EASTLAKE, Ohio – In Game 5 of a six-game series, the Lake County Captains (35-26) defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps (22-40) by a final score of 9-8 on Saturday night at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.
After West Michigan took the lead late with a five-run eighth inning, it appeared that the visitors would storm back late for the second straight night. Instead, the Captains flipped the script and came through with two runs in the ninth for their third walk-off win of the year.
The Whitecaps struck first in the contest thanks to a two-run home run from 1B Garrett Pennington in the first inning, his 11th long ball of the year.
The Captains got one back in the home half of the first with a homer of their own, as a solo shot from 3B Dean Curley, MLB Pipeline’s No. 11 Guardians prospect, cut Lake County’s deficit in half. This was his seventh homer of the season.
West Michigan made it a 3-1 game in the second inning with an RBI groundout from CF Caleb Shpur.
Lake County would take its first lead of the game in the fourth frame, plating four runs in the inning on three consecutive two-out RBI hits. C Logun Clark tacked on the first run with an RBI infield single before back-to-back RBI doubles from 2B Tommy Hawke and Curley made it a 5-3 contest.
The Captains grew their lead two innings later in the sixth, as RF Jace LaViolette, MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 Guardians prospect, rolled a single through the right side to drive in Hawke.
The Whitecaps then exploded for five runs in the eighth inning to retake the lead, sending all nine batters to the plate. A solo home run from SS Bryce Rainer, MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 Tigers and No. 43 MLB prospect, began the frame. Eventually, with two outs in the frame, a two-run single from 2B Woody Hadeen and a two-run triple from RF Jackson Strong, MLB Pipeline’s No. 25 Tigers prospect, put the visitors back in front.
But Lake County answered in the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run from LF Esteban González, a bullet down the right field line that began the half-frame and brought the Captains to within a run. This was his eighth homer of the season.
Lake County wasted no time in the ninth, loading the bases with nobody out thanks to a hit-by-pitch from LaViolette, a single from CF Aaron Walton, MLB Pipeline’s No. 16 Guardians prospect, and a walk from 1B Bennett Thompson. DH Jeffrey Mercedes then tied the game with an RBI groundout. One batter later, a wild pitch allowed Walton to scamper home and give the Captains a walk-off win.
RHP Kendeglys Virguez (W, 2-1; BS, 1) earned the win for Lake County, allowing one run on three hits in 1.1 innings of relief, striking out four and walking two.
RHP Jalen Evans (L, 2-2; BS, 2) suffered the loss for West Michigan, allowing two runs on one hit in 0.2 innings out of the bullpen, striking out one and walking one.
The finale of this week’s six-game series between the Captains and Whitecaps is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, June 14, at 4 p.m. Lake County will celebrate America 250 Weekend at the ballpark, where the first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive an America 250 Captains Jersey presented by Consumer Tire. It will also be Family Fun Sunday presented by Classic Auto Group, which will feature pregame catch on the field and player autographs on the concourse, plus postgame kids run the bases.
The game will be broadcast on the Rock Entertainment Sports Network (RESN), the Bally Sports Live App, the MiLB App, and StreamGuys, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.
NOTES TO KNOW
- C/1B Bennett Thompson reached base four times with two singles and two walks on Saturday night. The 2024 13th-round pick out of Oregon leads MiLB with a .495 on-base percentage in 44 games played this season.
- 2B/OF Tommy Hawke extended his on-base streak to 30 games with an RBI double and a single on Saturday night. The 2023 sixth-round pick out of Wake Forest is batting .310 with 35 hits, 32 runs, 35 walks, 19 stolen bases, and a .480 on-base percentage during this span.
- INF Dean Curley homered in his second straight game on Saturday night. The 2025 second-round pick out of Tennessee is batting .313 with five hits, two doubles, two home runs, five RBI, and a 1.202 OPS in four games played during this week’s series versus West Michigan.
About the Lake County Captains:
The Lake County Captains are the professional High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians located in Eastlake, Ohio. Our mission is to honor the rich history of our organization, while also introducing baseball to a new generation of fans through innovative means. We are committed to supporting our community, sports teams, and each other by demonstrating passion and having fun every day.