Pages Scores All Five, Series Even

MIDLAND, MI – Andy Pages homered twice Friday night and scored all five of the Loons runs, as Great Lakes (42-34) defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps (35-40) at Dow Diamond by a final score of 5-4 to even the series. With two home runs and a run-scoring double, ten total bases for Pages set a new season-best. Landon Knack’s five scoreless innings featured eight strikeouts and no walks, only surrendering two hits.

Great Lakes began their scoring in the bottom of the third inning, thanks to the first Pages HR of the night. Pages would homer again in the fifth inning, his second multi-homer game of the season. The fourth run scored by Pages came in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI double, following a two-out walk from Justin Yurchak. It was the third time this season Pages finished with four runs batted in, his second in the last week. On June 20, Pages went deep twice against the Lansing Lugnuts.

Friday was the second quality start logged by Knack (W, 5-0). In the month of July, Knack has 37 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings in five appearances to trim his monthly ERA to a 1.84, opposed to a 3.86 ERA in June. Braidyn Fink and Jake Cantleberry both allowed two runs on a combined five hits. Cameron Gibbens was called upon for the final out of the eighth, doing so with a strikeout. Jack Little efficiently finished the ball game, retiring his three batters faced to secure a one-run win.

West Michigan starter Brendan White (L, 2-5) also contributed a quality start with six strikeouts, despite being responsible for four runs on four hits. Bryce Tassin was the only other Whitecaps pitcher needed Friday, striking out four batters in three innings, walking one and allowing a run to be scored on the Pages double in the seventh.

Daniel Cabrera continued a very strong series offensively for West Michigan, leading their offense again with a 2-for-4 night, scoring two runs on a sixth-inning blast and a leadoff triple in the eighth. This series has seen Cabrera go 7-for-18 in four games with two doubles, a triple, and two homers with six RBI.

A Dayton loss to Lake County replaces the Loons back in first in the East Division by a half-game, as the two have swapped turns in first in the last three nights.

With both teams holding two games on each other, a feel of a rubber match takes place Saturday night at Dow Diamond, first pitch scheduled for 7:05 P.M. EDT. Saturday’s game features a righty/lefty matchup between Great Lakes Logan Boyer and West Michigan’s Adam Wolf. In 19 games, the righty Boyer holds a 4.09 ERA in 22 innings, striking out 25. The southpaw Wolf makes his eighth start of the season Saturday night. In 37 innings, Wolf has 30 strikeouts, responsible for 17 runs and 13 walks. Coverage begins on ESPN 100.9 FM with the Loons On-Deck Circle, Built by Three Rivers, at 6:35 P.M.

Loons fans can look forward to a Wonderful World of Wizarding Night, presented by MidMichigan Health, as we honor this generation’s most famous wizard’s birthday at Dow Diamond! Saturday’s festivities will be capped with another Fireworks Loontacular, presented by Farm Bureau Insurance.

Following the West Michigan series, the San Diego Padres’ High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps invade Dow Diamond for the first time this series, beginning August 3. The Loons took four games of six against Fort Wayne from June 29-July 4.

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.