Loons overtake hurting Lugs, 6-2
MIDLAND, Mich. – Ryan January and Imanol Vargas hit long home runs, helping the host Great Lakes Loons (22-15) defeat the Lansing Lugnuts (15-22), 6-2, on Friday night at Dow Diamond. Brayan Buelvas homered and Drew Swift singled, walked twice and stole two bases for the Lugnuts, who had both
MIDLAND, Mich. – Ryan January and Imanol Vargas hit long home runs, helping the host Great Lakes Loons (22-15) defeat the Lansing Lugnuts (15-22), 6-2, on Friday night at Dow Diamond.
Brayan Buelvas homered and Drew Swift singled, walked twice and stole two bases for the Lugnuts, who had both right fielder Austin Beck and reliever Angello Infante depart the game early due to precautionary reasons.
The Loons have won three straight in the series after falling in the series opener.
Buelvas took Kendall Williams deep for his fourth home run of the season in the first inning, and Jonny Butler doubled home Lawrence Butler in the second inning to lift the Nuts into a quick 2-0 lead.
But after Mac Lardner tossed three scoreless innings in his second Lugnuts start, reliever Diego Granado hit Leonel Valera and allowed a 456-foot home run to January to tie the score. Two batters later, Vargas hit a 470-foot homer to center for a 3-2 Loons lead.
Great Lakes added three insurance runs in the eighth, keyed by a Jorbit Vivas two-run single off Edward Baram who came in to replace Infante four batters into the inning.
Lansing catcher Jared McDonald went 0-for-4, ending his team-high 13-game on-base streak.
The fifth game of the six-game set will see Nuts right-hander Joey Estes (5.52 ERA) face Loons right-hander Nick Nastrini (4.26 ERA) at 6:05 p.m. Saturday.
The next home game in Michigan’s state capital arrives May 31, when the Nuts welcome in the Cedar Rapids Kernels. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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