King Wears a Crown in 3-2 Walkoff
COMSTOCK PARK, MI – Infielder Jose King delivered the biggest swing of the night as the West Michigan Whitecaps walked off the Lansing Lugnuts in front of a season-high 7,542 fans Saturday night at LMCU Ballpark. On a night we celebrated diversity in baseball, Wenceel Perez sparked a ninth-inning rally,
COMSTOCK PARK, MI – Infielder Jose King delivered the biggest swing of the night as the West Michigan Whitecaps walked off the Lansing Lugnuts in front of a season-high 7,542 fans Saturday night at LMCU Ballpark.
On a night we celebrated diversity in baseball, Wenceel Perez sparked a ninth-inning rally, scoring the game-tying run before King's walk-off sacrifice fly, delivering West Michigan its first victory of the season when trailing after eight innings.
WATCH: KING'S WALK-OFF SAC FLY
Lugnuts starting pitcher Blake Beers dominated the Whitecaps, allowing just one hit through the first five frames as Lazaro Armenteros blasted a two-run homer in the fifth inning, putting Lansing in front 2-0. Daniel Cabrera responded with a ground-rule double in the sixth before Trei Cruz scored him on an RBI-Single, trimming the lead to 2-1. Whitecaps relievers Gabe Sequeira and Hendry Nunez combined for three scoreless innings on a pair of strikeouts behind starter Jordan Marks, keeping the game locked at 2-1. After a scoreless top half of the ninth, Perez crossed the plate on a wild pitch to tie the game before King lifted the game-winning sacrifice fly, scoring Josh Crouch and sending the crowd into hysterics.
Whitecaps closer Gio Arriera (4-0) picks up his fourth win of the season, pitching a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout as Lugnuts reliever Trayson Kubo (4-1) suffers his first loss, allowing the game-winning run in the ninth. With a win tomorrow, the Whitecaps would secure their first series victory since winning four out of six over the Fort Wayne TinCaps back on May 22. In addition, a win tomorrow evens the overall series between the Lugnuts and Whitecaps at 211-211.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps conclude this six-game series with the Lansing Lugnuts at LMCU Ballpark with a Sunday matinee scheduled for 2:00 pm. Pitcher Carlos Guzman looks to collect his second victory of the series against the Lugnuts. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty and Nate Wangler starts on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 1:45 pm. Get your tickets for all 2022 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.
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