WHITECAPS LET NINTH-INNING LEAD SLIP AWAY
West Michigan (17-25) dropped into last place in the Midwest League's Eastern Division with the loss. Fort Wayne (19-25) took three out of four games in the series and won for the fifth time in their last six contests.
The Whitecaps took a 2-1 lead in the third inning and held it until the ninth.
With regular closer Bruce Rondon having worked consecutive nights, Dan Gentzler came in looking for the save. After striking out the first batter of the inning, his 1-0 pitch to Jose Dore was taken out of the yard to right-center field for a game-tying solo homer.
Gentzler ran into more trouble in the 10th.
B.J. Guinn led off with a single and was at third base with one out. Rymer Liriano hit a hot smash towards third, but Nick Castellanos gobbled it up and fired to the plate to gun down Guinn and preserve the tie.
Nearly out of the jam, Gentzler walked Wes Cunningham to put men at first and second with two outs. He then faced one of the league's top hitters in Jake Blackwood, who shrugged off an 0-for-4 night to blast a double off the left field wall. Both runners came around to score, giving Fort Wayne the decisive 4-2 lead.
Adam Dominick (7) pitched the bottom of the 10th and went 1-2-3 through the top of the Whitecaps order for the save. The win went to Deiber Sanchez (2-0), who recorded the final two outs of the ninth inning.
Gentzler (1-1) was charged with both the blown save and the loss after allowing three runs on three hits over 1.2 innings of work.
The late action overshadowed another strong starting performance by West Michigan's Antonio Cruz. The 19-year-old lefty registered a career-high eight strikeouts, allowing just one run on four hits and one walk through 6.1 innings.
The TinCaps started the scoring in the top of the third when Liriano tripled home Emmanuel Quiles with two outs, but the Whitecaps answered immediately in the bottom half of the frame.
P.J. Polk, who finished the night 3-for-4, led off with a hit up the middle and Dixon Machado followed by laying down a bunt and legging it out for a single. The runners moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Luis Castillo, while Hernan Perez and Castellanos contributed run-scoring singles to give West Michigan a 2-1 edge.
That score remained until the ninth, when Fort Wayne rallied to force extra innings and snatch away the victory.
The Whitecaps continue their homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark with a three-game series against Bowling Green that starts at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. RHP Josue Carreno (1-5, 6.49) is scheduled to take the hill for West Michigan against RHP George Jensen (2-2, 6.62) of the Hot Rods. It will be the final peanut free day at the ballpark in which no peanuts or peanut products will be on hand, enabling those with nut allergies to enjoy the game. It will also be Silver Slugger Day, offering half-price box or reserved seats to those 50 or older, and a KRAFT Singles Tuesday featuring a buy-one-get-one-free offer to those that bring a KRAFT Singles wrapper to the box office. Group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.