Rally ‘Caps Walk-Off Fort Wayne
The West Michigan Whitecaps rallied on three separate occasions, the last of which came on a game-winning two-run double from Tigers prospect Max Anderson to deliver a 5-4, 10-inning walk-off victory over the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Tuesday evening at LMCU Ballpark. Anderson – the Detroit Tigers #13 prospect and
The West Michigan Whitecaps rallied on three separate occasions, the last of which came on a game-winning two-run double from Tigers prospect Max Anderson to deliver a 5-4, 10-inning walk-off victory over the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Tuesday evening at LMCU Ballpark.
Anderson – the Detroit Tigers #13 prospect and their second-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft – had the most pivotal moment of the night in the tenth inning, scoring two runs on a line drive into right field to deliver West Michigan their first walk-off victory of 2024.
Fort Wayne struck first in the second inning, as left fielder Tyler Robertson added a solo home run, putting the TinCaps on top 1-0. Meanwhile, both starters enjoyed solid outings, as Whitecaps pitcher Dylan Smith allowed just one run through five innings with six strikeouts, while Fort Wayne hurler Enmanuel Pinales posted five scoreless frames with seven punchouts, keeping the score 1-0 going into the sixth.
The Whitecaps tied the game in the bottom of the sixth as Cole Turney plated Austin Murr on an RBI double before Fort Wayne responded with an RBI triple from Anthony Vilar in the eighth – jumping back in front 2-1. The ‘Caps rallied for a second time in the bottom of the eighth as Turney scored Murr, leveling the game at 2-2. Fort Wayne broke the tie in the top of the tenth as Ethan Salas and Kai Murphy added individual RBIs – putting the TinCaps back on top 4-2. In the bottom of the tenth, Seth Stephenson looped an RBI single into center field – trimming the lead to 4-3. After a groundout allowed Stephenson to advance to second base, Fort Wayne intentionally walked Turney, putting the game-winning run on first base as Anderson delivered the final blow, putting the finishing touches on the 5-4 walk-off winner.
The Whitecaps improve to 12-16 while the TinCaps fall to 10-18. Whitecaps reliever Matt Merrill (2-0) secures his second win of the year, allowing two runs in an inning pitched, while Fort Wayne reliever Will Geerdes (0-2) suffers his second loss, giving up three runs through 1.2 innings. The contest began with an 89-minute weather delay and ended with the Whitecaps’ fifth consecutive win on a Tuesday this season.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps continue this six-game series at LMCU Ballpark against the Fort Wayne TinCaps Wednesday night at 6:35 pm. Righty Colin Fields gets the start for West Michigan against southpaw Jagger Haynes for Fort Wayne. Don’t miss the action; tune into broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty and Nate Wangler on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:20 pm on 106.1 FM ‘The Ticket’ and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids. Get tickets for all 2024 home contests or listen to games live at whitecapsbaseball.com.