Nuts crush Whitecaps in home finale, 19-9
LANSING, Mich. – Colby Thomas capped a 10-run fourth inning with a three-run homer, Euribiel Ángeles collected five hits, and the Lansing Lugnuts (28-32, 59-66) wrapped up their 2023 home schedule with a 19-9 demolishing of the West Michigan Whitecaps (33-26, 65-59) on Sunday afternoon at Jackson® Field™. The game
LANSING, Mich. – Colby Thomas capped a 10-run fourth inning with a three-run homer, Euribiel Ángeles collected five hits, and the Lansing Lugnuts (28-32, 59-66) wrapped up their 2023 home schedule with a 19-9 demolishing of the West Michigan Whitecaps (33-26, 65-59) on Sunday afternoon at Jackson® Field™.
The game drew an attendance of 4,373. In total, the Lugnuts drew 303,659 in 2023 to 66 Midwest League home games and the Crosstown Showdown.
The 2023 home finale was a hit parade!
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) September 3, 2023
Thank you, Mid Michigan, for Going Nuts with us all spring and summer long 🔩 pic.twitter.com/g5WIjJgsOh
The Sunday result clinched a six-game series split with the Whitecaps, wrapped up the Nuts’ 2023 home record at an even 33-33 and dropped West Michigan into a first-place tie atop the East Division with the Fort Wayne TinCaps, who are scheduled to face the South Bend Cubs at 6:05 p.m.
A Brennan Milone’s two-run double keyed a four-run first inning against Whitecaps starter Wilmer Flores, but West Michigan struck back with a run in the second and four in the top of the third to seize a 5-4 lead.
Lansing countered with its biggest inning since an 11-run rally vs. Fort Wayne on April 12, 2018. 14 Lugnuts came up against three Whitecaps pitchers, scoring ten runs on eight hits, two HBPs, one error and one throwing error. Euribiel Ángeles opened the scoring with an RBI single, Joshwan Wright followed with a two-run single, CJ Rodriguez added an RBI double, T.J. Schofield-Sam and Junior Pérez delivered consecutive RBI singles, Danny Bautista, Jr. – who had opened the inning with a bunt single – added an RBI single of his own, and Thomas wrapped up the scoring with his ninth High-A home run, launching the Nuts into a 14-5 lead.
The lead grew to ten runs in the fourth on an Ángeles double and another Wright RBI single.
Euribiel Ángeles update: 37 hits in his last 102 at-bats. Five of the Lugnuts' 18 hits today. (Lined out hard to deep right in his final AB.)#GoNuts 🔩 pic.twitter.com/4BRumUiYF6
— Jesse Goldberg-Strassler (@jgoldstrass) September 3, 2023
The Whitecaps tallied a pair of runs in the fifth and seventh innings, only to see Lansing respond with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, featuring a second Milone two-run double, and a Carlos Amaya sacrifice fly in the eighth to wrap up the scoring.
Thomas, Milone and Wright each finished the game with four RBIs, Bautista Jr. scored four runs, and Ángeles’ four-single, one-double effort bolstered an 18-hit attack. The Nuts’ offense finished with 13 hits in 22 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Lansing starter Mitch Myers struck out three batters in five innings, allowing seven runs on ten hits and a walk. Mark Adamiak pitched the sixth and seventh innings, allowing a two-run homer to Eliezer Alfonzo. John Beller handled the next 1 2/3 scorelessly before Brock Whittlesey recorded the final out of the game on a Josh Crouch flyout to center fielder Pérez.
The Lugnuts wrap up their 27th Midwest League season with a six-game series running from Tuesday, September 5, through Sunday, September 10. For more information, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
# # #