COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps fell short of their first postseason berth since 2018 as part of a 4-1 loss to the Great Lakes Loons Sunday afternoon in front of a sellout crowd of 8,414 fans at LMCU Ballpark.
The Whitecaps entered the day needing to beat
COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps fell short of their first postseason berth since 2018 as part of a 4-1 loss to the Great Lakes Loons Sunday afternoon in front of a sellout crowd of 8,414 fans at LMCU Ballpark.
The Whitecaps entered the day needing to beat the Loons and get a Fort Wayne TinCaps loss at Dayton. While the TinCaps fell in a 4-2 defeat to end their regular season, the ‘Caps failed to take advantage of the opportunity. With West Michigan’s loss, Fort Wayne clinches the Midwest League Eastern Division Second Half Championship.
Defensive miscues plagued the ‘Caps on Sunday, as of the four runs the Whitecaps allowed, just one was earned, as West Michigan committed three errors in the contest. Meanwhile, the ‘Caps finished just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the defeat.
Great Lakes grabbed the lead in the first inning as Griffin Lockwood-Powell lifted a sacrifice fly, delivering the Loons the 1-0 lead. Meanwhile, Loons starter Jared Karros tossed four scoreless innings with three strikeouts to maintain the early advantage. ‘Caps starter Jackson Jobe allowed just the one run through five innings with seven punchouts before the Loons added two insurance tallies in the sixth – featuring an RBI single from Kenneth Betancourt – before Taylor Young added a sacrifice fly in the seventh, ballooning the lead to 4-0. The Whitecaps scored in the ninth as Eliezer Alfonzo crossed the plate on a passed ball, but it was too late, as Loons closer Carlos De Los Santos collected back-to-back strikeouts to end the game and the ‘Caps season, 4-1.
The Whitecaps finish the season with an overall record of 68-62 and 36-29 in the second half, while the Loons finish the season 76-55 overall and 31-35 in the second half. Jobe (2-3) suffers his third loss while Loons pitcher Peter Heubeck (2-2) picks up his second win. Alfonzo collected a 2-for-4 day at the plate in the only multi-hit performance for the ‘Caps on Sunday. The Whitecaps finished the season with nearly 361,000 fans coming through the gates – grossing more than any season since 2004.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps have concluded the 2023 season and look forward to another summer of baseball in West Michigan in 2024. Get all the latest Whitecaps off-season news at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.