Rainer’s Mammoth Homer Helps ‘Caps to DH Sweep
DAYTON, OH – The West Michigan Whitecaps rode a tape-measure home run by shortstop and Detroit Tigers No. 2 Prospect Bryce Rainer as part of a doubleheader sweep over the Dayton Dragons on Saturday night by a score of 8-1 in the opener before taking the nightcap, 5-1. Rainer, who’s
DAYTON, OH – The West Michigan Whitecaps rode a tape-measure home run by shortstop and Detroit Tigers No. 2 Prospect Bryce Rainer as part of a doubleheader sweep over the Dayton Dragons on Saturday night by a score of 8-1 in the opener before taking the nightcap, 5-1.
Rainer, who’s been red-hot in the month of June, hitting .349 in 18 games, hammered a 3-2 pitch from Dayton starter Reynardo Cruz that hit halfway up the right-center field light tower, measured at 471 feet for a three-run shot and his seventh home run of the season, giving the ‘Caps a lead in the first game they’d never relinquish in the Game 1 win. In the nightcap, the Whitecaps enjoyed productive outs and timely base hits while the pitching staff held the potent Dragons offense quiet in the Saturday sweep.
In the first game, the Whitecaps exploded for six runs – their third inning in a two-game span in which they’ve scored five or more runs, highlighted by Rainer’s longball while the pitching staff combined to toss a one-hitter, with the only Dragons base hit coming from Dragons catcher and MLB Top-100 Prospect Alfredo Duno’s solo home run to break up the no-hitter in the sixth inning of the seven inning contest.
The second game featured another hot start from both pitching staffs, where the Whitecaps took an early lead on the second home run of the season by Stephen Hrustich to give West Michigan a 1-0 lead. The ‘Caps added single tallies in the third with a Ricardo Hurtado RBI Single and a sacrifice fly from Samuel Gil in the sixth to help stake West Michigan to a 3-1 lead. Hurtado plated an insurance run with another single in the seventh before Clayton Campbell’s RBI Double sent him home and concluded the scoring as Whitecaps pitchers one-hit the Dragons in the first game before holding Dayton to just two hits in the second, putting the ‘Caps in position to pick up their second straight series win over Dayton with a Sunday victory.
The Whitecaps move their second-half record to 6-2 and notch their 30th win of the season against 42 overall losses, while the Dragons drop to 3-4 in the second half and 42-31 overall. Thomas Bruss (2-3) picked up the win in Game 1 while Carlos Marcano (1-1) tossed five scoreless innings in the nightcap to collect his first win of the year. Dragons starters Reynardo Cruz (3-3) and Jose Montero (3-2) each took losses on the mound for the Dragons.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps conclude this series against the Dayton Dragons at Day Air Ballpark on Sunday at 1:05pm. Rayner Castillo gets the start for West Michigan against the Dragons J.P. Ortiz. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 12:50pm on 106.1 FM ‘The Ticket’, and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids, or listen to all the action on whitecapsbaseball.com.