EASTLAKE, OH – The West Michigan Whitecaps dropped a chance to open a road series with a third straight win by committing three costly errors and losing a four-run, tenth-inning lead as part of a 9-8 loss to the Lake County Captains on Friday at Classic Park.
Three errors, including
EASTLAKE, OH – The West Michigan Whitecaps dropped a chance to open a road series with a third straight win by committing three costly errors and losing a four-run, tenth-inning lead as part of a 9-8 loss to the Lake County Captains on Friday at Classic Park.
Three errors, including a dropped tenth-inning pop-up to end the game as a Whitecaps victory, led to a walk-off RBI-single from Justin Boyd to give Lake County one of its most unexpected wins in recent memory. Of the nine runs Whitecaps pitchers allowed in the contest, only three of them were earned runs.
The ‘Caps trailed 2-0 in the fifth before Danny Serretti launched a game-tying, two-run homer to help West Michigan even the score at two. In the sixth, West Michigan enjoyed a go-ahead homer from Detroit Tigers Top Prospect Jace Jung and a solo shot from Izaac Pacheco later in the inning to take a 4-2 advantage. After the Captains plated a run in the sixth, Lake County tied the contest with two outs and a 2-2 count in the bottom of the ninth on another run-scoring single from Boyd to knot the game at four. The Whitecaps scored four times in the tenth, highlighted by a two-run homer from Brady Allen. In the bottom of the frame, the Captains scored three times in part to a two-run double by Jake Fox before Milan Tolentino popped up what could’ve been the final out, but third baseman Pacheco dropped the baseball – his second error of the inning – to allow the tying run to score and even the game at eight. Boyd followed by hitting the next pitch into left field for a base hit that ended the game and gave Lake County its first win of the series this week at Classic Park.
The Whitecaps fall to 31-28, while the Captains improve to 27-32. Captains reliever Lenny Torres (1-1) picked up his first win despite allowing three runs in the tenth, while the Whitecaps Bryce Tassin (1-2) gave up five unearned runs in taking his second loss of the year. The contest also saw three ejections, as Captains outfielder Isaiah Greene and managers Omir Santos and Brayan Peña were both ejected from the ballgame.
UP NEXT
The ‘Caps and Captains make their second attempt at completing a doubleheader beginning on Saturday doubleheader at 4:30 pm. The Whitecaps are set to start Wilkel Hernandez in the first game, while the second-game starter is still to be determined. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network beginning at 4:15 pm. Get your tickets for all 2023 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.