Midwest League Action (Game of 6/17)

One game in the Midwest League last night, the Midwest League All-Star Game in Midland, Michigan.

The West won 5-4 in ten innings.

Tim Smith of Clinton hit a home run in the top of the tenth to give the West the lead. He hit it off Miguel Ramirez of the hometown Looooooooooons.

Smith, a Clinton LumberKings' outfielder, pulled a fastball just inside the rightfield foul pole for a tiebreaking home run in the top of the 10th inning off Great Lakes Loons' closer Ramirez, sending the West team past the East team 5-4 in Tuesday's Midwest League All-Star Game at Dow Diamond in front of a record crowd of 5,814.

"That's the game," said Ramirez, who was making his second straight All-Star Game appearance for the Loons. "I tried my hardest, and (Smith) tried his hardest."

There was a 30 minute rain-delay in the fifth, but overall...take a bow, Great.Lakes.Loons.

You don't take a back seat to anybody when it comes to staging an All-Star baseball weekend. In fact, it measured up to anything I have seen at the Major League level, including All-Star and World Series games.

Now THAT is some hometown pride!

Timber Rattler performances for the Western Division in the game:

Edilio Colina got the start at second base after Steve Singleton of Beloit was promoted before the game. Colina was 1-for-5 with an RBI.

Juan Diaz got into the game as a pinch-hitter in the sixth and went 0-for-2.

Travis Mortimore pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The 2009 MWL All-Star game is scheduled for Alliant Energy Field in Clinton, Iowa.