COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps rode a dominant pitching performance to a 3-1 victory over the Bowling Green Hot Rods in front of 6,749 fans Wednesday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.Whitecaps starter Hugh Smith and Robbie Welhaf combined for nine innings of one-run ball while striking out
COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps rode a dominant pitching performance to a 3-1 victory over the Bowling Green Hot Rods in front of 6,749 fans Wednesday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.
Whitecaps starter Hugh Smith and Robbie Welhaf combined for nine innings of one-run ball while striking out five in West Michigan's first pair of back-to-back victories since July 24th.
Bowling Green tallied a run in the first inning as Grant Witherspoon blasted a solo home run giving the Hot Rods the early 1-0 advantage. West Michigan responded promptly notching two runs in the second inning featuring an RBI-single from Danny Reyes to forge ahead 2-1. In the fourth, Cooper Johnson plated an insurance run with a 403-foot home run to make it a 3-1 'Caps lead. Bowling Green loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh before Grant Witherspoon grounded out to third, ending the threat and sending the Whitecaps to a 3-1 win.
Smith (0-4) tossed three innings allowing one run on three hits before Welhaf (4-6) pitched six shutout frames with five strikeouts in his fourth win of 2019. Hot Rods starter Shane Baz (3-2) hurled six innings of three-run baseball in his second loss on the campaign. The Whitecaps improve to 16-29 in the second half and 37-77 overall, while the Hot Rods fall to 26-19 in the second half and 75-60 overall. The Whitecaps defeated Bowling Green for just the second time in 12 games this season.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps continue this three-game series against the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Fifth Third Ballpark on Thursday at 7:05 pm. Pitcher Gio Arriera starts for West Michigan against Bowling Green righty Miller Hogan. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty and Mike Coleman begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:55 pm. Tickets are available for any Whitecaps 2019 home contest by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or by visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.
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