Loons Wax Whitecaps 2-1 in Under Two Hours

September 5, 2023

Comstock Park, Mich. – The Great Lakes Loons (74-52) (29-32) needed just two pitchers, Peter Heubeck and Jared Karros, to finish nine innings and stamp a 2-1 win over the West Michigan Whitecaps (65-60) (33-30) on an 89-degree Tuesday at LMCU Ballpark. The game was played in one hour and

Comstock Park, Mich. – The Great Lakes Loons (74-52) (29-32) needed just two pitchers, Peter Heubeck and Jared Karros, to finish nine innings and stamp a 2-1 win over the West Michigan Whitecaps (65-60) (33-30) on an 89-degree Tuesday at LMCU Ballpark. The game was played in one hour and 50 minutes, the fastest of 2023 for Great Lakes.

Heubeck before tonight permitted 15 runs in his first 10 innings at the High-A level. Tonight, the 21-year-old had everything working. The Dodgers. No 25 prospect retired the final eight batters he faced. He struck out four, two in the second and an inning-ender in the fourth.

The Whitecaps' only run came in the bottom of the first inning. Seth Stephenson singled and moved to second on an error which was plated by an Elezer Alfonso RBI single.

Jared Karros collected the final 12 outs, allowing only one baserunner Brady Allen, who singled in the seventh. Allen’s groundout to shortstop ended the game. Karros punched out two and registered his first Midwest League save in his second appearance.

Six West Michigan batters were retired with one pitch, and six were put down on two pitches. So 12 of the 27 outs were two pitch at-bats or less.

Offensively, the Loons had four hits, two leaving the yard. Dalton Rushing led off the second inning with a pitch rocked to straightaway center field. The Dodgers No. 1 Prospect has five home runs in his last eight games and 14 overall. Damon Keith started the top of the fifth inning, connecting on an 0-1 pitch 373 feet to deep right-center field.

West Michigan entered the night a half-game back of the first-place Fort Wayne TinCaps. The TinCaps lost, keeping the Whitecaps in the same spot with five to go in the regular season. The first-place finisher faces Great Lakes in the playoffs beginning Tuesday, September 12th.

Game two of the series is tomorrow Wednesday, September 6th. The first pitch is at 6:35 p.m.

The Great Lakes Loons have been the Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team’s inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team’s home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.