Four Errors Results in 10-5 Loss

COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The Great Lakes Loons (60-51) lost their second-consecutive game to the West Michigan Whitecaps (55-56) by the way of a 10-5 final at LMCU Ballpark Thursday night. Logan Boyer (L, 0-5) recorded three innings for the first time this season, allowing no earned runs and striking out three. Boyer has been limited in his professional debut season after being drafted out of San Diego State in 2019.

West Michigan’s Austin Bergner (W, 4-0) allowed two runs on two hits in five, finishing with nine strikeouts in his fifth start to last at least five innings of his last six. After allowing a walk and hit in the first inning, Bergner settled in to not surrender a baserunner until the fifth inning when Leonel Valera walked and Ryan January went deep for the ninth time of the year.

Zac Ching slugged his 13th HR of the season in the top of the eighth inning, cutting into the West Michigan lead deep in Thursday’s game.

Great Lakes committed four errors Thursday night, two of the three coming in a scoreless fifth inning for Alec Gamboa. Entering Thursday with the fewest errors committed this season in the league, four errors tied a season-high, which hadn’t been done since June 17.

Following the three-inning start for Boyer, Gamboa allowed three runs on four hits, walking and striking out two batters in his three innings.

Offensively, the Loons struck out 19 times Thursday night to tie a season-high set on July 1 at Fort Wayne, where Great Lakes actually won that game against the TinCaps, 6-3 in 10 innings. Great Lakes finished 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position, while West Michigan enjoyed a 7-for-17 night with runners at second and third.

Austin Murr led all batters at the plate, finishing 3-for-5 with an RBI and scoring twice. Three other batters for the Whitecaps had multi-hit nights. Considering January and Ching’s homers, Valera had the only run-scoring hit for Great Lakes that stayed in the yard.

Reliever Lael Lockhart, drafted by the Dodgers in the ninth round of the 2021 draft, entered to try to limit the Whitecaps in the bottom of the seventh. Lockhart exited after recording just one out in five batters faced, giving up a pair of hits and walks, with three runs coming in.

Aldry Acosta wasn’t able to find the final out of the eighth inning after allowing two earned runs on four hits and two walks. Braidyn Fink entered for six pitches, delivering the final out with the Loons staff’s sixth strikeout of the night.

Cedar Rapids ran away with a Thursday road game against Wisconsin, topping the Timber Rattlers 11-4 to take a game-lead over Great Lakes with nine games to play. Lake County fought back to top the Dayton Dragons, 9-8, to force a tie atop the East Division with Great Lakes.

With the Whitecaps leading this series two games to one, Great Lakes sends Jesus Vargas to the mound on Friday night to oppose West Michigan’s Brendan White, who both are tied for fifth in the High-A Central with 91 1/3 innings pitched this season. Coverage begins with the Loons On-Deck Circle, Built by Three Rivers, at 6:50 P.M. EDT, with first pitch from LMCU Ballpark expected to come at 7:05 P.M.

The Great Lakes Loons have been the Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team’s inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team’s home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.