Midwest League Action: Games of September 11, 2009

Great Lakes 3 @West Michigan 2 (10 innings):

COMSTOCK PARK -- It's not how you start, but how you finish, and the West Michigan Whitecaps have no one to blame but themselves for their first-round exit from the Midwest League playoffs.

Entering their best-of-three series against the Great Lakes Loons, the Whitecaps had scored just two runs in their previous three games and ended the regular season with a four-game losing streak.

That streak reached five with a 7-2 loss in Game 1 loss to the Loons on Wednesday in Midland. The Whitecaps rebounded Thursday with a 7-0 victory, but what plagued them at the end of the season -- a lack of hitting -- was their downfall in a 3-2, 10-inning loss that ended their season.
...
The Loons' Jamie Pedroza blasted a solo home run that just got over the right-field wall -- a hit that eliminated West Michigan and sent Great Lakes into the Eastern Division championship against...

@Fort Wayne 5, South Bend 4

Cole Figueroa paused for a moment, waiting to see whether his eighth-inning line drive would sneak by Victor Estevez.

If it’s caught, the inning, and perhaps the season is over. If it’s a hit, the TinCaps pull ahead.

The ball made it over the outstretched glove of the South Bend third baseman and landed fair down the third-base line for a double, bringing home Daniel Robertson and Jaff Decker.

Those few feet were just enough to extend the TinCaps’ season as Fort Wayne rallied for a 5-4 victory against the Silver Hawks in the deciding Game 3 of the Midwest League Eastern Division first-round playoff series.

That deserves a picture from the Journal-Gazette courtesy of Samuel Hoffman

There is video at the link as well.

Let's check to see how bad I did on first round predictions:

Fort Wayne over South Bend in two
West Michigan over Great Lakes in three
Burlington over Kane County in three
Peoria over Cedar Rapids in three

None were absolutely correct...But, I did have Fort Wayne and Burlington make it through to the next round. I'll take what I can get.

Division Finals predictions:
Fort Wayne over Great Lakes in three
Burlington over Cedar Rapids in three