PEORIA, IL – The West Michigan Whitecaps lost a late-inning lead for the fourth time in its series as Jimmy Crooks collected a bases-loaded walk-off walk as part of a 5-4 loss in ten innings to the Peoria Chiefs at Dozer Park on Sunday afternoon.
The loss gives the Chiefs
PEORIA, IL – The West Michigan Whitecaps lost a late-inning lead for the fourth time in its series as Jimmy Crooks collected a bases-loaded walk-off walk as part of a 5-4 loss in ten innings to the Peoria Chiefs at Dozer Park on Sunday afternoon.
The loss gives the Chiefs a 4-2 series win in a week that saw West Michigan hold leads beyond the seventh inning in every contest. West Michigan ends the week holding a 1.5-game lead on the Fort Wayne TinCaps and Lake County Captains for first place in the Midwest League Eastern Division with 12 games remaining.
The Chiefs struck first by opening the scoring in the first inning, as Jimmy Crooks, who finished this series by going 10-for-20 at the plate, delivered the first run with an RBI-single to take a 1-0 lead. Osvaldo Tovalin followed with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 2-0. In the third, the ‘Caps tied the game with a two-run inning highlighted by a run-scoring single from Eliezer Alfonzo to draw the score even at two. In the fifth, Brady Allen launched a go-ahead solo homer, his 17th combined home run between his time with West Michigan and Beloit, to help the ‘Caps take a 3-2 lead. The score remained the same until the eighth, when Peoria tied the game with an RBI-single by Nathan Church to even the contest at three. The battle entered extra innings, and the ‘Caps took the lead in the tenth on a balk by Peoria pitcher Joesph King to force another go-ahead run and give the ‘Caps a 4-3 lead. In the bottom of the tenth, West Michigan reliever Jordan Marks was summoned from the bullpen. After a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Jeremy Rivas, third baseman Ramon Mendoza bounced a game-tying RBI-single over a drawn-in infield to tie the score at four. The next three batters wielded difficult results for West Michigan, as R.J. Yaeger reached on a missed catch by second baseman Luke Gold before an infield single from Church loaded the bases with one out. Jimmy Crooks, who enjoyed a banner week for Peoria, drew a walk to end the game and send the ‘Caps to a series loss.
The Whitecaps record falls to 62-56 overall and 30-23 in the second half, while the Chiefs improve to 64-56 and 31-23 in the second half. Chiefs pitcher Joseph King (4-2) picked up the win in relief, while Marks (1-2) allowed two unearned runs in suffering his second loss. Allen led the ‘Caps offense by reaching base four times with a 3-for-4 performance in a losing cause. Third baseman Izaac Pacheco also tallied two hits and a walk in the defeat.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps begin their final six-game road series of the regular season at Jackson Field against the Lansing Lugnuts on Tuesday at 7:05 pm. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:50 pm. Get your tickets for all 2023 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.