Nuts open road trip with slim win

APPLETON, Wisc. – Lazaro Armenteros delivered a go-ahead two-run single, Trayson Kubo delivered enormous relief, and the Lansing Lugnuts (22-27, 47-68) opened a 12-game, 13-day road trip with a 4-3 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (23-26, 59-55), 11-7, on Tuesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

It was the first meeting between the two teams in 1,210 days, dating back to May 2, 2019, when the Midwest League was still classified Single-A and the Lugnuts were affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Now the High-A Oakland Athletics affiliate, the Lugnuts rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the fifth inning against Wisconsin reliever Karlos Morales. With one out, a Joshwan Wright single, Shane McGuire single and Denzel Clarke walk loaded the bases for Armenteros, who delivered a base hit down the right-field line for a 3-2 lead.

An inning later, Brayan Buelvas increased the lead to 4-2, doubling home Cooper Bowman off Wisconsin reliever Brannon Jordan. Max Muncy followed with a single to right, but Buelvas was thrown out at the plate.

The Timber Rattlers attempted to rally back in the last of the eighth against Jorge Juan. Antonio Pineiro reached on a dropped third strike and moved to second base on a Wes Clarke one-out single. An HBP of Darrien Miller loaded the bases, and a Joe Gray Jr. RBI single brought the Rattlers within one. But Trayson Kubo relieved Juan and struck out Eduardo García before retiring José Acosta on a flyout to strand the potential tying and go-ahead runs aboard.

Kubo then pitched around a leadoff walk in the ninth, striking out Arbert Cipion, Antonio Pineiro and Ben Metzinger to end the game.

Lugnuts starter Grant Holman struck out four batters in four innings in a no-decision, allowing two runs on three hits with no walks. Angello Infante followed with a scoreless fifth and Juan then struck out four in 2 1/3 innings before Kubo handled the game’s final five outs for his ninth save.

McGuire led the Nuts’ offense, going 3-for-5 with three singles and two runs scored. Cleanup hitter Clarke finished 1-for-4 with an RBI single and a walk, increasing his on-base streak to 10 games.

The second game of the six-game series in the Badger State will be a matinee on Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. Eastern, 12:10 p.m. local, with Lansing right-hander Christian Fernandez (7.41 ERA) facing Wisconsin right-hander Stiven Cruz (1.50).

At the conclusion of the current road trip, the Lugnuts return home September 6-11 to close out the season against Dayton. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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