The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Captains fall to end first half
The Captains ended the first half of the 2018 Midwest League season by running into the buzzsaw that is the Bowling Green (Ky.) Hot Rods.
With a 6-2 victory over the Captains on Father’s Day at Classic Park, the Hot Rods completed a three-game sweep and a spectacular run to the MWL Eastern Division first-half title.
The Hot Rods improved to 4722. The win total is the highest in minor-league baseball. So is the .681 winning percentage.
Lake County finished 29-41 in the first half, 18 1/2 games behind the Hot Rods and in seventh place.
Captains manager Luke Carlin offered a glass-half-full overview of the first half.
“There have been a lot of improvements. We’ve been playing better baseball toward the end of the first half,” Carlin said.
Prior to getting swept by the Hot Rods, the Captains had won seven of their previous 10 games. Three of those wins came in a sweep of the Lansing (Mich.) Lugnuts at Classic Park prior to the Bowling Green series.
Lansing also had a strong first half, finishing second in the MWL Eastern Division at 43-27. The Hot Rods and Lugnuts clinched playoff berths with the 1-2 finish.
Notwithstanding the won-lost record and lowerechelon finish in the standings, a number of Lake County players showed promise during the first half performances.
Third baseman Nolan Jones got off to a slow start but finished strong.
The Indians’ secondround pick in the 2016 draft raised his average from .223 on May 18 to .276 with eight home runs and 28 RBI at the end of the first half. He was 7-for-11 in the series against Bowling Green with two home runs and three RBI. His two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh inning on June 17 accounted for all of his team’s run production.
“He’s made some adjustments that have allowed him to turn around his season,” Carlin said of Jones.
Outfielder Oscar Gonzalez was a consistent contributor throughout the first half. He’s batting .275 with 10 home runs and team-high totals of 32 RBI and 112 total bases. Taylor Friis batted .283 with three home runs and 23 RBI while playing three infield positions. Jonathan Laureano, moved from first base to catcher, showed promise defensively and at the plate. He batted .268 with six home runs and 21 RBI. First baseman-catcher Jose Vicente is batting .263 with eight home runs and 20 RBI
Shortstop Ernie Clement (.264, one home run, 15 RBI) missed the Bowling Green series with a nagging illness. He was cleared to play on June 17 but was held out to give him more time recover over the MWL All-Star break (June 18-20).
When he was promoted to advanced Single-A Lynchburg (Va.) Hillcats in the middle of May, second baseman Jorma Rodriguez was batting .345 in 35 games with the Captains.
Right fielder Will Benson had issues with making consistent contact throughout the first half.
The Indians’ first-round pick in the 2016 draft is batting .197 and has 76 strikeouts in 208 at-bats. Still, his team-high 11 home runs were deemed intriguing enough by MWL managers to earn him a trip to Lansing to play in the MWL All-Star Game on June 19.
“When he puts the bat on the ball, good things happen. Will needs to be more consistent. He’ll definitely work on that in the second half,” Carlin said.
Lake County’s pitching was up and down in the first half. Going into the game on June 17, the Captains’ 4.40 ERA was the second-highest in the league.
Right-hander starter Eli Morgan was 2-0 with a 1.83 ERA in eight starts when he was promoted to Lynchburg on May 16.
Relievers Kyle Nelson (3-1, 0.36 ERA, 16 appearances, four saves) and Tommy DeJuneas (2-1, 3.76 ERA, 17 appearances) earned All-Star honors, too. DeJuneas has been battling a sore shoulder and will miss the game.
Left-hander starter Francisco Perez (4-4, 4.15 ERA) took the loss on June 17 but has posted quality outings in 10 of his 12 starts. Righthanded starter Gregori Vasquez (2-3,. 3.98 ERA, 10 starts) often has pitched into tough luck.
The Captains open the second half of the season in Bowling Green on June 21.