Captain of the Week (6/11-6/16): The Team
EASTLAKE, OH – After each series this season, the Lake County Captains will spotlight a Captain of the Week, presented by Official League, showcasing a player and their strong performance over the previous week. However, for the week of June 11 through 16, Lake County is recognizing the entire team
EASTLAKE, OH – After each series this season, the Lake County Captains will spotlight a Captain of the Week, presented by Official League, showcasing a player and their strong performance over the previous week.
However, for the week of June 11 through 16, Lake County is recognizing the entire team as its ninth 2024 Captain of the Week.
The Captains, led by second-year manager Omir Santos, clinched the 2024 Midwest League East First Half Division title this past Saturday, the team’s fourth First Half Division title in franchise history, and first since 2010. Lake County also won the South Atlantic League Northern First Half Division title in 2003 and 2008, as well as the 2010 Midwest League East First Half Division crown.
This past week, the Captains won four of six games against the TinCaps, moving to 8-3 in series so far this season. Two of Lake County’s wins came in 10-inning, walk-off fashion in consecutive nights.
On Friday, June 14, 1B Maick Collado hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Captains a 3-2 win. After trailing 2-0 through the top of the fourth frame, Lake County scored the game’s final three runs. LF Jorge Burgos hit a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning, and RF Jonah Advincula hit a game-tying RBI single five frames later.
RHP Zach Jacobs and RHP Zane Morehouse played a critical role in the win out of the Captains bullpen. Jacobs pitched three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and one walk, while throwing a season-high six strikeouts. Morehouse then pitched two perfect frames of relief in the ninth and 10th, tying his professional career-high of four strikeouts.
Then, on Saturday, June 15, Lake County staged a late-game comeback once again. After being held to just one hit through eight innings, Captains 3B Alex Mooney, MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 Cleveland prospect, hit his second single of the game to begin the bottom of the ninth. He then advanced to third on a pickoff throwing error. Three batters later, RF Jorge Burgos hit a game-tying sacrifice fly to make it a 1-1 contest.
In the 10th inning, after a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk, RHP Magnus Ellerts (2-2) struck out the final two Fort Wayne batters he faced to keep the game tied and leave runners on the corners. Lake County LF Angel Zarate began the home half of the frame with a sacrifice bunt, which moved ghost runner Jonah Advincula to third. A walk drawn by 2B Tyresse Turner put runners on the corners with one out for the Captains.
CF Guy Lipscomb then bounced a ball to second base, which the TinCaps tried to turn into an inning-ending double play. While Fort Wayne got a force out at the second base bag, Lipscomb beat the relay throw to first for a walk-off fielder’s choice, as Advincula scored the winning run and shrunk Lake County’s “magic number” to one.
RHP Trenton Denholm (ND) had a remarkable start for the Captains, allowing just one earned run and one walk, while throwing eight strikeouts in eight innings of work. RHP Jay Driver also pitched a scoreless ninth inning of relief for Lake County, extending High-A’s longest scoreless appearance streak of the season to 14 games.
A walk-off win by the Dayton Dragons over the Great Lakes Loons just moments later, which was also Dayton’s second walk-off win in as many nights, officially clinched the 2024 Midwest League East First Half Division title for the Captains.
Lake County’s offense, which has been dubbed “Rake County” this season by the team and fans alike, has fared very well at the plate so far this year. Led by first-year Hitting Coach and former Captain Ordomar Valdez, it ranks top-five in High-A in: fewest strikeouts (480, second), on-base percentage (.353, tied for second), batting average (.260, third), hits (545, third), total bases (816, fourth), RBI (307, fourth), walks (282, fifth), and OPS (742, fifth).
Likewise, Lake County’s pitching staff has also excelled on the mound so far this season. Led by third-year Pitching Coach Kevin Erminio, it ranks top-five in High-A in: wins (38, second), fewest runs allowed (250, third), fewest walks (198, third), shutouts (six, tied for third), fewest balks (three, third), WHIP (1.24, third), fewest hit batters (31, tied for fourth), and ERA (3.69, fifth). The staff is also one of just six in High-A to throw a complete game this year, as Trenton Denholm pitched a seven-inning complete game in Game 1 of a doubleheader versus Dayton on May 10.
The team will look to continue its success this week, as the 2024 Midwest League East First Half Division Champion Captains will play a six-game road series against the South Bend Cubs. The series is set to begin on Tuesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Four Winds Field in South Bend, Indiana. All six games will be broadcast on the Bally Live app and MiLB.TV, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.
The Lake County Captains are the High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, and have been a Class A Affiliate of Cleveland since the team was founded in 2003. To find out more information about the Captains or purchase tickets, visit CaptainsBaseball.com, or call (440) 975-8085.