COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps rolled past the Lansing Lugnuts on the strength of four home runs and a strong pitching performance to place themselves all alone atop the Midwest League Eastern Division in front of 7,704 fans Sunday afternoon at LMCU Ballpark.
Whitecaps hitters Jackson Strong, Bryce Rainer, and Clayton Campbell all enjoyed solo homers, while Michigan native Nolan McCarthy added a grand slam, the second of his pro career. Meanwhile, starting pitcher Connor Fenlong was dominant on the mound, going six scoreless innings with six strikeouts in the win that combined with a Great Lakes Loons loss earlier in the day to the South Bend Cubs, catapults the ‘Caps into the top spot in the East.
West Michigan started the game with a bang, as Strong and Rainer blasted back-to-back home runs to take a 2-0 lead. Campbell followed with a solo homer in the fourth before the Whitecaps exploded for eight runs in the fifth, featuring McCarthy's grand slam, to take a commanding 11-0 edge. Rainer added his second RBI in the seventh with a single into center field, scoring McCarthy and making it 12-0 Whitecaps. Lansing chipped away in the eighth and ninth, as designated hitter Jake Reinisch collected a two-run homer before a four-run ninth inning highlighted by a two-run double from Daniel Bucciero cut the 'Caps lead in half at 12-6. It was too late for Lansing, as closer Logan Berrier induced a groundout to end the game and secure the 12-6 victory.
The Whitecaps improve to 29-19 in the second half and 53-59 overall, while the Lugnuts fall to 19-28 in the second half and 48-63 overall. Fenlong (3-1) secures his third win on the mound, while Lansing Lugnuts starting pitcher Jorge Marcheco (1-2) suffers his second loss, giving up six runs through 4.1 innings of work. West Michigan finishes the week with 13 total home runs through the six games played and has launched a total of 24 longballs over the past two six-game series combined.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps hit the road for the second-to-final time in the 2026 regular season for a six-game series at Four Winds Field against the South Bend Cubs beginning Tuesday, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:50 pm on ‘The Ticket West Michigan’ and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids, and online at WhitecapsBaseball.com.