MIDLAND, MI (WHTC AM/FM) -The West Michigan Whitecaps used a career-best performance from an unlikely source, as catcher Chase Barbary sparked a five-run seventh inning as part of a 10-5, come-from-behind victory over the Great Lakes Loons Sunday in Midland.
Barbary, who had only played in four games throughout the season without a base hit, helped West Michigan take the lead by opening the big seventh inning with a double. He then repeated the feat to start the eighth and scored on a groundout to help the ‘Caps take two games of this three-game set. The victory gives West Michigan a series win for the fifth consecutive series to begin the second half, and the Whitecaps wins in 19 of their last 25 games.
Jose King got the Whitecaps on the board with a two-run home run in the second inning before Imanol Vargas delivered a two-run shot of his own to tie the game at two. In the third, infielder Ryan Kreidler, currently on a minor league rehab assignment with West Michigan from Toledo, laced a run-scoring double into the left field corner to give the ‘Caps a 3-2 lead. Trailing 4-2 in the fourth, Loons outfielder Jose Ramos blasted a 440-foot solo home run before the second wild pitch of the inning from reliever Hendry Nunez tied the game, 4-4. Great Lakes took a 5-4 lead with an Ismael Alcantara sacrifice fly in the sixth, but their lead was short-lived.
In the seventh, Barbary, the former Loon and current Whitecaps catcher, collected his first base hit of the season with a double that opened the flood gates to a five-run outburst. Kreidler plated Barbary with an RBI-double before Trei Cruz gave West Michigan a 6-5 lead with a run-scoring triple. After Jake Holton drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, Josh Crouch added a two-run double to cap the seventh-inning outburst.
In the eighth, Barbary added a second leadoff double, giving him a multi-hit performance for the second time in his professional career. Great Lakes loaded the bases against lefty reliever Andrew Magno with two outs, but righty Elvis Alvarado struck out Diego Cartaya, one of Major League Baseball’s top prospects, to end the threat and propel the ‘Caps to their fifth straight series win.
Relief pitcher Chavez Fernander (2-0) tossed 1.1 scoreless innings to earn his second win of the season, while Loons lefty Lael Lockhart (2-3) allowed three runs in 3.1 frames out of the bullpen in suffering his third loss. The Whitecaps improve to 49-41 and an Eastern Division-best 18-6 in the second half. The Loons fall to 54-36 and 14-10 in the second half. Kreidler led the way at the plate with a 2-for-4 performance with two doubles, two runs scored, and three RBI in the Sunday afternoon victory.
Loons manager Austin Chubb was ejected in the fifth inning by field umpire Kevin Levine for arguing a balk on pitcher Lael Lockhart, and hitting coach Dylan Nasiatka was tossed for arguing balls and strikes in the sixth by home plate umpire Justin Juska. The two hits for Barbary, who’s spent most of this season as West Michigan’s bullpen catcher, mark his first base hits in professional baseball since August 23, 2019.
The Whitecaps return home for a six-game series at LMCU Ballpark with a Tuesday night contest against the Dayton Dragons at 6:35 p.m.
