Back-to-Back 12-Run Performances Lead to Back-to-Back Wins

LANSING, Mich. – The Great Lakes Loons had limited success against the Lansing Lugnuts pitching staff – until a 12-3 win on Thursday.

Friday at Jackson Field, the Loons exploded again – another 12-run performance.

Great Lakes used a five-run seventh inning to dispatch the Lansing Lugnuts, 12-7, and take a lead in the series, three games to one.

The Loons (68-44, 28-18 second half) opened the scoring in the second frame, which Damon Keith led off with a homer. For Keith, it was his third longball in two nights, after a two-homer night Thursday. It is his fourth High-A homer, and his 16th this season, to put Great Lakes ahead, 1-0.

Lansing (45-67, 20-26) responded in the bottom of the same inning. After a walk, Sahid Valenzuela singled and advanced to second on a throw, putting two men in scoring position for Hansen Lopez. With just his third hit as a Lugnut, he picked up his first two RBIs, driving in both runners and giving Lansing a 2-1 lead.

Great Lakes, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ High-A partner, continued the early scoring in the third. Luis Yanel Diaz walked, Jorbit Vivas doubled, then Eddys Leonard hit an infield single to load the bases. Imanol Vargas drove in one with a single, and the bases remained loaded for Jose Ramos, who plated a pair on a single. Vargas scored on an Austin Gauthier sacrifice fly, and the Loons left the frame with a 5-2 advantage.

The score would remain the same until the sixth inning when the Lugnuts, High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, mounted a quick comeback. Max Muncy doubled to lead off the frame, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly from Lazaro Armenteros. After a walk in the frame, Patrick McColl launched his second homer of the year, a two-run shot to straight-away centerfield, tying the game at five. With the bases empty and one out, Jeff Belge (W, 2-2) entered the game and struck out the final two Lansing batters.

The Loons took that small bit of momentum and ran with it in the seventh. Vivas, Leonard and Vargas all singled against Kumar Nambiar (L, 6-5) before Ramos drove in another run on a no-out fielder’s choice. The bases remained loaded for Keith, who blasted a two-run double. Ramos scored on another Gauthier sac fly, then Aldrich De Jongh walked to put runners on the corners with one out. De Jongh took off for second and Keith got caught in a rundown between third and home, eventually scoring on interference after running into a Lansing fielder. Great Lakes went to the stretch with a 10-5 lead.

The lead was extended to six runs in the eighth inning. Vargas singled with two outs and scored on a Ramos double that nearly left the yard to center field, putting the Loons up 11-5.

In the bottom of the eighth, Armenteros homered to bring Lansing back within five, trailing 11-6. Diaz responded with a homer in the ninth inning, making it 12-6 Loons. Lansing scored another with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but they fall, 12-7.

The Loons collected 13 hits, and the top five hitters in the order all had multi-hit games. Vivas and Ramos went 2-for-5, Leonard was 2-for-6, Keith had two extra-base knocks in his 2-for-3 day. Vargas had his second four-hit day of the season, going 4-for-6.

Great Lakes has won three of the first four games in Lansing and eight of its last nine. The Loons have secured a season series win over Lansing, currently leading 13-9 with two games to play. The penultimate game of the set from Jackson Field is scheduled for Saturday at 7:05 p.m. Emmet Sheehan (6-2, 2.80 ERA) takes the hill for the Loons, opposing fellow right hander Kyle Virbitsky (1-0, 2.70 ERA) for Lansing. The Loons On-Deck Circle, driven by Garber Chevrolet Midland, kicks off ESPN 100.9-FM coverage at 6:50 p.m.

The Great Lakes Loons have been a Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team’s inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team’s home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.