Lugnuts boat race Loons, 10-1

LANSING, Mich. – Joey Estes tossed five scoreless innings, Joshwan Wright homered, and the Lansing Lugnuts (5-7, 30-49) steamrolled the Great Lakes Loons (8-4, 30-49), 10-1, on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™.

It was the latest showing for a suddenly prolific Lugnuts offense that has scored at least seven runs three times in the last four games and reached 10 runs for the fourth time in the second half.

The rout began early, thanks to a Tyler Soderstrom two-run triple and a Jared McDonald RBI double in the first inning against Loons opener Cole Duensing, who worked just one inning.

Drew Swift, who had walked, stolen his team-leading 14th base and scored in the first inning, delivered an RBI double in a two-run second inning against Ben Casparius that increased the Lugs’ lead to 5-0.

In the third, it was left fielder Joshwan Wright who supplied the big blow, driving a three-run homer to right field for an 8-0 lead. It was Wright’s first roundtripper since a two-homer game for Stockton on July 18, 2021, vs. Fresno.

A Kevin Richards sacrifice fly and Swift RBI single in the seventh inning supplied icing on the cake, bringing the lead to 10-0.

The visitors didn’t score until the ninth, stymied by starter Estes and reliever Shohei Tomioka.

Estes struck out six while allowing three walks and four hits, all singles, finishing with impressive consecutive strikeouts of Edwin Mateo, Alex De Jesus and Dodgers No. 1 prospect Diego Cartaya in the fifth.

Tomioka handled the sixth and seventh innings, whiffing three while allowing only one base runner – an Eddys Leonard one-out walk in the sixth inning.

Diego Granado pitched a perfect eighth with two strikeouts before allowing back-to-back doubles to Leonard and Imanol Vargas in the ninth to end the shutout. After a strikeout of José Ramos, Aldrich De Jongh popped out to second. Vargas broke on contact and was easily doubled off to end the game.

The Lugnuts’ 11-hit attack was led by shortstop Euribiel Ángeles, who finished 3-for-3 with a double, a walk and two runs scored, while Wright ended the game 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, a walk, two runs scored and three RBIs; Swift finished 2-for-4 with a single, a double, a walk, two runs scored and two RBIs; and Soderstrom went 1-for-3 with a triple, a walk, an HBP, a run scored and three RBIs.

Friday night brings the fourth game of the six-game series with LAFCU Fireworks following a 7:05 p.m. start on a LAFCU Frontline Friday. Left-hander Jack Owen (5.14 ERA) takes the ball for the Lugnuts, opposed by right-hander Carlos Duran (0.00) for the Loons. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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