Bucciero blasts Locos to 9-6 win over Loons

LANSING, Mich. – Daniel Bucciero opened a seven-run sixth inning with a two-run homer and closed it with an RBI double, the Lansing Locos (8-16, 37-51) beat the Great Lakes Loons (16-8, 52-36), 9-6, on Tuesday night at JacksonⓇField™.

This was the first time in three series that the Lugnuts won a series opener against Great Lakes.

For the first five innings, Great Lakes starter Sterling Patick held Lansing to two runs, three hits and two walks while striking out six to help the Loons to a 3-2 lead.

Things changed when Great Lakes went to its bullpen. Nicolas Cruz entered to begin the sixth and issued a walk to Ali Camarillo before Bucciero blasted a two-run shot to center field to give the Lugnuts a 4-3 lead. The home run was Bucciero’s first in nine games at the High-A level.

“Honestly, I was just going up there swinging first pitch and just trying to get the head out and try to pull something, and it was fastball middle in and got enough of it to get it out to center,” Bucciero said.

“Getting the first one out of the way always feels good. Hopefully got some more coming.”

A walk of Jake Reinisch and a hit-by-pitch of Pedro Pineda brought Cruz’s night to an end without an out recorded. Justin Chambers came in and also walked his first batter, C.J. Pittaro, but collected the first two outs of the inning with a fielder’s choice from Logan Sauve and a strikeout of Rodney Green Jr.

But Chambers proceeded to walk Myles Naylor and Jared Sprague-Lott to bring in two runs, extending the Lugnut lead to 6-3.

That brought Camarillo back to the plate for a second time, and the Lansing shortstop lined a two-run single. Bucciero followed with an RBI double to left to give Lansing a 9-3 lead before the frame came to an end. The seven-run inning consisted of three hits and five walks.

“Putting up good at-bats and passing the baton to the next guy, so it was great,” manager Javier Godard said. “It was a great inning there. Put some good runs together, but not only about the runs, the at-bats, that's what I was impressed (with) for that inning.”

Great Lakes attempted a rally in the ninth, scoring three runs via a solo home run from Charles Davalan and a two-run homer from Logan Wagner off of Lansing reliever Gerlin Rosario, but ultimately fell short.

Lansing’s first two runs came in the bottom of the first; with Sprague-Lott at third and Camarillo at second, Reinisch hit a single to left-center to plate both runners.

In his first of two scheduled starts this week, Steven Echavarria gave up eight hits and three runs in 3 ⅔ innings, all to Emil Morales; a two-run single in the first and an RBI single in the third. The starter finished with one walk and three strikeouts.

“I felt like I attacked the zone pretty well,” Echavarria said. “Execution with two strikes gotta be better, but I think I made some good pitches. They found a lot of holes today, and that's just kinda how the outing went. It was just a lot of ground balls through the holes.”

With his other start this series set for Sunday, Echavarria said it was good to get another shot at facing the Loons. “Hopefully… (I can) execute better with two strikes, give up a little bit less contact or just weaker contact, and hopefully some balls go my way."

Riley Huge, Darlin Pinales and Luis Carrasco combined for 4 ⅓ innings of scoreless relief, each collecting two strikeouts, before Rosario allowed the two home runs in the ninth.

On offense, Bucciero finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs and one run scored and Camarillo went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a walk.

“[Bucciero] not only he has power, he's very professional,” Godard said. “He's got a great work ethic. …  He's the quietest guy in the room, but he's a guy that's gonna work the hardest, so finally paid off at least with us.”

Reinisch also collected two RBIs, going 1-for-3 with a walk, and Sprague-Lott scored two runs and earned an RBI with no hits along with two walks.

Samuel Dutton is scheduled to take the start for the Lugnuts on Wednesday, opposing Great Lakes northpaw Isaac Ayon. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. for a Dog Days of Summer at JacksonⓇ Field™, with dogs welcome at the ballpark. First pitch is set for 7:05. For tickets and more information, call (517) 485-4500 or visit www.milb.com/lansing.

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