Tuesday Woes Continue with 6-3 Loss 

MIDLAND, MI – A two-run blast for Andy Pages in the seventh highlighted Tuesday’s opening contest between Great Lakes (40-33) and the West Michigan Whitecaps (34-38), as the Loons fell 6-3 at Dow Diamond. Deacon Liput began Tuesday’s scoring with a solo blast in the bottom of the third, his eighth of the year, coming as the first hit of the night for GL. Brandon Lewis left Tuesday’s game after taking a pitch to the elbow during an at-bat in the first inning. Two Tuesday HRs for the Loons moves their season total to 110, closing in on their franchise record of season home runs (127, 2010).

West Michigan’s middle batters of Parker Meadows, Gage Workman and Rey Rivera finished a combined 6-for-14 with five RBI, all recording multi-hit nights. Rivera led the pack with a two-homer night, leading both teams with three runs batted in.

The Loons were fresh off their best offensive series of the season, slugging 20 home runs in six games against the Lake County Captains, winning four of six at Classic Park. Offensively, Great Lakes finished 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Starter Logan Boyer logged two innings for the Loons, surrendering an earned run on two hits, striking out two. Alec Gamboa (L, 3-4) allowed three runs on five hits in his 3 1/3 innings of relief, allowing his first earned runs since July 2. Braidyn Fink, Jack Little and Jake Cantleberry combined for the final 3 2/3 innings, striking out seven batters.

Austin Bergner made his second start for West Michigan in eight games since joining from Low-A Lakeland at the end of June with three innings of work against GL, responsible for the Liput solo homer in his final inning in the third. Bergner exited Tuesday’s game with two walks and two strikeouts. Michael Beinlien (W, 2-0) relieved Bergner for the next 2 2/3, not allowing a run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Zack Hess recorded his seventh save of the season, tied with four other arms for second-most in the High-A Central.

Any offensive production by Great Lakes was answered by West Michigan in Tuesday’s loss. After the Liput homer in the third, the Whitecaps scored three in the top of the fourth. The Loons scored two on the Pages homer in the seventh before WM scored one run in the eighth and the ninth, pushing the lead too out in front of Great Lakes, despite a one-out double from Carson Taylor in the ninth inning.

Great Lakes advertises Clayton Beeter as Wednesday’s projected starter, attempting to even the series against West Michigan. In 18 previous appearances, Beeter was 31 strikeouts in 24 innings. The last time out for Beeter was Friday’s no-hitter victory for Great Lakes, where he helped combine for 13 strikeouts in the Loons’ first no-hitter in franchise history. West Michigan has Keider Montero to start Wednesday’s contest, who leads the Whitecaps in innings recorded this season with 60 1/3. In 14 games, Montero holds a 4.77 earned-run average, striking out 58 batters and allowing 79 hits.

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.