Groshans returns with two hits in Lugnuts loss

By Jesse Goldberg-Strassler

May 8, 2019

IOWA CITY, Ia. -Jordan Groshans returned from the Injured List with a two-hit game and Nick Podkul extended his on-base streak to 18 games but the Lansing Lugnuts (14-18) fell to the Quad Cities River Bandits (21-10), 6-0, on Wednesday night at Duane Banks Field.The result completed a three-game sweep

IOWA CITY, Ia. -Jordan Groshans returned from the Injured List with a two-hit game and Nick Podkul extended his on-base streak to 18 games but the Lansing Lugnuts (14-18) fell to the Quad Cities River Bandits (21-10), 6-0, on Wednesday night at Duane Banks Field.
The result completed a three-game sweep for the Western Division-leading River Bandits, who shut out the Lugnuts in identical 6-0 scores each of the last two games.

Lansing starter Juan De Paula (Loss, 3-3) allowed a two-run first-inning homer to Jeremy Peña and a three-run third inning before exiting, having allowed eight hits and four walks, striking out three in 3 2/3 innings.

Reliever Josh Hiatt fared better, allowing only a fifth-inning unearned run in 4 1/3 innings of relief, striking out three while allowing only two hits and a walk.

Groshans, the No. 5 prospect in the Blue Jays' system, went 2-for-5 with two singles to raise his batting average to .346, second best in the Midwest League. His .427 on-base percentage ranks third.

Podkul went 0-for-3 with a walk, bringing him within one game of Reggie Pruitt's season-high on-base streak.

Pruitt went 2-for-5 and Tanner Kirwer was 1-for-2 with two walks for the Lugnuts in the loss.

Quad Cities starter Nivaldo Rodriguez struck out six in four scoreless innings before yielding to three relievers to finish the seven-hit shutout. Jojanse Torres(Win, 2-0) walked four, allowed two hits and struck out five while pitching the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Devin Conn pitched around a walk in the eighth and Riley Cabral worked around a Rafael Lantigua leadoff single in the ninth.

The Lugnuts stranded 12 runners on base.
Lansing continues on to Kane County for the second leg of its Western Division road trip, opening a three-game series at Northwestern Medicine Field at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, 6:30 p.m. local on Thursday night. Right-hander Troy Miller (4.15 ERA) starts the opener for the Nuts.

The Lugnuts return home for a three-game series against the West Michigan Whitecaps from a Dollar Monday, May 13th, through a Dog Days of Summer Wednesday, May 15th. To live the Lug Life and purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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