Whitecaps use the longball to top Lugs, 5-1  

LANSING, Mich. – The West Michigan Whitecaps (23-10, 54-45) hit three more homers, giving them eight in the first three games of a six-game series, en route to a 5-1 victory over the Lansing Lugnuts (13-20, 38-61) in front of 6,509 on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™.

Second baseman Corey Joyce homered off Joey Estes to tie the game at 1 in the third, third baseman Jose King took Shohei Tomioka deep to break the tie in the seventh, and Joyce went yard again in the ninth off Osvaldo Berrios to add insurance, powering the Whitecaps to their second win in three games in Lansing.

The ’Caps had homered four times in Tuesday’s series-opening 15-8 victory and Trei Cruz’s solo home run supplied their only run in an 8-1 loss on Wednesday afternoon.

The lone Lugnuts run came from leadoff hitter Max Muncy, who opened the home first inning with a single against West Michigan starter Keider Montero and moved to second on a Montero throwing error, was sacrificed to third by Gabriel Maciel, and scored on a Jared McDonald RBI single.

Maciel finished the game 2-for-3 with a single, double and walk in addition to his sacrifice bunt. DH Shane McGuire added a single, double and walk in four plate appearances.

Lansing starter Estes allowed one run, Joyce’s first homer, in his five innings, walking none and striking out one. Tomioka handled the sixth and seventh, giving up just the one run on King’s home run. Trayson Kubo was tagged with two runs in 2/3 of an inning before Berrios pitched the final 1 1/3, allowing one run.

A LAFCU Frontline Friday with LAFCU postgame fireworks awaits in the fourth game of the six-game series, set for a 7:05 p.m. start with 6 p.m. gates. Dominant Lugnuts right-hander Jake Walkinshaw (0.90 ERA) faces West Michigan lefty Brant Hurter (2.64). For more information and to purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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