Calaveras ease past Locos, 7-1

COMSTOCK PARK**, Mich. –** Joe Miller tossed five scoreless innings and the West Michigan Whitecaps (14-14, 45-49) – playing as Las Calaveras de West Michigan on a Copa de la Diversión night – defeated the Lansing Locos (14-15, 46-48), 7-1, on Saturday night at LMCU Ballpark.

Lansing has still won three of the first five games of the series and would clinch a series victory with a win in the Sunday finale.

The West Michigan lefty set the tone, backed by double plays in each of the first two innings to erase a Ryan Lasko first-inning walk and an Euribiel Ángeles second-inning single, striking out two and surviving a fifth-inning drive by Luke Mann to the center field wall.

Will Johnston matched Miller through the first three innings, but the ice was broken on a remarkable sacrifice fly: with Eddys Leonard at third base, right fielder Danny Bautista, Jr. made a brilliant diving catch in foul ground of a Roberto Campos fly, rolling swiftly to his feet and firing a one-hopper home, but the throw went up the third base line and Leonard dodged CJ Rodriguez’s tag on his way to scoring standing up.

An inning later, a two-out throwing error by shortstop Ángeles opened the door for a Max Anderson two-out, two-run double for a 3-0 Calaveras lead.

Seth Stephenson added a two-run single in the sixth off Yehizon Sanchez and Bennett Lee knocked a two-run double in the eighth off Jack Owen to finish off the West Michigan scoring.

Lansing’s only run came in the eighth inning off Cleiverth Pérez, thanks to a Cameron Masterman triple and a Rodriguez RBI groundout.

In defeat, Locos center fielder Lasko went 2-for-3 with two singles and a walk.

The series finale is set for 2:05 p.m. Sunday, with Lansing right-hander Blaze Pontes facing West Michigan right-hander Austin Bergner.

Lansing then returns home from July 30 – August 4 for a six-game series against Dayton. For tickets and further information, visit milb.com/lansing or call (517) 485-4500.

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