Offensive Woes Continue in Series-Opening Loss to West Michigan
September 6, 2022 – Midwest League (MWL) – Great Lakes Loons News Release
COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. – After mustering seven hits across 14 innings in a doubleheader Sunday, six hits in nine frames Tuesday is certainly an improvement for the Great Lakes Loons. Plus, it bested the five hits collected by the West Michigan Whitecaps.
The Loons continued to lack in the run column, though.
Great Lakes was shut out for the fourth time in the last nine games, falling 3-0 to West Michigan at LMCU Ballpark to open the final series of the regular season.
West Michigan (69-58, 38-23 second half) opened their half of the game with three straight singles, including an RBI knock from Jace Jung in his first contest against the Loons. Izaac Pacheco, another batter whom the Loons had not faced prior to Tuesday, hit a sacrifice fly in the frame to put the Whitecaps ahead, 2-0.
The Loons (75-52, 35-26) threatened in the top of the second, putting two men on with one out after an Austin Gauthier double, but failed to score in the inning after Carlos Guzman (W, 9-6). Guzman was terrific over the course of the game, tossing six shutout frames with just two hits allowed. He struck out six and walked just one.
The Whitecaps, High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, scored again in the fifth inning on just one hit and two walks. A wild pitch from Carlos Duran (L, 1-3) scored the run from third. Duran surrendered three runs, all earned, in his five innings, allowing four hits and three walks. He picked up five strikeouts in the loss.
Great Lakes, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ High-A partner, got good work out of the bullpen. Michael Hobbs, Julian Smith and Antonio Knowles each pitched an inning in relief and combined to allow just one hit and three walks, while striking out four batters.
The Loons offense picked up somewhat in the final three innings, collecting four hits in those frames, but no runner advanced past second base and West Michigan continued to blank the Loons. Gauthier and Yunior Garcia both collected a pair of hits, accounting for four of the offense’s six base knocks. Gauthier’s second-inning double was the game’s only extra-base hit – all five of West Michigan’s hits were singles.
With the win and Lake County’s loss against Fort Wayne, the Whitecaps sit just one game out of the playoff spot in the second half with five games to play. Lake County still controls its own destiny, but West Michigan certainly has a chance to sneak into the playoffs. Whoever sits atop the second half standings at the end of this series will play Great Lakes in the postseason.
West Michigan takes a 1-0 series lead, but still trails the series set to the Loons, 7-6. The final six-game series of the regular season continues Wednesday at LMCU Ballpark at 6:35 p.m. Right-hander Adolfo Ramirez (0-0, 2.45 ERA) toes the rubber for the Loons, opposing West Michigan southpaw Carlos Peña (1-0, 5.06 ERA). Pregame coverage starts at 6:20 p.m. with the Loons On-Deck Circle, driven by Garber Chevrolet Midland, on ESPN 100.9-FM.
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