Six in a Row for Loons with Rain-Shortened Win

MIDLAND, MI – The Great Lakes Loons (31-24) extended their season-best win streak to now six in a row, defeating the Lansing Lugnuts (25-30) by a final score of 8-2 at Dow Diamond on Tuesday. In what was just his second start of the season, Landon Knack (W, 3-0) threw six scoreless innings against the Lugnuts, allowing no runs on two hits. Knack’s six strikeouts in six innings were both season-highs. Jake Cantleberry surrendered his second homerun on a two-run blast to Jordan Diaz with two outs in the seventh, allowing Jack Little to throw a perfect eighth inning before a 30-minute delay.

Before local thunderstorms made Tuesday’s series debut official, the Loons scored the first five of their eight runs on Loons longballs, with three different Loons batters leaving Dow Diamond by the fifth inning. Brandon Lewis hit his third homerun in as many games to begin the scoring on Tuesday in the second frame, mashing a ball from Lansing’s David Leal (L,0-3) 442 feet to left-center field. Ryan Ward hit his tenth homerun on a solo shot in the next inning, stretching the lead to 3-0. Deacon Liput contributed in the following inning with a two-run shot for his sixth homerun of the season.

Before the final out of the bottom of the eighth, Tuesday’s game lasted two hours and 29 minutes. Neither pitching staff surrendered a walk in the eight completed innings. Both Lansing’s and Great Lakes’ pitching staff combined for nine strikeouts and no walks allowed.

After a stretch of nearly two weeks on the injured list, Carson Taylor suited up for the Loons in his first game since June 23. Following an 0-for-2 start to Tuesday’s game, Taylor responded nicely with back-to-back hits in the fifth and sixth, scoring Leonel Valera from third in the sixth.

Six different Loons finished with multi-hit nights, with three different Loons homering in Tuesday’s debut versus Lansing. Deacon Liput led with three hits, scoring twice in three trips on-base. James Outman hit his sixth triple in Tuesday’s win, tied for most in the High-A Central. On top of three homeruns in his last three games, Lewis recorded his first double in his sixth game with the Loons.

Great Lakes’ pitching staff held the Lugnuts to three scoring situations in eight innings on Tuesday. Hindered by Knack’s six innings of two-hit baseball, Lansing three-run seventh inning on Cantleberry, finishing 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position and leaving two runners on base. Great Lakes finished Tuesday 4-for-10 with runners at second and third, leaving six runners aboard. As a team, the Loons bucked a 2-7 record on Tuesdays in series debuts, taking just their third Tuesday matchup this season.

Loons and Lugnuts continue their first six-game series in Dow Diamond in 2021 on Wednesday with Park in the Park Night, presented by Creation Coffee. The Loons expected starter is Clayton Beeter in his 15th appearance this season. In just 17 1/3 innings, Beeter has a 4.15 earned-run average. Opposing Beeter is Lansing’s Seth Shuman in what will be the righty’s 10th game of 2021. Shuman has a 1.85 ERA in 34 innings of work this year. First pitch is scheduled from Dow Diamond at 7:05 P.M., with coverage dawning with the Loons On-Deck Circle, Built by Three Rivers at 6:35 P.M. on your home for Great Lakes Loons baseball, ESPN 100.9 FM.

The Great Lakes Loons have been the Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team’s inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team’s home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.