Lugnuts hold off TinCaps for rare series win at Fort Wayne 

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Will Simpson homered, Jonny Butler lined a pair of crucial run-scoring singles, and the Lansing Lugnuts (6-9, 38-42) beat the Fort Wayne TinCaps (5-10, 33-48), 7-5, on Saturday night at Parkview Field.

The Lugnuts won two of three games at Fort Wayne and four of six overall in the series, clinching their first series victory in the Summit City since September 2019.

Facing Padres No. 3 prospect Dylan Lesko, Euribiel Ángeles laced an RBI double in a two-run third for a quick 2-0 lead.

In the sixth inning, Simpson led off with his ninth homer of the year out to right-center and Butler delivered a two-run single six batters later, capping a four-run rally for a 6-0 lead.

But Fort Wayne rallied for four runs in the seventh inning against Jake Garland, capped by an Anthony Vilar three-run homer, trimming the lead to 6-4.

Butler padded the lead with an RBI single off Braden Nett in the eighth, answered by a Kai Murphy RBI double in the home half. After a Devin Ortiz groundout, however, Murphy broke on contact on a Griffin Doersching lineout to deep right, making him easy pickings to double off at second base to end the inning.

Colton Johnson wrapped up the victory with a hitless ninth, pitching around a throwing error by Ángeles and a two-out walk to improve to 8-for-8 in saves.

The Nuts won despite committing four errors. One was by second baseman Casey Yamauchi, who otherwise redeemed himself with a single, double, RBI fielder’s choice, two stolen bases and two runs scored.

The Lugnuts now take the next two days off before opening a six-game series at Lake County on Tuesday, returning home following the Major League All-Star Break on July 19 to begin a three-game series with Great Lakes. For tickets and further information, visit milb.com/lansing or call (517) 485-4500.

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