FORT WAYNE, IN – Cristian Santana launched three home runs in three straight plate appearances, helping the West Michigan Whitecaps to a historic night, launching a franchise-record seven home runs as part of an 11-1 win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps Wednesday night at Parkview Field.
Santana led the historic night with homers in the fifth, seventh, and ninth innings, while Bryce Rainer, Jackson Strong, Juan Hernandez, and Luke Shliger all went deep as well to give the ‘Caps a seven-homer performance for the first time in team history. The previous record was six, last accomplished on August 24 of last season when the Whitecaps beat the Lansing Lugnuts at LMCU Ballpark by a score of 16-0. Meanwhile, lefty and Detroit Tigers Top-10 Prospect Ben Jacobs kept Fort Wayne hitters off-balance all night, holding the TinCaps to just one run in a career-high 5.2 innings while striking out five in the victory.
After hitting three home runs in Tuesday’s contest, the ‘Caps picked up where they left off with three longballs – but this time, in the first two frames on Wednesday. Bryce Rainer, a Detroit Tigers Top-5 Prospect, sent a 108mph blast to dead center field and into the upper deck above the batter's eye for a solo home run. There was no official recorded distance, but two weeks prior, Cleveland Guardians prospect Jace LaViolette hit a home run to the same area that was estimated at 474 feet. After Rainer’s blast gave the Whitecaps a 1-0 lead, Jackson Strong followed two batters later with a solo shot of his own – as both homers were the tenth of the season for each player, and gave West Michigan a 2-0 lead. In the second, second baseman Juan Hernandez launched his second home run of the season with a three-run shot that extended the ‘Caps advantage to 5-0. After a Cristian Santana sacrifice fly in the third, he added his ninth home run of the year in the fifth with a two-run shot to push West Michigan’s lead to 8-1. The seventh inning saw the next two balls leave the yard when Shliger and Santana homered, giving the latter his second longball of the contest. Then again in the ninth, Santana blasted his third home run of the evening, giving him three homers in three straight at-bats. The last Whitecaps player to homer three times in a single contest was Josue Briceño on May 29 of last season at Dayton.
The Whitecaps improve to 21-17 in the second half and 45-57 overall, while the TinCaps drop to 18-18 in the second half and 45-57 overall. Jacobs (3-2) picks up his third win, while righty Winyer Chourio (2-4) gave up six runs in 2.2 innings in taking his fourth loss for Fort Wayne. Every offensive player that came to the plate for the Whitecaps reached base safely as the ‘Caps marched to their second straight win to open the series.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps play the third game of this six-game series at Parkview Field against the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Thursday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm. Pitchers Lucas Elissalt and Carson Montgomery get the starts for the Whitecaps and TinCaps. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:50 pm, and on ‘The Ticket West Michigan’ and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids, and online at WhitecapsBaseball.com.