Lugnuts score 12, strike out 18 TinCaps in rout
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Jordan Díaz homered for a third straight game and Jack Weisenburger struck out all five batters he faced, part of an 18-strikeout fanning session by four pitchers, as the Lansing Lugnuts (7-8) enjoyed a 12-1 laugher over the Fort Wayne TinCaps (6-8) on Thursday night at
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Jordan Díaz homered for a third straight game and Jack Weisenburger struck out all five batters he faced, part of an 18-strikeout fanning session by four pitchers, as the Lansing Lugnuts (7-8) enjoyed a 12-1 laugher over the Fort Wayne TinCaps (6-8) on Thursday night at Parkview Field.
Starting pitcher Richard Guasch whiffed seven TinCaps in five two-hit scoreless innings, Seth Shuman struck out five in two innings, Weisenburger fanned five in a row from the eighth into the ninth, and Michael Danielak came on to ring up the final batter of the game to leave the Lugnuts one strikeout away from tying the franchise single game record, set against South Bend on April 29, 2001.
A gift for the @PitchingNinja, courtesy of @SethShuman9 pic.twitter.com/TWu8lUtHt8
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) May 21, 2021
For Weisenburger (Rockford H.S. / University of Michigan), the performance gave him a remarkable 17 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings this season.
The Lugnuts’ offense had scored a combined 12 runs in their last six games, but matched that total in a nine-inning offensive flurry against TinCaps starter Moises Lugo, relievers Sam Keating, Austin Smith, Mason Feole and position player Ethan Skender.
The tone was set from the first batter: Max Schuemann led the game off with a triple and scored on a deep sacrifice fly by Cobie Vance. Michael Guldberg followed with his third home run of the season, and the Lugnuts led 2-0, never looking back.
An amazing 1st inning for @Athletics 2020 3rd-rounder Michael @guldberg8:
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) May 20, 2021
In the top half, he belts his 3rd home run of the year 💪 pic.twitter.com/0GjrYVb2ju
Díaz’s fourth home run of the season, his third in three days at Fort Wayne, came in the third inning: a towering 437-foot drive to center field that landed atop the batter’s eye for a 4-0 lead.
Jordan Díaz, dead center. 🇨🇴
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) May 20, 2021
Three games in Fort Wayne, three homers for the Lugnuts' youngest player. pic.twitter.com/2bkCCEAjCp
Guldberg then showed off his versatility, doubling and scoring on a Shane Selman RBI fielder’s choice in the sixth inning before dropping down a sacrifice squeeze to plate Schuemann in a two-run seventh.
The Lugnuts blew the game wide open in the ninth against Feole and Skender with five runs, including a Díaz two-run single and a William Simoneit RBI double.
Díaz finished 3-for-5 with four runs driven in. Schuemann scored four runs on two hits and two HBPs, stealing three bases along the way, while Guldberg scored three runs on two hits and a walk.
Right-hander Reid Birlingmair (4.00 ERA) hopes for more of the same when he starts the fourth game of the six-game series on Friday at 7:05 p.m., taking on Fort Wayne right-hander Anderson Espinoza (0.00).
The next Nuts homestand will run from Tuesday, May 25, through Sunday, May 30, against the Great Lakes Loons. To purchase tickets, please visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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