LANSING, Mich. - Pitching for the first time in 25 days, Turner Larkins tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings, but the South Bend Cubs (9-8, 43-43) nosed out the Lansing Lugnuts (11-6, 54-33), 4-2, on Saturday night at Cooley Law School Stadium.Larkins had been on the 7-day Disabled List since June
LANSING, Mich. - Pitching for the first time in 25 days, Turner Larkins tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings, but the South Bend Cubs (9-8, 43-43) nosed out the Lansing Lugnuts (11-6, 54-33), 4-2, on Saturday night at Cooley Law School Stadium.
Larkins had been on the 7-day Disabled List since June 13th, but showed no rust in his return to the mound, striking out four Cubs while walking one and allowing three hits.
Zach Davis broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh with a two-out RBI single off Donnie Sellers (Loss, 6-2). Christian Donahue followed with a single to center field, but Reggie Pruitt's throw to the plate was perfect, with Ryan Gold hanging on to the tag on the sliding Davis.
Former MSU Spartan Brandon Hughes added insurance for the Cubs with a home run in the ninth off Yunior Hinojosa .
The Lugnuts' only offense came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Trailing 2-0 after Michael Cruz's two-run homer in the top of the inning off Sellers, Chavez Young led off with a walk against reliever Manuel Rodriguez (Blown Save, 4; Win, 2-2) and stole second base. Kevin Vicuña followed with an RBI double for the Nuts' first run. Vicuña was thrown out attempting to move to third on a dropped third strike to Brandon Grudzielanek . A throwing error by catcher Miguel Amaya advanced Grudzielanek to second, and a Samad Taylor RBI single tied the game at 2-2.
The Lugnuts were stifled from there; Yapson Gomez did not allow a base runner in the seventh and the eighth innings, and Brian Glowicki pitched around a walk to Taylor in the ninth for his 14th save.
Grudzielanek went 2-for-4, notching at least two hits for the third time in his last four games. He has seven hits in his last 16 at-bats, raising his batting average from .255 to .275.
Lugs right-hander Maximo Castillo (5.35 ERA) starts the third game of the four-game series with South Bend, a 1:05 p.m. Sunday Delta Dental Kids Day featuring pregame Play Catch on the Field and postgame Kids Run the Bases. The Cubs counter with left-hander Brendon Little (5.52 ERA). To purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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