Lugnuts contain ‘Caps, 6-2, split series
COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. – Drew Millas homered and reached base five times and five Lansing Lugnuts (17-19) pitchers quieted the West Michigan Whitecaps’ (19-16) lineup in a 6-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at LMCU Ballpark. The result gave the Lugnuts a six-game series split with their archrivals. In the three
COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. – Drew Millas homered and reached base five times and five Lansing Lugnuts (17-19) pitchers quieted the West Michigan Whitecaps’ (19-16) lineup in a 6-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at LMCU Ballpark.
The result gave the Lugnuts a six-game series split with their archrivals. In the three games won by West Michigan, the Whitecaps scored 10 runs, nine runs and nine runs; in the three games won by Lansing, the ‘Caps scored zero runs, one run and two runs.
Lansing’s offense spread out its scoring with solo tallies in the first, second, fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth innings, aided by another monster game from Millas. The switch-hitting catcher singled in the first, walked in the third, doubled and scored in the fifth, homered in the seventh, and walked and stole a base in the ninth, while also catching West Michigan’s Spencer Torkelson trying to steal third bae in the sixth inning.
Millas, rated MLB.com’s No. 30 prospect in the A’s system, has now reached base in his last 17 games. Over the past 11 games, he’s slashing a white-hot .412/.524/.676.
Lansing starter Stevie Emanuels tossed 4 2/3 innings, giving up three hits, two walks, striking out one, and allowing the Whitecaps’ only runs in the third inning.
From there on out, the game belonged to the Lugnuts’ bullpen.
Dalton Sawyer recorded the final out in the fifth on one pitch, retiring Daniel Cabrera on a groundout to second, and then pitched a scoreless sixth inning, stranding Bryant Packard’s double.
Charles Hall fired a perfect seventh, striking out two.
Jack Weisenburger handled a dramatic eighth, walking Trei Cruz and allowing a single to Cabrera before dispatching Torkelson on a flyout to center and getting Dillon Dingler to ground into a double play started by third baseman Cobie Vance.
Aiden McIntyre finished off the Whitecaps in the ninth, working around a pair of singles and an HBP to leave the bases loaded.
It is the Lugnuts’ fifth six-game split out of six series played this season.
After a day off on Monday, the Lugnuts return to Michigan’s state capital on Tuesday, June 15, to open a six-game homestand against the Great Lakes Loons. To purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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