Lugs top Whitecaps, 1-0, on Selman HR
LANSING, Mich. – Shane Selman supplied the only run of the night with a 425-foot fifth-inning homer, sending the Lansing Lugnuts (47-52) to a 1-0 victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps (46-53) in front of 5,624 on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™. After not appearing in a game since July
LANSING, Mich. – Shane Selman supplied the only run of the night with a 425-foot fifth-inning homer, sending the Lansing Lugnuts (47-52) to a 1-0 victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps (46-53) in front of 5,624 on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™.
After not appearing in a game since July 22, Selman had celebrated his return from the Injured List on Wednesday with a single and an RBI double – the only two hits Lansing recorded in a 9-2 loss to the Whitecaps in Game 2 of a doubleheader.
On this night, the former McNeese State Cowboy again took care of Lansing’s offense, drawing walks in the first and third innings against West Michigan starter Chance Kirby. In the DH’s third plate appearance, Kirby tossed in a 2-1 pitch – and watched Selman launch his tenth home run of the season to the Good Hops craft beer bistro in left-center.
Selman then wrapped up his night tidily with a single to left field off reliever Angel Reyes, finishing 2-for-2 and aboard all four trips.
That one run stood up because of the pitching of David Leal, Osvaldo Berrios and Brock Whittlesey.
Leal, freshly activated earlier in the day from the Injured List himself, pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts, tossing 21 strikes among his 25 total pitches.
Berrios, who had pitched six innings of two-run ball in his Lugnuts debut on August 20, followed with six scoreless innings of relief, scattering seven singles and a walk while fanning three.
The Whitecaps tightened the screws in the ninth against Whittlesey, putting the tying and go-ahead runs on base via a Gage Workman triple and an Eliezer Alfonzo walk. But Whittlesey struck out Cooper Johnson swinging to end the game and cinch the Lugnuts’ fifth shutout of the year.
Lansing left-hander Jack Owen (11.25 ERA) starts the fourth game of the six-game series, a LAFCU Frontline Friday with LAFCU Fireworks postgame, against West Michigan southpaw Jack O’Loughlin (54.00 ERA). First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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