Nuts’ rally in 9th falls short, 3-2
LANSING, Mich. – Joe Vetrano broke a 1-1 tie in the third inning with a two-run double, and the Great Lakes Loons (3-3) held on to edge the Lansing Lugnuts (2-4), 3-2, on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™. Trailing 3-1 and facing flame-throwing Loons closer Reynaldo Yean in the bottom
LANSING, Mich. – Joe Vetrano broke a 1-1 tie in the third inning with a two-run double, and the Great Lakes Loons (3-3) held on to edge the Lansing Lugnuts (2-4), 3-2, on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™.
Trailing 3-1 and facing flame-throwing Loons closer Reynaldo Yean in the bottom of the ninth, Rodney Green, Jr. launched a one-out triple to right-center. Tommy White grounded out to Yean, keeping Green at third. Jared Dickey walked and stole second. Nate Nankil followed with a bouncing RBI single off of Yean’s back, sending Dickey to third as the potential tying run and putting Nankil aboard as the potential winning run.
But Yean retired Darlyn Montero on a groundout to second, ending the game.
Dickey’s walk was one of nine walks drawn by the Lugnuts in the game, six off Great Lakes starter Patrick Copen. None of the walks scored; the only Nuts run entering the ninth came in the second inning when Sahid Valenzuela bunted his way aboard and came home on a Copen wild pitch.
Lansing starter Kyle Robinson struck out four batters in five innings, walking one. His nemesis was Vetrano, who tripled and scored on a Jordan Thompson RBI single in the second for the Loons’ first run.
An inning later, Robinson retired the first two batters, gave up a single to Zyhir Hope, and shortstop Sahid Valenzuela dropped a Logan Wagner popup, extending the inning for Vetrano. The Loons’ first baseman doubled over Green in center field to bring in both Hope and Wagner with what proved to be the winning runs.
Tom Reisinger followed Robinson with three scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out two. Garrett Irvin pitched a hitless ninth, walking one and whiffing two.
The Nuts’ offense was led by DH Nankil, who went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a pair of walks. Dickey and CJ Rodriguez each also walked twice.
Friday is a Dollar Dog Day with $1 hot dogs, as A’s prospect southpaw Gage Jump makes his home debut against Loons right-hander Brooks Auger. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m., gates opening at 5 p.m. Tickets are available at the Jackson® Field™ box office, (517) 485-4500 or online at milb.com/lansing.
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