CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The West Michigan Whitecaps usually-dependable bullpen faltered in the late innings as part of a 7-6 loss to the Cedar Rapids Kernels in front of 3,598 fans Saturday night at Perfect Game Field.Tweet from @wmwhitecaps: Zac Shepherd goes 4-for-4 at the plate, but we fall by
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The West Michigan Whitecaps usually-dependable bullpen faltered in the late innings as part of a 7-6 loss to the Cedar Rapids Kernels in front of 3,598 fans Saturday night at Perfect Game Field.
The loss drops the Whitecaps one game behind the Bowling Green Hot Rods for second place in the Midwest League Eastern Division after the Hot Rods beat Burlington 15-13 in 10 innings.
The Whitecaps struck first on Saturday night when Zac Shepherd opened a four-hit night with an RBI-double to give West Michigan a 1-0 lead. In the fourth, the Kernels plated a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead highlighted by Zach Cabbage's run-scoring single before Cole Peterson scored on a fifth-inning wild pitch to tie the game. After Jose Miranda lifted a sacrifice fly to give Cedar Rapids a 3-2 lead, Shepherd followed with an RBI-single to tie the game again in the sixth. In the bottom of the inning, Cabbage launched a towering two-run home run, and Ben Rortvedt blasted one of his own in the seventh to take a 7-3 advantage. Both home runs came against Whitecaps relief pitcher Oswaldo Castillo, who hadn't allowed a run in any of the 14 innings he had pitched all season.
The 'Caps rallied within one when Dylan Rosa slammed his first home run as a Whitecap - a three-run shot to bring the score to 7-6. Unfortunately for West Michigan, the next five hitters were retired by Kernels pitcher Nick Brown in-order, including the last four hitters via the strikeout to end the ballgame and give Cedar Rapids a win in Game 2 of the weekend series.
Kernels pitcher Randy Dobnak (3-0) allowed just two runs in five innings of relief while striking out five to earn his third win, while Castillo (3-1) took his first loss by giving up four runs in just two frames on the mound. The Kernels record moves to 14-9, while the Whitecaps fall to 16-12. Shepherd's four hits led the way while Rosa tallied three of his own in the loss.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps conclude this series against the Cedar Rapids Kernels Sunday at 3:05 pm. Left-hander Eudis Idrogo starts for the Whitecaps against Kernels lefty Bryan Sammons - who helped throw a no-hitter in his last start. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 2:55 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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