Johnston impresses as Lugs edge Cubs, 2-1

LANSING, Mich. – Will Johnston tossed five shutout innings in his Midwest League debut, striking out six, and the Lansing Lugnuts (11-13) beat the South Bend Cubs (8-16), 2-1, in a pitching-dominated Thursday night affair at Jackson® Field™.

Danny Bautista, Jr. and Colby Halter delivered consecutive RBI singles in the bottom of the third inning for the Lugnuts’ only offense, but it was enough thanks to the combined efforts of Johnston, Blaze Pontes and Hunter Breault.

South Bend had scored a combined 17 runs on 29 hits in winning the first two games of the series, but its offense was silenced by southpaw Johnston, the A’s 13th-round selection in 2023 from Texas A&M, who allowed only two base runners: a Pedro Ramirez single in the first inning and a Yohendrick Piñango double in the fourth.

.@wbj1212 silenced South Bend in his MWL debut

🔩 5 scoreless innings
🔩 2 hits, 0 walks
🔩 6 strikeouts (1 via pitch clock) pic.twitter.com/fEPqWRtZ5P

— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) May 3, 2024

Pontes tossed the next three innings, allowing only one base runner himself: a two-out double to Ramirez in the sixth inning, followed by a pair of wild pitches that brought in South Bend’s only run.

In the ninth, Breault walked leadoff Brett Bateman, retired Ramirez on a flyout to left, gave up a single to Jefferson Rojas that moved Bateman to third (and extended Rojas’ hitting streak to 17 games), whiffed Piñango, and ended the game with a groundout from Brian Kalmer, notching his first save of the season.

Bautista, Jr. and Cameron Masterman each went 2-for-3 in the winning effort.

Right-hander Grant Judkins starts the fourth game of the series against South Bend lefty Drew Gray on Teacher Appreciation Night, with gates opening at 5 p.m. for a 6:05 p.m. first pitch on Friday. Tickets are available for purchase at the Jackson® Field™ box office, available for purchase at (517) 485-4500 or online at milb.com/lansing.

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