West Michigan Falls in Clash of 'Caps

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - A potential West Michigan Whitecaps late-inning rally came up a run short as part of a 5-4 loss to the Fort Wayne TinCaps Tuesday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.
Tweet from @wmwhitecaps: The Whitecaps rally came up JUST short in this one. We've got a double header tomorrow, starting at 11am with our final @BCBSM and Blue Care Network School Kids Day!We'll see ya' then! Tonight's Final Score is brought to you by @MittenBrewingCo pic.twitter.com/troBdWp0xz
Down 5-0 after four innings, the Whitecaps scored four straight runs and placed the game-tying run at second base in the bottom of the ninth, but the TinCaps coaxed Ulrich Bojarski into a game-ending groundout to end the game and extinguish the 'Caps comeback.
Fort Wayne jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the first two innings off Whitecaps starter Adam Wolf. The 3-0 TinCaps lead was highlighted by four doubles, one of which was of the two-run variety by outfielder Michael Curry. Fort Wayne starter Gabe Mosser limited the Whitecaps to just two hits over his first four frames. The TinCaps pushed across two more runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 5-0, but the 'Caps answered with an RBI-triple from Wenceel Perez in their fifth to close the gap to 5-1. West Michigan struck for two more runs in the seventh to trail 5-3. Chris Proctor plated Avery Tuck with an RBI-single and Proctor scored on a Bojarski single. Yaya Chentouf proved brilliant in relief for the 'Caps, blanking the TinCaps over the last four innings of the game. Down by two runs in the ninth, the Whitecaps put their first two batters on base. Jose King scored on a trio of throwing errors to bring the deficit to 5-4, but West Michigan stranded the tying run at second as Parker Meadows, Proctor and Bojarski were retired to end the game and extend the losing streak to seven games.
Wolf (2-6) took the loss, allowing five earned runs and eight hits, including five doubles. Wolf struck out six. Chentouf pitched four innings of two-hit, shutout baseball for the Whitecaps. Mosser (4-2) tossed six innings, scattering five hits and relinquishing only one earned run in picking up the win while striking out eight hitters. Bojarski tallied three hits, and Perez added a two-hit night as the TinCaps outhit the Whitecaps 10-8. With the loss, West Michigan falls to 18-33, with 12 losses in their last 13 games. The Whitecaps also dropped to a 9-18 home record in 2019. Fort Wayne, winners of seven of their previous nine, moves to 24-25 on the season.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps continue this four-game, three-day series against the Fort Wayne TinCaps with a Wednesday doubleheader beginning at 11:00 am. Whitecaps righty Wilkel Hernandez gets the start for West Michigan against TinCaps lefty Joey Cantillo. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty and Mike Coleman begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 10:50 am. 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.
Box Score