Nuts win 4th straight, clinch series victory at Dayton
DAYTON, OH – The Dayton Dragons (12-27, 51-54) wore their special Gem City jerseys, but it was the Lansing Lugnuts (18-23, 43-64) who supplied the gem on their way to a fourth straight victory, 3-1 over the Dragons on Saturday night at Day Air Ballpark. The Lugnuts’ four-game winning streak
DAYTON, OH – The Dayton Dragons (12-27, 51-54) wore their special Gem City jerseys, but it was the Lansing Lugnuts (18-23, 43-64) who supplied the gem on their way to a fourth straight victory, 3-1 over the Dragons on Saturday night at Day Air Ballpark.
The Lugnuts’ four-game winning streak ties the club’s longest winning streak of the season. It also clinches the Nuts’ first road series victory of the year. A win in Sunday’s series finale would give the Lugnuts a five-game winning streak for the first time since August 9-14, 2019.
Dayton left fielder Justice Thompson led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run off Lansing starter Kyle Virbitsky.
From that point on, the Dragons were blanked by Virbitsky and relievers Mac Lardner and Shohei Tomioka.
A three-pitcher gem in the Gem City!@KyleVirbitsky, @LardnerMac, and @Tommyyyyy111 diced up the Dragons with 10 strikeouts tonight, leading the Nuts to a 4th straight win!
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) August 14, 2022
🎲🎲🎲 pic.twitter.com/8zvGtC9Agy
Virbitsky fired six innings and allowed only three further hits, all singles, walking none and striking out five. Lardner, returning after a 15-day layoff due to a stint on the Covid IL, tossed two perfect innings with two strikeouts. And Tomioka touched 96 miles-per-hour in a scoreless ninth, striking out two and nailing down his second save following a two-out single by Noelvi Marte.
Denzel Clarke tied the score at 1-1, leading off the fourth inning against Dayton starter Javi Rivera with his seventh home run with the Lugnuts, a 403-foot shot to left-center.
With two outs in the seventh, Patrick McColl put the Lugnuts in the lead with an RBI triple down the right field line off reliever Myles Gayman.
Patrick McColl triples the Nuts into the lead! pic.twitter.com/FTA70hjzEl
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) August 14, 2022
Brayan Buelvas added insurance in the ninth with a bases-loaded walk against reliever Jayvien Sandridge.
First baseman McColl and center fielder Clarke each finished with two-hit games for the Nuts, who outhit the Dragons 8-5.
Left-hander Jack Owen, the system leader in ERA, takes on Dayton right-hander Christian Roa in the Sunday finale at 1:05 p.m. at Day Air Ballpark.
Then the Nuts return to Lansing, enjoying a Monday off day before opening a six-game series with Great Lakes from August 16-21. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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