COMSTOCK PARK, MI – Pitcher Carlos Pena wielded six outstanding innings while Luke Gold added a huge home run as the West Michigan Whitecaps topped the Great Lakes Loons 4-1 in front of 6,162 fans Friday night at LMCU Ballpark.
Pena tossed six scoreless innings for the second time this
COMSTOCK PARK, MI – Pitcher Carlos Pena wielded six outstanding innings while Luke Gold added a huge home run as the West Michigan Whitecaps topped the Great Lakes Loons 4-1 in front of 6,162 fans Friday night at LMCU Ballpark.
Pena tossed six scoreless innings for the second time this season, compiling six strikeouts as Whitecaps pitchers held the Loons to a 1-for-6 mark with runners in scoring position in the victory. Meanwhile, ‘Caps second baseman Luke Gold added critical insurance with a two-run homer – his fifth as a Whitecap.
West Michigan struck first in the second inning as Josh Crouch added an RBI to deliver West Michigan the 1-0 lead. Meanwhile, Pena held the Loons to just three hits through the first three frames as Great Lakes advanced just one runner into scoring position, maintaining the 1-0 lead. The ‘Caps added to their tally in the sixth as Andrew Jenkins added an RBI single to increase their advantage to 2-0. Whitecaps relievers Jack Anderson and Gabe Sequeira picked up where Pena left off, combining for two scoreless frames as Gold added a two-run home run in the eighth inning to extend the ‘Caps lead to 4-0. Great Lakes finally broke into the scoreboard in the ninth as Damon Keith added an RBI double, but it was too late, as ‘Caps closer Jordan Marks got a strikeout to end the game and send West Michigan to the 4-1 victory.
The Whitecaps improve to 67-61 overall and 35-28 in the second half, while the Loons fall to 75-54 and 30-34 in the second half. Pena (5-6) picks up his fifth win of the year as Loons starter Maddux Bruns (0-7) suffers his seventh loss, allowing a run through three innings pitched. Pena now boasts the second-best ERA of any qualified pitcher in the Midwest League at 3.11. The Whitecaps still sit a half-game behind the Fort Wayne TinCaps for first place in the Midwest League East division with just two games remaining.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps play the penultimate game of the 2023 regular season against the Great Lakes Loons at LMCU Ballpark on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. Garrett Burhenn gets the start for West Michigan against Great Lakes hurler Hyun-Il Choi. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty and Nate Wangler begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:50 p.m. Get your tickets for all 2023 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.