COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. — For the second day in a row, the Whitecaps had a chance to win in the 10th. It did not go the 'Caps way on Wednesday. But Thursday night, they delivered.
With the bases loaded and no outs in the 10th inning, Carlos Mendoza stepped up to the plate and hit a high fly ball over the center fielder's head. Trei Cruz came into score and the Whitecaps walk it off 8-7 in 10 innings.
"I feel good," Mendoza said. "I feel happy. Really happy."
The walk-off hit was the first of Mendoza's professional career. Mendoza says he was looking for one thing in the batter's box.
"With that pitch, I was just trying to put myself to be ready for the fastball and from there, adjust to the breaking pitch," Mendoza said. "I felt good with that."
This is the second win and second walk-off of the series for West Michigan. The Whitecaps are in first place in the Midwest League second half standings.
Whitecaps manager Brayan Peña is a happy man on all counts.
"I mean it's not just big for [Mendoza] but for all of us," Peña said. "At the same time, he deserves it. He really went out there and had a plan with our hitting coach CJ Wamsley. Before every time we face a pitcher, we go out there and we look into analytics and we make adjustments. That's exactly what he did and it paid off."
Friday night the Whitecaps will transform into Las Calaveras de West Michigan. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m.
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