Wynton Bernard went 3-for-5 on the night as the Whitecaps cut their magic number to one. Pit file photo
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ne. That is the magic number for West Michigan to secure a wildcard playoff berth and close out the first half of the season in first place. The Whitecaps kept rolling after a tough battle in 11 innings Tuesday night to beat the Great Lakes Loons 3-1.
The win didn’t come without controversy at Dow Diamond, however. With one out in the top of the 11th, Austin Schotts plasted a pitch to deep left field that hit near the top of the well. It was unclear whether it caromed high off the padded outfield wall or off the bottom portion of the railing that extends above the yellow line.
Home plate umpire Matt Winter initially ruled it a solo home run, but after an argument from Great Lakes and a conference between the umpires, the call was reverse to a triple by base umpire Marc Lindsey.
Andrew Graham and his ‘Caps met the reversal with opposition, but when play resumed, Javier Betancourt fisted a base hit over the drawn-in infield and Schotts reached home for a 2-1 lead anyway. A two-out error later in the inning led to another West Michigan run for the 3-1 advantage.
The Whitecaps fought hard for the victory after leaving 15 runners on base over the course of the 11-inning game. With the win, West Michigan (39-26) extend their season-high winning streak to seven games and cut their magic number to one. With one more win in their next five games, West Michigan can clinch both their first playoff appearance since 2010 and their first 40-win first half since 2009.
Tuesday’s game, which saw Great Lakes fall to 30-35 on the year, was the league-leading 13th extra-inning contest for West Michigan this season after entering the 11th tied a 1-1.
Zac Reininger (1-0) contributed to three shutout winnings for his first win. After working out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the bottom of the ninth and adding a 1-2-3 inning in the 10th, he worked around a leadoff double in the 11th to put the game away. Combined with reliever Julio Felix and starter Chad Green, the ‘Caps limited the Loons to five hits and one run.
Loons closer Mark Pope (1-1) took the loss. He entered the contest with just one run allowed and a 0.37 ERA for the season, but allowed two runs – one earned – on two hits in 1.2 innings worked.
West Michigan scored first in the fifth on a two-out RBI-single by Wynton Bernard, who finished 3-for-5 on the night and raised his batting average to .326. Through the first eight innings, West Michigan stranded 13 runners and gave up two bases-loaded situations in the fourth and seventh innings.
The Whitecaps will continue their road trip tonight as they face the Loons yet again in their quest for the magic number: one. All-star Jonathon Crawford (3-1, 2.18 ERA) will start on the mound against Loons’ starter, RHP Greg Harris (4-4, 6.28 ERA).
