COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Garrett McCain raced home from third base on a sacrifice fly from Cam Warner in the bottom of the ninth inning and gave the West Michigan Whitecaps a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Thursday night in front of 7,729 at Fifth Third Ballpark.Tweet
COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Garrett McCain raced home from third base on a sacrifice fly from Cam Warner in the bottom of the ninth inning and gave the West Michigan Whitecaps a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Thursday night in front of 7,729 at Fifth Third Ballpark.
For the second straight night, the Whitecaps scored in their last at-bat and benefitted from a solid starting pitching performance for the second consecutive night, as Jesus Rodriguez tossed seven innings and allowed only three runs. The Whitecaps used run-scoring singles from both Cam Warner and Anthony Pereira in the first two innings off Rattlers starter Carlos Herrera to tie the ballgame at two, but an RBI-double by Timber Rattlers third baseman Gilbert Lara allowed Wisconsin to retake the lead at 3-2 after four frames. In the sixth, McCain laced a gap hit to left-center field with two on base. The potential two-run base-hit would have given the 'Caps the lead, but the ball bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double, tying the game at three and setting the stage for the Whitecaps walk-off victory. Consecutive singles by McCain and Pereira in the last frame and an all-important hustle play by Brady Policelli to squelch a potential Wisconsin double play at first base enabled Warner to come to the place and deliver the game-winner on his second RBI of the evening.
Reliever Billy Lescher was outstanding for the Whitecaps in the late innings. Lescher (1-0) struck out four, gave up only one single and a walk in two innings of work and picked up his first win of 2018. Rodriguez, who pitched a team-high 7.2 innings in his last start, allowed only one earned run for a Whitecaps pitching staff that has given up just three earned runs and six hits in 19 innings in the series. Herrera (1-7) pitched a decent five innings but absorbed the loss, allowing two earned runs, scattering five hits and striking out six. Pereira enjoyed his first three-hit night in 2018 for the Whitecaps, who outhit Wisconsin ten to three. West Michigan improved to 47-44 on the season while Wisconsin fell to 38-51.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps finish their three-game set with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Friday at 7:05 pm. Pitcher Brad Bass starts on the mound for the Whitecaps against Christian Taugner for Wisconsin. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty and Mike Coleman begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:55 pm. Tickets are available for any Whitecaps 2018 home contest by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or by visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.
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