Loons All-Stars Make Early Entrances

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. - The three players representing the Great Lakes Loons got their work in early during Tuesday's Midwest League All-Star game, including bullpen closer Mark Pope.

Loons catcher Kyle Farmer and rightfielder Joey Curletta were in the starting lineup for the Eastern Division squad and played five innings before calling it a night. Reliever Mark Pope, meanwhile, came on in the third inning - several innings away from his typical ninth inning role.

"I was kind of surprised to be honest," said Pope, who retired the two batters he faced. "But the coaches told us to be ready because they wanted to fill in with the bullpen guys wherever they could."

It was an otherwise long night for the Eastern team, as the Western Division coasted to a 7-0 win before 7,046 spectators at Fifth Third Ballpark, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps. The West scored a run in the first inning and never looked back.

Farmer reached base in both of his two at-bats. He was hit by a pitch from Western starter Kyle Finnegan in the first inning, then drew a walk in the fourth.

"I didn't get to swing the bat but I'll get on base any way I can," said Farmer, the Loons leading hitter with a .305 average.

Curletta grounded out to second base in his first at bat and nearly had the Eastern team's first hit with Farmer perched on second base in the bottom of the fourth. Curletta hit a line shot that carried to the glove of rightfielder Brett Phillips.

"We almost had a Loons fairy tale right there," said Curletta. "But we hit a lot of balls hard. They just didn't drop in."

The East didn't get its first hit until there was one out in the eighth, when South Bend's Marty Herum singled to right.

Pope came on in relief of Ismael Guillon in the bottom of the third after the West had scored two runs and had runners on second on third. But Pope put out the fire by getting Eric Aguilera to pop out to short. He then started the fourth and got Jack Reinheimer on a fly ball to right before being relieved by Lansing's Griffin Murphy.

Beloit's Herschel "Boog" Powell was named the game's MVP after driving in two runs, stealing two bases and scoring three times. Finnegan, who pitched the first inning, was credited with the win, while Eastern starter Jonathan Crawford of the Whitecaps took the loss.

The Loons begin the second half of the 2014 season by hosting the Dayton Dragons on Thursday at Dow Diamond. Game time is 7:05 p.m., with right-hander Jonathan Martinez (5-5, 3.75 ERA) scheduled to start for the Loons.

Also on Thursday, the Loons will honor the two-millionth fan in franchise history. The lucky fan will be presented with a deluxe prize package - courtesy of Dow - which includes two tickets to two Los Angeles Dodgers game, air fare to and from Los Angeles, four nights hotel stay, tickets to Universal Studios, and a $500 Visa gift card.

The Great Lakes Loons are an eighth-year Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. For tickets and more information, call 989-837-BALL or visit loons.com.