FORT WAYNE, IN – The West Michigan Whitecaps enjoyed a five-run third inning and a rare opportunity to trim their postseason deficit as part of a 9-4 win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Sunday night in front of 7,048 fans at Parkview Field.
The Whitecaps deficit now sits at
FORT WAYNE, IN – The West Michigan Whitecaps enjoyed a five-run third inning and a rare opportunity to trim their postseason deficit as part of a 9-4 win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Sunday night in front of 7,048 fans at Parkview Field.
The Whitecaps deficit now sits at two games behind the Lake County Captains in the chase for a second-half Midwest League Eastern Division regular-season title. Lake County split a Sunday doubleheader with the Great Lakes Loons at Dow Diamond but still holds the tiebreaker over West Michigan. The Whitecaps will need to gain three games on Lake County over the final six games of the season as the Captains host the TinCaps for a six-game series from Classic Park beginning on Tuesday.
As for Sunday’s contest, the ‘Caps plated single runs in the first two frames to take a 2-0 lead before TinCaps outfielder Josttin Diaz blasted his first home run with Fort Wayne to tie the contest at two. The third inning decided the game, as West Michigan plated five runs in an inning highlighted by a two-run single from Carlos Mendoza and RBI-single from Jace Jung. After a solo homer from TinCaps first baseman Cole Cummings in the sixth, Jung helped the ‘Caps two a two-run seventh with his second run-scoring single of the evening. The TinCaps loaded the bases with none out but settled for just one run to conclude the scoring in the contest and send the Whitecaps to their fifth win in six games of the series.
Lefty starting pitcher Matt Walker (2-2) locked in after a shaky start to settle in to toss five innings of two-run baseball while striking out four to collect his second win of the season. Righty Garrett Hawkins (0-2) allowed seven runs in 2.2 innings in suffering his second loss. Carlos Mendoza led the charge at the plate with a 3-for-5 performance with two RBI. Detroit Tigers second baseman Jonathan Schoop went 1-for-4 with a walk and run scored in the second game of his Major League Rehab Assignment. The ‘Caps record jumps to 68-58 and 37-23 overall, while the TinCaps drop to 21-38 in the second half and 48-77 this season. West Michigan finishes the regular season with a road record of 36-30, marking their best road record since the 91-win Whitecaps team in 2017.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps head home to LMCU Ballpark for their final series of the 2022 regular season as they host the playoff-bound Great Lakes Loons for a six-game series beginning Tuesday at 6:35 pm. Carlos Guzman is projected to get the start for West Michigan, while the Loons starter is still to be determined. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty and Nate Wangler begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:20 pm. Get your tickets for all 2022 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.