FORT WAYNE, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps took the lead early, but the Fort Wayne TinCaps rallied and held on for a 3-2 win on a sun-drenched Wednesday afternoon at Parkview Field. Tweet from @wmwhitecaps: Matt Manning strikes out eight batters in five innings, but we fall this afternoon
FORT WAYNE, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps took the lead early, but the Fort Wayne TinCaps rallied and held on for a 3-2 win on a sun-drenched Wednesday afternoon at Parkview Field.
The Whitecaps touched up TinCaps starter Luis Patiño for a quick 1-0 first inning lead. Luke Burch doubled and scored on a run-scoring single from Rey Rivera. After Fort Wayne tied the game at one in the second inning, the third proved most successful off Whitecaps starter Matt Manning. Two RBI base hits increased the TinCaps margin 3-1 against a laboring Manning. The West Michigan offense was limited to three hits through the first five innings but managed to load the bases in the sixth. Fort Wayne reliever and Cornerstone University pitcher Ben Sheckler entered in relief and induced a run-scoring double play off the bat of Burch but scored a run to bring the game to 3-2 - as close as the 'Caps came in the contest. Sheckler threw three innings of two-hit relief, and Jared Carkuff picked up his second save of 2018 as the TinCaps took the third game of the four-game series.
Whitecaps reliever Max Green kept Fort Wayne at bay in three innings of scoreless relief work while scattering three hits and struck out three. Manning (1-2) took the loss but retired seven of the last eight batters he faced and finished with eight strikeouts. Patiño (1-0) picked up the win in his first start of the year for Fort Wayne, who improved to 16-22 on the season. West Michigan drops to 20-18 and has lost 15 of their last 24 games. The Whitecaps matched Fort Wayne with eight hits but took themselves out of several opportunities by hitting into a season-high four double plays. Burch contributed a season-best three-hit day for the Whitecaps.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps conclude this series at Parkview Field against the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Thursday night at 7:05 pm. Pitcher Jesus Rodriguez starts for the Whitecaps. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:55 p.m. Tickets are available for any Whitecaps 2018 home contest by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or by visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.
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