Pohl wins 1st as Nuts edge Captains, 6-5
LANSING, Mich. – Stevie Emanuels struck out six in three innings and the Lansing Lugnuts (1-2) built a 6-2 lead before holding on to defeat the Lake County Captains (2-1), 6-5, on Sunday at Jackson® Field™, giving Lugnuts rookie manager Phil Pohl his first career victory. The Lugnuts avoided a
LANSING, Mich. – Stevie Emanuels struck out six in three innings and the Lansing Lugnuts (1-2) built a 6-2 lead before holding on to defeat the Lake County Captains (2-1), 6-5, on Sunday at Jackson® Field™, giving Lugnuts rookie manager Phil Pohl his first career victory.
The Lugnuts avoided a season-opening three-game sweep to Lake County a day after dropping a doubleheader to the Caps.
In Game 2 of that doubleheader, Lake County had knocked out Lansing starter Diego Granado in the first inning on its way to a 7-5 win. On this day, the Lugnuts returned the favor, sending Captains starter Tommy Mace to the showers seven batters into the game in a three-run first inning. Tyler Soderstrom, the Athletics’ No. 1 prospect, delivered the first blow with an RBI double – his first hit of the year – and Patrick McColl applied the final touch with an RBI single to left.
After the Caps cut the lead to one run with two runs in the third inning against Jeff Criswell, the Nuts tacked on two important insurance runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth. That last run came oddly; with a 3-2 count on Lansing’s Lawrence Butler and the bases loaded, Lake County reliever Hunter Stanley was spotted going to his mouth after having previously been warned. A fourth ball was charged, forcing in McColl for a 6-2 lead.
Emanuels, the Athletics’ fifth-round selection in 2020, relieved Criswell in the fifth and struck out two batters apiece in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings before departing after allowing a Micael Ramírez two-out RBI single.
.@stevieemanuels fanned six Lake County Captains in three innings today.
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) April 10, 2022
Here they are in 30 seconds: pic.twitter.com/5ye1YZd6BU
Trayson Kubo recorded the final out in the eighth, but gave up two runs in the ninth on a walk and three hits. With the tying run at second base and the potential go-ahead run at first, Kubo induced a game-ending groundout to second from Ramírez.
The Lugnuts’ offense was led by second baseman Joshwan Wright in his season debut, going 2-for-3 with two singles, a walk, a steal and a run scored. Butler and Gabriel Maciel each drew a pair of walks to aid the cause.
Lansing starter Criswell finished with two runs allowed on three hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings, striking out four.
After a day off on Monday, the Nuts embark on a six-game road trip to LMCU Ballpark to play West Michigan beginning Tuesday.
The next Lugnuts homestand will see the Fort Wayne TinCaps come to Michigan’s state capital from April 19-24. Tickets are available for purchase at the stadium box office, at lansinglugnuts.com and by calling (517) 485-4500.
# # #