Lugs drop third straight to Loons, 4-2

LANSING, Mich. – The Great Lakes Loons (11-11) strung together five straight hits in a four-run third inning and then hung on tight to top the Lansing Lugnuts (10-12), 4-2, on Friday night at Jackson® Field™.

The result marked the Lugnuts’ third three-game losing streak of the season. The Nuts have responded to each of the prior two skids, at home vs. Lake County and on the road at Fort Wayne, by righting themselves and splitting the six-game series.

With the game scoreless in the top of the third, Lansing starter Reid Birlingmair gave up a one-out broken-bat single to Miguel Vargas, a James Outman RBI triple, an Andy Pages RBI broken-bat single, a Ryan Ward bunt single, a run-scoring wild pitch, and a Joe Vranesh RBI single, putting the Loons in front, 4-0.

After a walk to Leonel Valera, Birlingmair set down the next eight Loons batters, completing a 5 1/3-inning stint with three strikeouts.

The Loons never threatened again, with Michael Danielak pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings with an HBP and a strikeout, Dalton Sawyer following with three strikeouts over 1 1/3 perfect innings, and Jack Weisenburger striking out three Loons in the ninth around a single and a walk.

But the Lugnuts, despite consistent base runners, could not overcome the Loons’ early advantage. Lansing collected seven walks and six hits and had three batters hit by pitches, but went 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position – and only one of those hits, a Shane Selman RBI triple in the sixth, scored a run. A bases-loaded walk drawn by Drew Millas four batters later supplied the Nuts’ final run.

The Nuts left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings, stranded a runner at third base in the seventh, and watched the game end with the potential tying runs at first and third.**

Still, center fielder Michael Guldberg drew a walk among his five plate appearances to extend his on-base streak to 17 games, and shortstop Max Schuemann increased his on-base streak to 16-games with a single and an HBP in five trips.

On Saturday night, the first 1,000 fans will receive a Lugnuts 25th Anniversary Mark Prior Bobblehead presented by Sparrow, with gates opening at 6 p.m. and first pitch at 7:05 p.m. Lugnuts right-hander Colin Peluse (7.15 ERA) makes the start against Loons right-hander Logan Boyer (4.91).

To purchase tickets to Saturday’s game or to any of the Lugnuts’ 2021 home games, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

# # #