COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps newest player made a pair of spectacular plays as part of a 9-6 loss to the Bowling Green Hot Rods in front of 8,636 fans Thursday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.Riley Greene, the fifth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, went
COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps newest player made a pair of spectacular plays as part of a 9-6 loss to the Bowling Green Hot Rods in front of 8,636 fans Thursday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.
Riley Greene, the fifth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, a diving grab, and an inside-the-park home run. The catch and homer each placed as top plays of Thursday's SportsCenter Top 10, checking in at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively.
WATCH: Greene's Incredible Catch
The Whitecaps struck for three runs in the first inning featuring a two-RBI single by Dayton Dugas to take a 3-0 lead. Bowling Green responded immediately plating two in the top half of the second before the Whitecaps added a tally of their own to extend their lead to 4-2. In the fifth, Bowling Green third baseman Seaver Whalen launched a two-run home run to even the game at 4-4. The Hot Rods added five more runs across the sixth, seventh, and ninth innings while the Whitecaps were held to a single tally. With two outs and the bases empty, Greene laced an inside-the-park homer before Parker Meadows popped out in foul territory to close out a 9-6 defeat.
WATCH: Greene's inside-the-park Homer
Whitecaps starting pitcher Gio Arriera tossed five innings allowing four runs on five hits before Jose Vasquez (1-5) pitched two innings in relief giving up three runs on four hits in his fifth loss on the year. Bowling Green starter Nathan Witt went only one inning allowing three runs on two hits while Miller Hogan (4-3) delivered six innings of one-run baseball for his fourth win of 2019. The Whitecaps fall to 16-30 in the second half and 37-78 overall - their highest single-season loss total in franchise history. The Bowling Green Hot Rods improve to 27-18 in the second half and 76-59 overall. Greene becomes the first Whitecaps player to be born after the turn of the millennium.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps conclude this three-game series against the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Fifth Third Ballpark on Friday at 7:05 pm. Lefty Adam Wolf starts for West Michigan against Bowling Green righty Alan Strong. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty 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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