Whitecaps Post Second Two-Hitter In A Row – OurSports Central

July 20, 2024 – Midwest League (MWL)
West Michigan Whitecaps Press Release

COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps pitching staff held off the Dayton Dragons’ offense, posting its second straight two-hit shutout performance in a 5-0 victory before 6,949 fans Saturday night at LMCU Ballpark.

Whitecaps starter Joe Miller extended his scoreless streak to 14 innings, retiring the last 10 batters he faced and joining relievers Chris Mauloni, Matt Merrill, Zack Hess and Erick Pinales. He struck out 10 batters and limited Dayton to just two hits and an 0-for-3 record with runners in scoring position in the win.

The Whitecaps put multiple baserunners on base through the first three innings, before finally breaking through in the fourth inning when Patrick Lee and Bennett Lee added RBI singles before Seth Stephenson added an RBI double to give the ‘Caps a 3-0 lead. The Whitecaps extended their lead in the fifth inning when Luis Santana — who was celebrating his 25th birthday — hit a two-run homer to left field to extend the lead to 5-0. Miller, meanwhile, retired the final 10 batters he faced before the bullpen finished the job — holding Dayton hitless in the final four frames while Pinales slammed the door shut with a scoreless ninth inning — to give West Michigan the 5-0 shutout victory.

The Whitecaps improve to 43-45 overall and 12-10 in the second half, while the Dragons fall to 47-42 overall and 13-10 in the second half. Miller (1-2) picks up his first win, throwing five shutout frames while Dayton Dragons starter Mason Pelio (0-2) suffers his second loss, allowing three runs in 3.2 innings pitched. The Whitecaps have recorded consecutive shutouts for the first time since shutting out the Loons in back-to-back games on May 28-29. Whitecaps pitchers have limited Dayton to just four hits while striking out 22 in the first two games of the series.

NEXT ONE

The Whitecaps close out this three-game series against the Dayton Dragons with a Sunday afternoon game at 2:00 p.m. The Whitecaps send Detroit Tigers Top-5 Prospect Jaden Hamm to the mound against Dragons right-hander Gabriel Aguilera. Tune in with Dan Hasty and Nate Wangler on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 1:45 p.m. on 106.1 FM ‘The Ticket’ and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids to catch all the action. Don’t miss the excitement; get your tickets to all 2024 home games or tune in live at whitecapsbaseball.com.

• Discuss this story on the Midwest League message board…

The opinions expressed in this press release are those of the organization issuing the press release and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.