The Great Lakes Loons opened the Eastern Division Championship Series with a 4-1 win over the West Michigan Whitecaps.
(Photo courtesy of Great Lakes Loons)

The Great Lakes Loons earned a berth in the second round of the Eastern Division playoffs in the Midwest League with a tense 5-2 win over the ever dangerous Bowling Green Hot Rods on Saturday.

The game may have marked the coming of age for the youthful Loons who rebounded from their loss on Friday after having let a 6-2 lead get away and turn into an 8-6 defeat at the hands of the Hot Rods.

Going into the series the Hot Rods may have been the prohibitive favorites to even sweep the Loons having scored 174 more runs during the season than the Great Lakes squad. However, on the season the Loons went 6-8 against the Hot Rods and had vaulted into the wildcard berth in the second half of the season by winning 17 of their last 25 games regularly scheduled games.

The Loons also entered the first game with the Hot Rods buoyed by their fan support. As they left their locker room to take the field in the first game of the series at Dow Diamond there were two strips of paper taped to each player’s locker. The pieces of paper contained congratulatory messages and messages of support received through various social media means. That was somewhat reminiscent of Tommy Lasorda posting a message on the bulletin board as a motivational technique way back in 1988 as the Dodgers battled the Oakland Athletics for baseball supremacy.

Not only did the Loons not get swept by the Hot Rods, they came within an error of closing out the series in two games. During the three-game set with the Hot Rods the Loons pitching staff – which features seven pitchers aged 20 or younger – posted a 3.11 ERA as opposed to Bowling Green’s ERA of 7.96. Offensively the Loons had an aggregate batting average of .344 while the Hot Rods posted a respectable .252 average.

On Sunday at Dow Diamond, the Loons turned their attention to the West Michigan Whitecaps who are attempting to repeat as Midwest League champions having claimed the 2015 title. The series is again a best of three with the second, and third game if necessary, at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, Michigan.

The Whitecaps chose 21-year-old left-hander Eudis Idrogo to start the first game against the Loons. The decision was an easy one as Idrogo last pitched on September 4 and that start was against Great Lakes. For seven innings he held the Loons to two hits and no runs while striking out three. He was not the pitcher of decision as the Loons came away with a 1-0 win scoring in the bottom of the ninth inning and claiming a wildcard berth to advance to the Eastern Division playoffs.

Through 79.2 innings in 2016 Idrogo posted a 4.26 ERA while striking out 61 and walking 14.

The Loons countered with left-hander Caleb Ferguson who had squared off with Idrogo in that September 4 contest. The 20-year-old Ferguson pitched six shutout innings against the Whitecaps giving up four hits and no runs while striking out four and walking none.

On the season he posted a 2.68 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP along with 41 strikeouts and three walks. In his last 27 innings over five starts Ferguson gave up only three earned runs.

West Michigan quickly struck first in the second inning with a double and run scoring single.

Through three innings Whitecaps starter Eudis Idrogo held the Loons hitless although they did draw two walks and managed to drive his pitch count up past 60.

With one out in the fourth inning Loons first baseman Ibandel Isabel drew the Loons third walk of the game. He came around to score knotting the game at one on consecutive singles by Logan Landon and Jake Hensen.

Caleb Ferguson through five innings had another trademark start. He gave up six hits but limited the damage with six strikeouts and issuing no walks while inducing six ground ball outs.

Right-hander Ivan Vieitez relieved Ferguson in the top of the sixth innings and pitched three scoreless innings giving up only two hits.

In the bottom of the sixth inning left-hander Toller Boardman relieved Whitecaps starter Eudis Idrogo and set the Loons down in order. In the following inning Logan Landon greeted Boardman with an infield single and catcher Jake Henson followed with another single sending Landon to third base. Right-hander Zac Houston, sporting a 0.46 ERA, came on to put out the fire as he usually does – but not this time. Following a walk which filled the bases with two out, Saige Jenco lined a single over second base on the eighth pitch of his at bat. Two runs scored and an additional run came across when Brendon Davis followed with another hit giving the Loons a 4-1 lead.

Loons closer Shea Spitzbarth came on in the top of the ninth inning looking to close things out and did just that earning his first post season save.

The second game of the series will be played in Comstock Park on Monday at 6:35 ET with coverage provided by announcers Chris Vosters and Brad Tunney on ESPN 100.9-FM and Loons.com.