Whitecaps' playoff streak ends

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. (WOOD) - The West Michigan Whitecaps' streak of seven consecutive seasons of making the playoffs has come to an end.

The Fort Wayne TinCaps clinched the final postseason spot with a 7-2 victory Monday afternoon over the Whitecaps in Comstock Park. Fort Wayne (39-31, 69-70) earns the Eastern Division's second-half wild card berth and will play the Bowling Green Hot Rods in the first round.

West Michigan ends the season with records of 38-32 and 70-69.

The TinCaps' ace right-hander Keyvius Sampson (12-3) started the game on short rest. He struck out eight of the first 11 batters he faced, including five in a row during one stretch between the second and fourth innings. He finished with eight strikeouts and three walks. The Whiteaps got one run and five hits off him in six innings.

Fort Wayne got on the scoreboard first, when Rocky Gale hit a solo home run in the third inning.

With Rymer Liriano at first base and one out in the fourth, Luis Domoromo sent a fly ball to left that Ryan Hamme appeared to have his sights on. But the gusty wind pushed the ball toward the foul line, forcing Hamme to drift to his right before picking up his pace and diving for a ball that bounced off his glove and caromed into foul territory. The double put runners at second and third, setting the stage for Mike Gallic's sacrifice fly to give Fort Wayne a 2-0 edge.

The Whitecaps finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning when Dixon Machado reached base on a two-out single and stole second, eventually scoring on a double by Hernan Perez.

Fort Wayne's Connor Powers led off the seventh with a solo homer that made it a 3-1.

West Michigan's Nick Castellanos drew a leadoff walk and stole second base in the eighth before James Robbins brought him home with a two-out single that pulled the Whitecaps within 3-2.

The TinCaps blew the game open with four runs in the top of the ninth. Whitecaps' relievers Michael Torrealba and Patrick Cooper combined to walk four. The bases were loaded with one out when B.J. Guinn hit a two-run double to right-center for the big blow. Later, the bases were packed again when Cory Spangenberg hit a two-out flare-single into left field that scored two more runs.

Alex Burgos (6-5) suffered the loss despite allowing just four hits in seven innings. Two of those hits were solo homers, and the left-hander was charged with three runs while striking out four and walking three.