Big Inning Bites ‘Caps in 7-2 Loss
COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps carried a tie game into the ninth inning when the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers rallied for five runs on two clutch swings to send the ‘Caps to a 7-2 loss in front of a sellout crowd of 8,723 fans Saturday at LMCU Ballpark.
COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps carried a tie game into the ninth inning when the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers rallied for five runs on two clutch swings to send the ‘Caps to a 7-2 loss in front of a sellout crowd of 8,723 fans Saturday at LMCU Ballpark.
Whitecaps starting pitcher Jaden Hamm and reliever Tanner Kohlhepp allowed just one earned run through seven innings – but Wisconsin launched two home runs in the ninth - including a grand slam from third baseman Luke Adams.
The ’Caps grabbed the lead in the second inning as Danny Serretti added an RBI single before Jim Jarvis lifted a sacrifice fly to jump in front 2-0. The Timber Rattlers responded with a lone run in the top of the third on an RBI double from outfielder Terence Doston – trimming the Whitecaps advantage to 2-1. Wisconsin continued their comeback in the seventh as outfielder Eduarqui Fernandez reached first base on a strikeout wild pitch before coming around to score on an RBI single off the bat of Dylan O’Rae, leveling the game at two. Timber Rattlers reliever Chase Costello retired six-straight ‘Caps hitters through the seventh and eighth frames before the T-Rats exploded for five runs in the ninth – featuring a solo home from Fernandez and a grand slam from Adams – blowing it open and taking a 7-2 lead. Rattlers closer Will Childers made quick work of the Whitecaps in the bottom of the ninth, retiring the side to put the finishing touches on the loss.
The Timber Rattlers improve to 39-23 while the Whitecaps fall to an even 31-31. Costello (3-2) gets his third win of the year, tossing 2.1 scoreless frames with three punchouts, while Whitecaps reliever Matt Merrill (3-1) suffers his first loss, allowing two runs through an inning of work. The grand slam by Adams is the first allowed by the Whitecaps pitching since Alex Mooney accomplished the feat on May 26 at Lake County. The Timber Rattlers can clinch the Midwest League Western Division First-Half Title and an appearance in the 2024 Postseason with a win in the series finale on Sunday.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps and Timber Rattlers close this six-game series from LMCU Ballpark with a Sunday matinee at 2:00 pm. Pitchers Dylan Smith and Alexander Cornielle get the starts for West Michigan and Wisconsin. To catch all the action, tune into the broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty and Nate Wangler on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 1:45 pm on 106.1 FM ‘The Ticket’ and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids. Don’t miss out on the excitement; get your tickets for all 2024 home contests, or listen to the games live at whitecapsbaseball.com.