcast coverage with Nate Wangler starts on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 7:20 pm. Get your tickets for all 2022 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.