COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps struggled to get the offense rolling as strikeouts proved costly in an 8-1 loss to the Dayton Dragons in front of 7,382 fans Saturday night at LMCU Ballpark.
West Michigan managed only three hits in the game, finishing 1-for-6 with runners in
COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps struggled to get the offense rolling as strikeouts proved costly in an 8-1 loss to the Dayton Dragons in front of 7,382 fans Saturday night at LMCU Ballpark.
West Michigan managed only three hits in the game, finishing 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position while striking out 16 times in the loss.
The Whitecaps struck first as Esney Chacon roped an RBI single to score Austin Murr and take the 1-0 lead. Dragons starter Joe Boyle kept the ‘Caps silent, striking out seven Whitecaps hitters through 3.2 innings as Dayton plated three runs in the third – featuring an RBI double from Steven Leyton – taking the 3-1 lead. J.V. Martinez increased the lead in the fourth inning with a two-run double before an RBI from Leyton and a wild pitch in the sixth extended the Dragons advantage to 7-1. Martinez cracked an RBI double in the seventh – his third double of the game – making it an 8-1 lead. West Michigan failed to tally a base hit in the final five innings as Dragons relievers Jake Gozzo, Jayvien Sandridge, and Jake Gilbert combined for 5.1 scoreless frames with nine punchouts to secure the 8-1 Dayton victory.
Gozzo (1-0) picks up his first win, striking out two batters through 2.1 shutout innings. Whitecaps starter Jack O’Loughlin (2-1) suffered his first loss, allowing three runs through three innings with four strikeouts. The ‘Caps came one strikeout shy of tying their single game-high (17), which they suffered in a 10-1 loss to the Dragons on May 24th. The Dragons improve to 48-45 and 9-18 in the second half. The Whitecaps fall to 51-44 and 20-9 in the second half.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps finish this six-game series with the Dayton Dragons at LMCU Ballpark with a Sunday matinee at 2:00 pm. Pitcher Carlos Guzman looks to capture his second win of the series, getting the start for West Michigan. Guzman will be opposed by righty Chase Petty, who was obtained by the Reds in a trade with the Minnesota Twins earlier this year in exchange for Sonny Gray. Broadcast coverage with Nate Wangler and Jeremy Otto starts on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 1:45 pm. Get your tickets for all 2022 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.