Lugs win 4th straight, finalize Lake County mastery
EASTLAKE, OH – Grant Judkins fired four scoreless innings of relief, Danny Bautista Jr. and Jonny Butler delivered crucial RBI singles, and the Lansing Lugnuts (10-11, 42-44) dropped the Lake County Captains (10-10, 51-35), 6-4, on Sunday afternoon at Classic Auto Group Park. The result, coming in the finale of
EASTLAKE, OH – Grant Judkins fired four scoreless innings of relief, Danny Bautista Jr. and Jonny Butler delivered crucial RBI singles, and the Lansing Lugnuts (10-11, 42-44) dropped the Lake County Captains (10-10, 51-35), 6-4, on Sunday afternoon at Classic Auto Group Park.
The result, coming in the finale of both a six-game series and an 18-game season series, marked the Nuts’ fourth straight victory over Lake County. In the process, Lansing not only won the series but also completed a dominant 12-6 overall showing vs. the Captains, including an 8-4 record at Classic Auto Group Park.
Between mid-April and the present, the Nuts are the only Midwest League team to take a home series from the Captains.
All four Lake County runs came via consecutive swings in the second inning off Lansing starter Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, thanks to a Maick Collado three-run homer and a Johnny Tincher solo shot for a 4-2 Caps lead.
Zhuang worked the third inning without any further damage before handing the ball to Judkins, who blanked the Caps on one hit through the seventh.
Meantime, Lake County shortstop Angel Genao committed errors in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, opening the door for a Cole Conn RBI single in the fourth, and the game-tying Bautista, Jr. RBI single and go-ahead Butler RBI single in the sixth. Casey Yamauchi added insurance with an RBI fielder’s choice, capping a three-run rally off reliever Matt Jachec.
Yehizon Sanchez returned from the Injured List in the eighth inning, recording the first two outs before hitting Genao with a pitch and working Jorge Burgos.
That prompted a call to Diego Barrera, who recorded the final 1 1/3 innings scorelessly for his first Lugnuts save, pitching around a one-out single in the ninth.
The Lugnuts now take four days off for the Major League Baseball All-Star Break, returning to action for a three-game home series with the Great Lakes Loons from July 19-21. For tickets and further information, visit milb.com/lansing or call (517) 485-4500.
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