Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon
Scores
All Scores Triple-A Scores Double-A Scores High-A Scores Single-A Scores Rookie Scores
Schedule
Complete Game Schedule Triple-A Schedule Double-A Schedule High-A Schedule Single-A Schedule Rookie Schedule
Teams
Teams by Affiliate Teams by Name Teams Map Teams by Class Teams by League Ballparks
Standings
Full Season Rookie Leagues Playoffs
Stats
Full Season Rookie Leagues Players Top Prospect Stats
Watch
Watch Games Subscribe Highlights Highlights by Affiliate Prospect Highlights Help Center Gameday Audio Podcast Bally Live
Tickets
Tickets Triple-A Championship
Shop
MiLB Store Auctions Shop Copa Shop Marvel
News
Pipeline Transactions Copa de la Diversión Ben's Biz Nationwide Road to the Show Malmö Oat Milkers T-Mobile Ballpark Dog Cam The MiLB App
Prospects
Top 100 Top 30 by Team Top 50 International Draft Top 250
Playoffs
Newsletters
Fans
Sweepstakes & Contests
History
About

Pitching and defense propel Nuts to third straight win

By Jesse Goldberg-Strassler
August 12, 2022

DAYTON, OH – No cliché here: Behind strong pitching and great defense, the Lansing Lugnuts (17-23, 42-64) beat the Dayton Dragons (12-26, 51-53) for the third straight game, 3-2, on Friday night at Day Air Ballpark. It is the first time this season that Lansing has won three consecutive road

DAYTON, OH – No cliché here: Behind strong pitching and great defense, the Lansing Lugnuts (17-23, 42-64) beat the Dayton Dragons (12-26, 51-53) for the third straight game, 3-2, on Friday night at Day Air Ballpark.

It is the first time this season that Lansing has won three consecutive road games.

The Lugnuts collected a total of three hits against four Dragons pitchers: a one-out double in the first inning by Max Muncy, who stole third and was wild-pitched home by Dayton starter Steve Hajjar for a 1-0 lead; a leadoff single by Jared McDonald in the second inning, who was left stranded; and a one-out single by Shane McGuire in the ninth inning, who was left stranded.

But after the Dragons tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth on a Brian Rey RBI single off Lansing starter Jake Walkinshaw, the Nuts took the lead for good with two runs in the fifth against Frainger Aranguren.
Joshwan Wright walked, was wild-pitched to second, and scored on a Patrick McColl fly ball dropped in left field by Ashton Creal. McColl then scored on another wild pitch for a 3-1 lead.

Back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the fifth inning from Steven Leyton and Ashton Creal drew the Dragons within one, but they could get no closer. Walkinshaw wrapped up a five-inning stint with his seventh and eighth strikeouts, stranding runners at second and third, and then the defense took over.

With reliever Joe DeMers on the mound in the sixth, left fielder Lazaro Armenteros made a running catch in deep left field that led him into the wall, robbing Mat Nelson of extra bases, and second baseman Cooper Bowman made a barehanded play of a ball that ricocheted off DeMers’s glove to rob Leyton of a base hit.

In the bottom of the seventh, Armenteros made a diving catch on a Creal sinking line drive and Sahid Valenzuela ranged into foul territory deep behind third base to throw out Noelvi Marte on a grounder, completing a second scoreless inning for DeMers.

And with the tying run aboard in the ninth, right fielder Joshwan Wright made a sliding catch on a fly ball from pinch hitter Austin Hendrick and then a running grab on a Creal slicer down the line to record the final two outs of the game.

The Lugnuts look for the series win and a fourth consecutive victory on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m., sending right-hander Kyle Virbitsky (3.38 ERA) against debuting Dayton right-hander Javi Rivera.

The Nuts play the Dragons through Sunday at Day Air Ballpark before returning to Lansing for a six-game series with Great Lakes from August 16-21. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

# # #