Whitecaps Drop Second-Half Opener
LANSING, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps dropped their first game of the 2016 second half with a 5-1 loss to the Lansing Lugnuts Thursday at Cooley Law School Stadium.
The Whitecaps actually held a lead in the Thursday contest, as Will Allen opened the scoring with a fourth inning double to score David Gonzalez and take a 1-0 lead. Lansing scored five unanswered runs spanning their final three frames at the plate to secure the victory. In the sixth, Justin Atkinson put Lansing on the board with a mammoth solo homerun to left-center - his third of the season - to tie the game at one. An inning later, the 'Nuts struck for three in a frame featuring run-scoring singles from Josh Almonte and Carl Wise to take a 4-1 lead. In the eighth, Max Pentecost scored from second base on a wild pitch by reliever Jon Maciel to end the scoring in the contest. .
Meanwhile, Lugnuts starting pitcher Ryan Borucki was sensational, who looked very different then when he last gave up five runs in three innings in an 11-3 loss to the Whitecaps on June 10. Borucki tossed eight innings allowing just five hits and didn't walk a batter. Borucki (4-3) picked up his fourth victory after finishing with eight strikeouts in eight one-run innings, while Trent Szkutnik (3-1) suffered his first loss after giving up four runs in 6.1 innings. The Whitecaps fall to 39-29, while the Lugnuts push their record to 37-34. Allen and David Gonzalez each chipped in with a pair of hits in a losing cause.
MOVIN' ON UP
Before Thursday's game, the Whitecaps announced in conjunction with the Detroit Tigers that All-Star pitchers Matt Hall (8-0, 1.09) and Gerson Moreno (1-1, 1.14, 11 SVs) had been promoted to High-A Lakeland. Hall had one of the best first halves in Whitecaps history, while Moreno dominated from the back-end of the bullpen to rank third in the Midwest League in games finished (19).
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps continue this four-game series with the Lugnuts Friday night from Cooley Law School Stadium beginning at 7:05p.m. Lefty Eudis Idrogo returns from the disabled list to pitch for West Michigan against Lansing righty Jordan Romano. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:55p.m. Tickets can be reserved for any 2016 home game by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or by visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.