Whitecaps Shut Down Lugnuts, 4-2
LANSING, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps enjoyed a shutdown performance from their bullpen, while Jim Jarvis enjoyed a big night at the plate as part of a 4-2 win over the Lansing Lugnuts on Friday night at Jackson Field. The Whitecaps bullpen with Matt Merrill, Marco Jimenez, and Tanner
LANSING, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps enjoyed a shutdown performance from their bullpen, while Jim Jarvis enjoyed a big night at the plate as part of a 4-2 win over the Lansing Lugnuts on Friday night at Jackson Field.
The Whitecaps bullpen with Matt Merrill, Marco Jimenez, and Tanner Kohlhepp combined for 4.1 scoreless, hitless innings while striking out six in relief of starter Joe Adametz, who gave up two runs in 4.2 frames of his Midwest League debut. Meanwhile, Jarvis scored three of the four ‘Caps runs while blasting his second home run of the season to send West Michigan to its fifth win in seven second-half games.
The Whitecaps scored first when Max Anderson roped an RBI-single into center field to score Jarvis and take a 1-0 in the opening frame. In the second, outfielder Roberto Campos blasted his sixth home run of the season on a 400-foot shot to left-center field before Seth Stephenson’s single helped score Jarvis to extend West Michigan’s lead to 3-1. The Lugnuts stranded the bases loaded in the fourth and fifth, but managed a bases-loaded walk to Jose Escorche in the fifth to trim the ‘Caps advantage to 3-2. In the seventh, Jarvis launched the solo shot that gave the Whitecaps a much-needed insurance run to conclude the scoring and send West Michigan to its fifth win in seven second-half contests.
The Whitecaps improve to 36-37 and 5-2 in the second half, while the Lugnuts drop to 34-38 overall and 2-5 in the back half of 2024. Merrill (4-1) tossed 1.1 scoreless innings while striking out three to get his fourth win of the season, while Lansing starter Luis Morales (1-1) gave up three runs in 3.1 frames in taking his first loss. Kohlhepp tossed a scoreless ninth to pick up his second save of the season. Jarvis has reached base in seven of his last ten at-bats and teamed up with Stephenson with a pair of hits in the Whitecaps victory.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps play the penultimate game of this six-game series from Jackson Field against the Lansing Lugnuts on Saturday at 7:05 pm. Jackson Jobe, the Detroit Tigers top Prospect, gets the call for West Michigan as part of his Minor League Rehab Assignment against Lugnuts righty Jacob Watters. To catch all the action, tune into the broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:50 pm on 106.1 FM ‘The Ticket’ and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids. Don’t miss out on the excitement; get your tickets for all 2024 home contests, or listen to the games live at whitecapsbaseball.com.