Melton’s Six Innings Downs Loons 

Midland, Mich. – The Great Lakes Loons (64-40) (19-20) faced Troy Melton at his best, going a season-high six innings and guiding the West Michigan Whitecaps (53-50) (21-17) to a 6-2 win on a 77-degree partly cloudy Thursday night at Dow Diamond.

Seven of the eight runs in the game came across in the third inning. West Michigan tallied a five-run six-hit inning.

Hyun-il Choi retired six of the first seven he faced but did not complete the third inning. Austin Murr and Carlos Mendoza, both singled, putting two on for Hao-Yu Lee. Lee rocked an 0-1 pitch 422-feet over the left-center field fence, his first with the Whitecaps. Gage Workman then singled his first of three and the fourth straight for West Michigan.

An Eliezer Alfonso double moved Workman to third base, he scored after a Choi wild pitch. A Luke Gold single scored Alfonso to make it 5-0. Reinaldo De Paula closed the inning.

The Loons did respond with two in the bottom of the third. The two runs and three of the four hits permitted by Melton. Max Hewitt led off the frame with a single. After moving to second after a wild pitch, Jake Vogel lined an RBI double to score Hewitt. Vogel has four RBI and a 1.025 OPS in nine games in August. Taylor Young next up lined a RBI single to center field, his fourth RBI of the series.

The bottom of the fourth was the best chance for Great Lakes to score more. Griffin Lockwood-Powell hit a single and Nick Biddison was hit by a pitch to put two aboard. The inning ended with a strikeout and then a double play.

Adolfo Ramirez tossed the fifth through the first out in the eighth. The right-hander permitted just one run through 3.1 innings, striking out three. Juan Morillo induced a double play for the final two outs in the eighth and an eight-pitch 1-2-3 ninth inning.

15 of the last 16 Loons batters were retired. Alex Freeland reached on a walk in the ninth inning.

Game four between Great Lakes and West Michigan is tomorrow Friday, August 11th. The first pitch is at 7:05 p.m. Friday will see an appearance from 16-time Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion Joey Chestnut presented by Vantg Flooring & Interiors, and postgame will feature a Fireworks Loontacular brought to you by Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan.

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.