[dropcap]W[/dropcap]est Michigan roughed up and knocked out the Lansing Lugnuts Wednesday night, fighting through knuckleballer Frank Viola III for an 8-2 victory at Cooley Law School Stadium.
The Whitecaps (3-3, 44-32) were led by Francisco Contreras, who went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs with Willy Adames reaching base four times. With the win, the ‘Caps became the first Midwest League team to beat Viola, who made his fourth start with the Lugnuts (3-3, 35-40). The son of 15-year Major League veteran and 1988 American League Cy Young Award winner Frank Viola, the younger Viola is in affiliated professional baseball for the first time in seven years. He has reinvented himself as a knuckleballer and is attempting a comeback.
After trailing 1-0, Contreras tagged Viola for a three-run homer in the second inning. Grayson Greiner singled while Adames drew a walk before Contreras lifted a 1-1 knuckleball high and out of left field for the 3-1 advantage.
The game was 3-2 before the Whiteaps chased Viola from the game in the fifth inning and the ‘Caps broke through for three more runs. Raph Rhymes led off the inning by lining a knuckleball through the left side of the infield for the base hit. After a hit batsman and a wild pitch put runners on second and third, Jeff Holm pulled a groundout to the right side to drive in a run. Another wild pitch allowed another score before Contreras added a two-out single to bring Adames home for his fourth RBI. The Whitecaps led 6-2 exiting the fifth.
Adames added a two-out base hit of his own that scored a run in the seventh while Dominic Ficociello doubled home a run in the eighth for the 8-2 win.
Kevin Ziomek (6-5) earned the win with six strikeouts over five innings to limit the Lugnuts to two runs on four hits. Julio Felix and Joe Mantiply each threw two innings of shutout baseball, combining to allow just one baserunner. The ‘Caps retired 16 of the last 17 batters that came to the plate for the Lugnuts.
Viola (2-1) was charged with six runs on five hits over 4.2 innings for his first Midwest League loss.
The Whitecaps will wrap up their three-game road series against Lansing tonight at 7:05 p.m.Chad Green (2-2, 3.08 ERA) will start for West Michigan against RHP Chase De Jong (0-4, 4.40 ERA).
