Behind Leal/Tomioka tandem, Nuts win 2-0 shutout

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – David Leal and Shohei Tomioka worked four scoreless innings apiece, Brett Harris lined a two-run double, and the Lansing Lugnuts (54-58) blanked the Fort Wayne TinCaps (52-60), 2-0, on Friday night at Parkview Field.

The Lugnuts defeated Fort Wayne for the third time in four games en route to recording their seventh shutout victory of the season.

Leal set the early tone, retiring the first 11 TinCaps batters. The TinCaps briefly threatened with two outs in the fourth inning on back-to-back two-out singles from Euribiel Angeles and Brandon Valenzuela, but Leal struck out Jonny Homza looking to end the inning.

TinCaps starter Danny Denz had matched Leal goose egg for goose egg, but walked Patrick McColl and Drew Swift in the fifth inning. Harris followed by driving a 1-2 pitch deep into the right-center alley to score both runners with the game’s only runs.

With the lead to his back, Tomioka took over for Leal and pitched a perfect fifth, stranded a Robert Hassell III single in the sixth, and stranded a Luis Almanzar single in the seventh.

In the eighth, the TinCaps put forth their best threat of the night. Ripken Reyes was hit by a Tomioka pitch leading off the inning. Reinaldo Ilarraza singled off first baseman McColl’s glove, moving Reyes to third. Ilarraza then stole second base on the first pitch to Robert Hassell III, putting the tying runs in scoring position with none out. Tomioka bore down, striking out Hassell and Zack Mathis before coaxing a inning-ending groundout to shortstop from Euribiel Angeles with his final pitch of the night.

There was no drama in the final inning. Garrett Acton struck out Brandon Valenzuela, Jonny Homza and pinch-hitter Tirso Ornelas to put the final stamp on a five-hit shutout.

In the win, both Harris and Lazaro Armenteros finished with a double and a walk, with Armenteros swiping a pair of bases. Leadoff hitter Swift added two walks and a stolen base.

Right-hander Jeff Criswell (0.00 ERA) gets the ball on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. for the fifth game of the six-game series, opposing TinCaps left-hander Noel Vela (2.39 ERA). A win by the Nuts in either game over the weekend would give Lansing its third series victory of the year.

After the series concludes on Sunday, the Lugnuts return home to end the season from September 14-19 against West Michigan. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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