Nuts win series at first-place Loons, 7-1

(Miguel Arcaute / Lansing Lugnuts)

By Jesse Goldberg-Strassler

June 7, 2019

MIDLAND, Mich. - The Lansing Lugnuts (26-32) struck out 13 batters, amassed 14 hits and handed a convincing 7-1 loss to the Eastern Division-leading Great Lakes Loons (36-21) in the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday night at Dow Diamond.The Lugnuts held the Loons, the highest scoring team

MIDLAND, Mich. - The Lansing Lugnuts (26-32) struck out 13 batters, amassed 14 hits and handed a convincing 7-1 loss to the Eastern Division-leading Great Lakes Loons (36-21) in the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday night at Dow Diamond.

The Lugnuts held the Loons, the highest scoring team in the Midwest League, to zero and one run in their two victories at Dow Diamond.

Nick Podkul broke a scoreless deadlock in the fifth inning with a two-run triple off Loons starter Jose Chacin (Loss, 5-3).

Lugnuts starter Troy Miller (Win, 2-3) held the Loons hitless until a one-out Chris Roller home run in the fifth. Miller finished five innings, allowing two hits and three walks and striking out a career high seven batters.

Will McAffer followed with three strikeouts in 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk, before Cre Finfrock recorded the final five outs, exiting an eighth-inning jam with a double play before striking out three in the ninth for his third save.

Meanwhile, the Lugnuts offense touched up Loons relievers Austin Drury, Jasiel Alvino and Joel Inoa, increasing their lead to 3-1 in the sixth on a Hagen Danner RBI single; to 4-1 in the seventh on a Griffin Conine RBI single; and then blowing it open with three runs in the ninth on a Gabriel Moreno home run, back-to-back triples from Ryan Gold and Danner and a run-scoring wild pitch.

The Lugnuts' three triples increased their season total to 28, most of any team in Major or Minor League Baseball.

The top six Nuts batters - Reggie Pruitt , Podkul, Conine, Moreno, Gold and Danner - each collected exactly two hits.

The Lugnuts continue their ten-day, 11-game road trip to Eastlake, OH, for a four-game series against second-place Lake County. Right-hander Sean Wymer (8.25 ERA) duels with Captains right-hander Thomas Ponticelli (5.55) at 7:00 p.m. Friday.

Lansing returns to Michigan's state capital for a three-game series against the Bowling Green Hot Rods from June 14-16, including Star Wars Night with post-game LAFCU Fireworks on Saturday, July 15th. To live the Lug Life and purchase tickets to Sunday or throughout the 2019 season, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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