Nuts fan nine straight, blank Loons 1-0
LANSING, Mich. – Jacob Watters, Garrett Irvin and Will Johnston combined to strike out nine consecutive batters en route to a five-hit shutout, and Jonny Butler’s RBI double in the eighth inning supplied the only scoring in a Lansing Lugnuts (11-13, 43-46) 1-0 victory over the Great Lakes Loons (10-13,
LANSING, Mich. – Jacob Watters, Garrett Irvin and Will Johnston combined to strike out nine consecutive batters en route to a five-hit shutout, and Jonny Butler’s RBI double in the eighth inning supplied the only scoring in a Lansing Lugnuts (11-13, 43-46) 1-0 victory over the Great Lakes Loons (10-13, 44-45) in front of 6,021 on Sunday afternoon at Jackson® Field™.
It was the Lugnuts’ second 1-0 win of the season; the first came on April 5, Opening Night at Dayton.
Starter Watters fanned six batters in 4 2/3 innings, limiting the Loons to three singles and a walk. He struck out Kyle Nevin and Sam Mongelli swinging to end the fourth inning and Luis Rodriguez and Nick Biddison swinging to open the fifth inning before reaching his pitch count restriction. That prompted a call to Irvin, who whiffed Jake Vogel to end the inning. Johnston opened the sixth with consecutive strikeouts of Josue De Paula, Thayron Liranzo (the first strikeout looking) and Noah Miller, then froze Chris Newell with strike three to open the seventh inning.
That brought up Nevin, who doubled to left to end the strikeout stretch – but was stranded in scoring position by a flyout and a second strikeout of Rodriguez.
The Loons threatened again in the eighth, putting runners at second and third with one out on a single, a walk, and a double steal. But Johnston struck out Liranzo looking and Miller swinging, squashing the rally.
Facing Great Lakes reliever Kelvin Bautista in the bottom of the eighth, Danny Bautista Jr. punched a one-out single to right and Butler followed with a drive off the glove of a leaping Newell at the left field wall, plating Bautista, Jr. to give the Nuts the lead.
Johnston then breezed through a perfect, strikeout-less ninth, completing the victory and averting a three-game sweep.
In the win, first baseman Will Simpson went 0-for-3 to end his 19-game on-base streak.
The Nuts enjoy a day off on Monday before heading to West Michigan for a six-game series starting Tuesday, returning home for a six-game series starting July 30 against Dayton. For tickets and further information, visit milb.com/lansing or call (517) 485-4500.
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