Eastern Division Champions! Bring on the Cougars!
COMSTOCK PARK – For the fourth time in team history, the West Michigan Whitecaps will play in the Midwest League Championship Series. The Whitecaps completed a two game sweep of Lansing in the Eastern Division Championship Series by defeating the Lugnuts, 8-2 on Sunday.
Lansing pitchers issued eight walks to aid the Whitecaps effort, including six by starting pitcher Sean Stidfole, who also allowed six hits, runs and struck out six over 4.2 innings en route to the loss.
Pedro Cotto went 4-for-5 at the plate with a double and two RBI for West Michigan while starting pitcher Matt O’Brien threw six innings and allowed two runs on five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.
The top of the seventh inning represented the last serious threat for Lansing. With West Michigan on top, 6-2, O’Brien walked the first two batters of the inning. Jose Fragoso relieved O’Brien but allowed a walk to the first Lugnut he faced, which loaded the bases with no out.
However, Fragoso retired the next three batters in a row using two strikeouts and a pop to right. The performance started a string of nine hitters in a row retired by the Whitecaps to end the game.
Lansing had a 1-0 lead in the second and tied the game, 2-2 in the fourth, but the Whitecaps rallied in the bottom half of each of those to innings to move ahead.
West Michigan is now 4-1 in the playoffs and has won 10 of its last 11 games overall.
No pics yet... too tired. Maybe later.