Captains Fall to Whitecaps in Rain-Shortened 11-2 Defeat

EASTLAKE, Ohio – In the third game of a scheduled six-game set, the Lake County Captains (3-3) fell to the West Michigan Whitecaps (5-1) by a final score of 11-2 at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.

After a 30-minute rain delay, the game was officially called after five innings.

The Whitecaps got the scoring started in the rain-shortened five inning bout, with a two-run single from CF Brett Callahan in the top of the second inning. Three batters later, SS Jack Penney drove a ground ball single into left field to put West Michigan ahead 3-0 entering the home half of the frame.

Lake County got on the board in the bottom of the second when C Johnny Tincher hit an RBI groundout, narrowing the Whitecaps’ lead to 3-1.

In the following frame, CF Alfonsin Rosario, MLB Pipeline’s No. 25 Cleveland prospect, blasted his first career High-A home run. The 20-year-old’s no-doubter pulled the Captains within one through three innings.

Lake County RHP Robert Wegielnik replaced LHP Matt Wilkinson (ND) to begin the fourth inning. Wilkinson struck out five, while surrendered three runs on four hits in three innings of work.

The Whitecaps continued their offensive success with four runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.

In the fourth, Penney grounded into a fielder's choice, and a throwing error by Wegielnik resulted in two runs scoring on the play. In the ensuing at-bat, Whitecaps DH Josue Briceño, MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 Detroit and No. 91 MLB prospect, lined an RBI single to left field. To wrap up the scoring in the half-frame, 3B Izaac Pacheco recorded an RBI groundout to grow West Michigan’s lead to 7-2.

Whitecaps LHP Joe Miller (ND) exited the game with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. The West Michigan starter allowed just two runs on four hits in 3.2 innings of work. RHP Carlos Lequerica (2-0) entered and immediately fanned Tincher to conclude the inning.

In the fifth, Penney and Briceño tallied consecutive RBI singles, while a throwing error on a grounder from 1B Andrew Jenkins plated two more Whitecaps runs. The Captains eventually put runners on first and second with two outs in the home half of the frame, but Lake County SS Jose Devers grounded out to end the shortened contest.

The fourth game of this week’s scheduled six-game series between the Captains and Whitecaps is scheduled for Friday night at 6:35 p.m. It will be Hat Fest with Official League at the ballpark.

The game will be broadcast on the Bally Sports Live app and MiLB.com, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.

Notes to Know

- OF Alfonsin Rosario, MLB Pipeline‘s No. 25 Cleveland prospect, hit his first career High-A home run and first homer as a member of the Guardians organization on Thursday night. The 20-year-old, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs this past offseason, has now hit safely in each of his first four career High-A games.

- With a pair of singles on Thursday night, OF Esteban González extended his hitting streak to five games to begin the season. The 22-year-old out of Maracaibo, Venezuela is now batting 9-for-17 (.529) on the year with a 1.403 OPS.

- LHP Matt Wilkinson threw five strikeouts in his 2025 home debut on Thursday night. The 2024 Midwest League All-Star now has 10 punchouts in his first two starts this year.

About the Lake County Captains:

The Lake County Captains are the professional High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians located in Eastlake, Ohio. Our mission is to honor the rich history of our organization, while also introducing baseball to a new generation of fans through innovative means. We are committed to supporting our community, sports teams, and each other by demonstrating passion and having fun every day.