Patient Lugs outpace Loons, 6-3

MIDLAND, Mich. – The Lansing Lugnuts (9-10, 54-40) drew eight walks from Dodgers prospect Maddux Bruns in 2 1/3 innings, jumped out to a 5-1 lead, and topped the Great Lakes Loons (10-9, 44-40) on Friday night at Dow Diamond.

Bruns, the Dodgers’ No. 20 prospect, hit Joshua Kuroda-Grauer with his first pitch of the game. On his second pitch, Kuroda-Grauer stole second and took third on a throwing error by catcher Frank Rodriguez, and the Lugnuts were on their way: three runs in the first on a Casey Yamauchi RBI double, a Bruns run-scoring balk and a Rodriguez run-scoring passed ball.

Two innings later, Davis Diaz lined a two-run double off Bruns down the left field line to put the Lugnuts up 5-1.

Lansing added one further run – via a run-scoring double play hit into by Ryan Lasko in the seventh inning – and then held on through a series of Great Lakes threats.

The Loons stranded 12 runners against five Lugnuts pitchers, going 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Tzu-Chen Sha struck out six through the first four innings, allowing all three Loons runs; Jack Mahoney struck out two to strand two in the fifth; Blaze Pontes fired the sixth and seventh innings, stranding three runners; Wander Guante left the bases loaded in the eighth; and Mark Adamiak worked around a two-out walk in the ninth for his league-leading 14th save.

In the win, Jonny Butler went 2-for-2 with a single, double and three walks. Kuroda-Grauer and Jared Dickey drew two walks apiece.

Right-hander Grant Judkins takes on Loons right-hander Brooks Auger in the fifth game of the six-game series, set for 7:05 p.m. Saturday.
The Lugnuts next return home for a three-game series vs. West Michigan, July 18-20. Tickets are available for purchase at the stadium box office, (517) 485-4500 or online at milb.com/lansing.

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