Crouch Crushes in Eighth Straight Win
COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps saw a dominant performance from their catcher and solid pitching deliver them their eighth-straight victory 6-4 over the Great Lakes Loons in front of 2,384 Tuesday night at Dow Diamond. 'Caps catcher Josh Crouch finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, a double,
COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps saw a dominant performance from their catcher and solid pitching deliver them their eighth-straight victory 6-4 over the Great Lakes Loons in front of 2,384 Tuesday night at Dow Diamond.
'Caps catcher Josh Crouch finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, a double, and a three-run home run. Meanwhile, Whitecaps pitchers posted thirteen strikeouts while holding the Loons to a 1-for-9 mark with runners in scoring position in the victory. The eight-game win stretch ties the longest West Michigan has enjoyed since the 2017 season when they won ten in a row in June of that year.
The Whitecaps struck first in the second inning as Crouch delivered a three-run home run, putting the 'Caps in front 3-0. Whitecaps pitchers Dylan Smith, Erick Pinales, and Jack Anderson started the game with five scoreless frames and seven strikeouts before Loons third baseman Taylor Young delivered a solo homer - trimming the advantage to 3-1. 'Caps outfielder Brady Allen opened the seventh with an RBI single before Loon outfielder Jake Vogel and third baseman Taylor Young collected a pair of RBI in the bottom half - slicing the lead to 4-3. West Michigan added two insurance tallies in the eighth as Dom Johnson added an RBI double before scoring on a wild pitch, extending the advantage to 6-3. Great Lakes mounted a rally in the bottom of the ninth as Young added an RBI double, but 'Caps closer Dario Gardea slammed the door with a pair of strikeouts to earn the 6-4 victory.
The Whitecaps improve to 52-49 overall and 20-16 in the second half, while the Loons fall to 63-39 overall and 18-19 in the second half. 'Caps reliever Erick Pinales (4-0) secures his fourth win of the year, going 1.1 innings allowing no runs with two strikeouts as Gardea collects his seventh save. Loons starter Ronan Kopp (0-4) suffers his fourth loss, allowing three runs through 2.2 innings pitched. With their eighth-straight victory, the Whitecaps have tied their longest winning streak under manager Brayan Pena. West Michigan sits just a half-game out of first place in the Midwest League East Division.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps continue this six-game series against the Great Lakes Loons from Dow Diamond Wednesday at 7:05 pm. Pitchers Wilkel Hernandez and Maddux Bruns get the starts for West Michigan and Great Lakes. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:50 pm. Get your tickets for all 2023 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.