Captains Win Second Midwest League Title With 9-4 Victory Over Timber Rattlers

EASTLAKE, OH – The Lake County Captains (77-53) (4-1) won their second Midwest League title in franchise history with a 9-4 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (77-54) (3-2) on Wednesday at Classic Auto Group Park.

After falling 5-4 at Wisconsin in Game 1 of the 2024 Midwest League Championship Series this past Sunday, Lake County won the final two games best-of-three set at home to take the series 2-1.

The Captains were propelled by a five-run bottom of the sixth inning on Wednesday night.

With the game tied at 1-1 after a solo home run by RF Jonah Advincula one inning prior, the first four Lake County hitters reached base. SS Angel Genao, MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 Cleveland and No. 87 overall prospect, hit a leadoff double, and was brought home on a go-ahead RBI double from DH Wuilfredo Antunez in the ensuing at-bat.

After 3B Alex Mooney, MLB Pipeline’s No. 23 Cleveland prospect, drew a walk, CF Jake Fox, MLB Pipeline’s No. 26 Cleveland prospect, hit an RBI double to extend the Captains’ lead to 3-1. Then, in the next at-bat, 1B Ralphy Velazquez, MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 Cleveland and No. 72 overall prospect, hit a three-run home run to make it a 6-1 game.

Wisconsin, however, cut its deficit to 6-4 by scoring three runs in the top of the eighth inning.

RF Yophery Rodriguez, MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 Milwaukee prospect, tallied an RBI single, and CF Luis Lara, MLB Pipeline’s No. 16 Milwaukee prospect, recorded a two-out, two-run single. But with the go-ahead run at the plate, Lake County RHP Zach Jacobs induced a groundout from Timber Rattlers SS Cooper Pratt, MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 Milwaukee and No. 58 overall prospect, to end the half-frame.

The Captains then answered with a three-run inning of their own in the bottom of the eighth. Fox led off the half-inning with a solo home run, his second homer of the postseason. Then, 2B Travis Bazzana, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 Cleveland and No. 11 overall prospect, and Genao eventually hit consecutive two-out RBI single to round out the game’s scoring.

Lake County LHP Shawn Rapp secured the final three outs in the top of the ninth, retiring the Timber Rattlers in order. LHP Steven Perez (1-0) earned the win, allowing three earned runs and striking out a pair in two innings out of the Captains bullpen. Starter Dylan DeLucia (ND) tossed 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk, while fanning five.

Wisconsin LHP Mason Molina (0-1) recorded the loss in his High-A debut, allowing three earned runs, two hits, and a walk to begin the bottom of the sixth inning. Timber Rattlers starter Will Rudy (ND) pitched five innings, allowing the solo home run by Advincula in the bottom of the fifth.

W – Steven Perez (LC) | 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

L – Mason Molina (WIS) | 0.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

The Captains will begin their 2025 season on the road with a six-game series against the Great Lakes Loons. First pitch for Lake County’s 2025 season opener is scheduled for Friday, April 4, 2025 from Dow Diamond in Midland, Michigan.

The Captains will then open their 2025 home schedule with a six-game series against the West Michigan Whitecaps. First pitch for Lake County’s 2025 home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8, 2025 from Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake. Tickets can be purchased at CaptainsBaseball.com.

All 132 of Lake County’s 2025 regular season games will be broadcast on the Bally Live app and MiLB.TV, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.

Notes to Know

- Lake County won its first Midwest League title since 2010, the team’s inaugural campaign in the league. The championship marks the 29th by a Cleveland Minor League affiliate since 1963, when the Minor Leagues reclassified.

- According to MLB.com’s Ben Weinrib, the 2024 Captains are the first team to lead the Midwest League in both runs scored (632) and fewest runs allowed (507) during the regular season since Dayton in 2011. They are also the first to do so and win the Midwest League title since Fort Wayne in 2009.

- OF Jake Fox went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two RBI, and two runs scored on Wednesday night. He batted .364 (8-for-22) with two homers and three RBI in the Midwest League Playoffs. His 15 total bases in the postseason are the second-most by a Midwest Leaguer since moving to High-A in 2021, trailing only then-Lake County INF Yordys Valdes (18) in 2022.

- The Captains clubbed seven home runs in the series, the most in a Midwest League postseason since both Fort Wayne and Quad Cities also hit seven in 2017.

- OF Jonah Advincula hit home runs in both Games 2 and 3. He finished the season reaching base in 40 of his last 46 starts across the regular season and postseason.

- 1B/LF Ralphy Velazquez (19 years, three months, 22 days) hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth on Wednesday night, his first home run at Classic Auto Group Park. He is the second-youngest hitter to homer in the Midwest League Championship Series since at least 2005, trailing only then-Fort Wayne OF Samuel Zavala in 2023 (19 years, one month, 29 days).

- Across Single-A Lynchburg and Lake County, INF Angel Genao finished the year with 41 doubles between the regular season and postseason, currently the third-most in Minor League Baseball.

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.