Early offense helps Lugs open trip with a W

LANSING, Mich. - The Lansing Lugnuts (17-11) raced out to a five-run lead and closed out the Fort Wayne TinCaps (8-17), 8-5, on Thursday night at Parkview Field.

The win came on the first day of the Lugs' ten-game, eleven-day road trip to Fort Wayne, South Bend and West Michigan.

The Lugnuts have won six of their seven meetings with the TinCaps, including all four games in Fort Wayne.

J.D. Davis and D.J. Davis knocked back-to-back triples in a four-run first inning against 'Caps starter Taylor Cox (L, 0-3), with Rowdy Tellez adding an RBI single in the second inning for a 5-0 advantage.

Solo tallies for the TinCaps in the second and third innings, including a Michael Gettys home run, trimmed the lead down to three runs.

The Lugnuts flexed their own muscles in the fifth, with Richard Urena knocking a two-run homer to left and Danny Jansen following a roundtripper of his own to put the Lugs up 8-2.

The TinCaps' last gasp came in a three-run sixth inning, driving out Lugs starter Shane Dawson with a Franchy Cordero homer and consecutive doubles from Duanel Jones and Franmil Reyes. Reliever Colton Turner allowed an inherited run to score before striking out Felipe Blanco to quash the rally.

Turner combined with Carlos Ramirez to blank the TinCaps from there, finishing off the win.

Dawson (W, 3-2) struck out five batters in five innings-plus to become the first Lugnut hurler to reach three victories. Ramirez struck out three 'Caps in the final two innings for his first career save.

In the winning cause, center fielder Anthony Alford tied a franchise record with three of Lansing's season-high seven stolen bases. Tellez, Gunnar Heidt, Tim Locastro and J.D. Davis also picked up a theft, increasing the Lugs' 2015 total to 43 steals in 28 games.

Lansing and Fort Wayne play the second game of three at 7:05 p.m. Friday, with right-hander Conner Greene (2-1, 4.32) facing TinCaps right-hander Dinelson Lamet (0-1, 2.25).

The next Lugs home game at Cooley Law School Stadium is at 7:05 p.m. on Monday, May 18th, starting an eight-game homestand that stretches through May 25th. For more information, call (517) 485-4500 or visit lansinglugnuts.com.

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