Lugnuts demolish Whitecaps, 16-2

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. – In their most all-around impressive showing of the year, the Lansing Lugnuts (20-33) blew out the West Michigan Whitecaps (24-29), 16-2, on Thursday night at LMCU Ballpark.

The Lugnuts set season highs in runs, hits (15), most runs in an inning (8), and most doubles (four) in their biggest win of the year. All nine batters scored at least one run, with seven scoring twice. All nine batters collected at least one hit, led by a three-hit game from Jonny Butler. And all nine batters drove in at least one run, led by three RBIs from Lawrence Butler.

The balance extended to the pitching corps. Starter Hogan Harris blanked the Whitecaps over three innings and Angello Infante followed with two scoreless innings. After Brock Whittlesey gave up two runs in the sixth, Kumar Nambiar struck out two in a perfect seventh before Joe DeMers pitched shut out the Whitecaps in the eighth and ninth.

Whitecaps prospect Dylan Smith, the Detroit Tigers’ third-round selection in 2021, recorded only four outs before a five-run Lugnuts rally in the second inning ended his night.

In the fifth inning, Tyler Soderstrom delivered an RBI double and Austin Beck followed with a sacrifice fly off reliever Jack Anderson to increase the Nuts’ lead to 7-0.

An eight-run seventh inning officially turned the game into a rout, with a Soderstrom RBI single, Lawrence Butler two-run triple, Jonny Butler RBI single and Euribiel Ángeles RBI double off Ted Stuka causing the Whitecaps to turn to infielder Carlos Irigoyen to record the final two outs. Matt Cross promptly greeted Irigoyen with a two-run homer, his third home run of the year, to cap the rally.

In the ninth inning, Gabriel Maciel added the finishing touch with an RBI single off Angel Reyes.

The game began with a bad omen for West Michigan, losing star third baseman Colt Keith to injury following a dive back to first base on a first-inning pickoff throw. José King replaced Keith, but he was ejected in the seventh inning for disputing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Glen Meyerhofer. The Whitecaps shifted position-player-pitcher Irigoyen to third base to replace King, losing their designated hitter. The game ended with relief pitcher Reyes two batters away from hitting.

The two clubs play a doubleheader on Friday at 5:35 p.m., making up Wednesday’s postponement. Lansing is scheduled to start right-hander Jeff Criswell in Game 1 and left-hander Mac Lardner in Game 2, opposed by Whitecaps right-handers Ty Madden and Keider Montero.

The Lugnuts and Whitecaps’ six-game series stretches through Sunday before the Nuts return home Tuesday, June 14, opening a 12-game, 13-day stretch against Fort Wayne and Beloit. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

# # #