Whitecaps slam Lugnuts with six-run 9th, 11-6

LANSING, Mich. – Daniel Cabrera broke a 5-5 ninth-inning tie with a grand slam, Gage Workman added a two-run homer, and the West Michigan Whitecaps (47-53) beat the Lansing Lugnuts (47-53), 11-6, in front of 5,177 on Friday night at Jackson® Field™.

The teams have split the first two games of the series. The Lugnuts’ wins have come by a combined 3-1 score while the Whitecaps’ wins have come via a combined 20-8.

An Austin Beck three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning had lifted the Nuts to a dramatic 5-4 lead, only to see the Caps tie the game in the eighth on a Cabrera RBI single off Brandon Withers.

Austin Murr led off the ninth against José Mora with a single, and Wenceel Pérez and Parker Meadows followed with consecutive bunt singles to load the bases. Mora struck out Jimmy Kerr for the inning’s first out, but Cabrera followed with a high fly over the wall in left-center for a 9-5 Whitecaps lead. After a Colt Keith double, Workman launched a home run of his own, his second of the series, to cap the six-run rally. Knuckleballing Cooper Uhl recorded the final two outs of the frame.

Jared McDonald hit his third home run of the season leading off the bottom of the ninth, closing out the scoring.

McDonald enjoyed a strong night offensively in the loss, going 3-for-4 with two singles, the homer, two runs scored and two RBIs. Cobie Vance added a pair of doubles, an HBP and a run scored, giving him 11 hits in his last 19 at-bats.

Lansing starter Jack Owen struck out four in 3 2/3 innings, allowing an unearned run. Kyle Virbitsky followed with two runs allowed on three hits and a walk in 2 2/3 innings, striking out one.

The fifth game of the six-game series falls on “Tribute to Tool Time Night” with a special appearance by Richard Karn, special plaid Lugnuts jerseys, and LAFCU postgame Fireworks. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. between Lugnuts right-hander Reid Birlingmair (4.61 ERA) and Whitecaps right-hander Brendan White (3.94 ERA). To purchase tickets or for more information, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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