LANSING, Mich. - Tyler Payne broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-run double, sending the South Bend Cubs (27-28, 66-58) to their second straight 5-3 win over the Lansing Lugnuts (21-34, 58-63) before a crowd of 10,232 on Saturday night at Cooley Law School Stadium.The Lugnuts had tied the game
LANSING, Mich. - Tyler Payne broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-run double, sending the South Bend Cubs (27-28, 66-58) to their second straight 5-3 win over the Lansing Lugnuts (21-34, 58-63) before a crowd of 10,232 on Saturday night at Cooley Law School Stadium.
The Lugnuts had tied the game at 3-3 in the seventh on a Joshua Palacios RBI single, only to see Payne's two-out drive to right-center off reliever Jared Carkuff (Loss, 1-1) plate Chris Pieters and Alberto Mineo with the decisive runs.
The Nuts loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning, but MWL Post Season All-Star Wyatt Short (Save, 13) struck out Yeltsin Gudino , completing a six-out save.
South Bend reliever Elvis Diaz (Win, 2-0) earned the victory despite allowing the Lugnuts to knot the score in the seventh inning.
Lansing starter Mike Ellenbest worked 5 2/3 innings, striking out three, and allowing only a four-hit, three-run Cubs flurry in the fourth inning.
His opposite number, Jose Paulino, gave up six hits to the first eight Lugnuts batters in allowing runs in each of the first two innings, but settled in to pitch six frames.
The Lugnuts' offense was led by Palacios, who went 2-for-3 with two singles, two walks, a run scored and an RBI, and by Nick Sinay , who was 2-for-3 with two singles, two stolen bases, a run scored and his 35th hit-by-pitch of the year, one shy of the Midwest League single-season record.
Prior to the game, the Blue Jays announced that Friday's Lugnuts starting pitcher Osman Gutierrez was traded to the Miami Marlins in exchange for pitcher Tom Koehler .
Sunday is the third game of the four-game series… and Big Lug's Birthday Party on a special Delta Dental Kid's Day! Right-hander Andy Ravel (6-8, 7.13) starts against South Bend southpaw Bryan Hudson (7-3, 4.00) at 2:05 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the Cooley Law School Stadium box office, by calling (517) 485-4500 or via lansinglugnuts.com.
# # #
