Crawford mesmerizes Lugnuts, 8-1

MIDLAND, Mich. - Leo Crawford pitched into the eighth inning, and the Great Lakes Loons (24-29, 60-62) defeated the Lansing Lugnuts (21-32, 58-61), 8-1, on Thursday night at Dow Diamond.

After being shut out by the Lugnuts in the opener, the Loons outscored the Nuts 30-9 in the final three games of the series - drawing 27 walks along the way.

The soft-tossing Crawford (Win, 7-10) set the tone, working as low as 69 miles-per-hour in limiting the Lugs to just a Javier Hernandez fourth-inning RBI double. The 20-year-old southpaw finished with 7 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and two walks, and striking out three.

The Loons grabbed the lead for good with three runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth against starter Patrick Murphy (Loss, 3-3), who struck out three batters in 5 1/3 innings.

Connor Eller relieved Murphy to escape the sixth, but walked five Loons in a two-run seventh to increase the lead to 8-1.

Juliandry Higuera fired the final 1 1/3 innings scorelessly, striking out two.

The Nuts' offense was led by J.B. Woodman , who went 3-for-4 with a double. Dodgers 2017 first-rounder Jeren Kendall collected two hits and drew two walks for the Loons.

The Lansing Lugnuts now return to Cooley Law School Stadium for a four-game homestand with the South Bend Cubs, opening at 7:05 p.m. on Friday, August 18th, a Family Faith Night with postgame LAFCU Fireworks. Lugnuts right-hander Osman Gutierrez (4-10, 7.88) takes on Cubs southpaw Manuel Rondon (11-6, 4.85). Tickets may be purchased at the Cooley Law School Stadium box office, by calling (517) 485-4500 or via lansinglugnuts.com.
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