Ruiz ruins Nuts’ night, 7-3

LANSING, Mich. – Lugnuts killer Agustin Ruiz set a new season high with four runs batted in, and the Cedar Rapids Kernels (34-24) topped the Lansing Lugnuts (30-29) for a second straight night, 7-3, on Wednesday at Jackson® Field™.

Ruiz was signed by the Minnesota Twins as a Minor League free agent in the offseason after spending 2023 with the New York Mets’ organization. He had previously been a San Diego Padres prospect, setting a Fort Wayne TinCaps franchise record with an 8-RBI game against Lansing on May 18, 2021, at Parkview Field.

Cedar Rapids led from the start, thanks to a home run from Jay Harry on the first pitch of the game from Blaze Pontes. The Lansing right-hander from Hawai’i finished with 4 1/3 innings pitched, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out two, including a Ruiz RBI fielder’s choice in the first inning and a Ruiz sacrifice fly in the third inning.

Ruiz was also the final batter Pontes faced, tripling to right-center with one out in the fifth inning and scoring on a Nate Baez sacrifice fly off Pontes’ former high school teammate, Hunter Breault, working on his 25th birthday.

Ruiz singled off Will Johnston in the seventh before capping the evening’s scoring with a two-run double off Johnston in the ninth.

The Kernels finished with four doubles, lifting their league-leading team total to 107. The Lugnuts answered with six doubles, including two apiece from Jonny Butler and Will Simpson, giving them 106 doubles for the year.

Jake Garland starts the third game of the six-game series, a Coors Light Thirsty Thursday at 7:05 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. For tickets and further information, visit milb.com/lansing or call (517) 485-4500.

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