Harris hits grand slam in 16-7 loss

MIDLAND, Mich. – Brett Harris belted a grand slam and Patrick McColl swatted a solo shot in the Lansing Lugnuts’ (44-49) 16-7 loss to the Great Lakes Loons (49-44) on Thursday night at Dow Diamond.

Great Lakes leadoff hitter Ryan Ward scored six runs, matching the modern MLB single-game record, capped by a three-run eighth-inning homer off Lugnuts knuckleballing catcher Cooper Uhl.

The Nuts wiped out a pair of early deficits, tying the score at 1-1 in the second on McColl’s fifth home run of the year, a 412-foot drive off Great Lakes starter Gavin Stone, and taking a 5-2 lead in the fourth on Harris’s third homer, coming with Austin Beck, William Simoneit and Jordan Díaz aboard. It was Lansing’s second grand slam of the year, joining a Beck opposite-field drive at West Michigan on July 22.

But Great Lakes struck back with five runs in the fourth inning against Charlie Cerny, added three in the sixth against José Mora, plated a solo tally in the seventh against Brock Whittlesey and then broke the game wide open with five in the eighth against Uhl, including back-to-back home runs by Ward and Eddys Leonard.

Lansing starter Shohei Tomioka struck out five batters in three innings in a no-decision, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks.

The Lugnuts’ 3-4-5-6 batters of Beck, Simoneit, Díaz and Harris each collected exactly two hits in defeat.

The Lugnuts and Loons play the fourth game in their six-game series at 7:05 p.m. Thursday, with Loons right-hander Hyun-Il Choi (2.63 ERA) facing a Nuts starter yet to be announced. For more information, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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