Trenkle collects four hits, Lugnuts collect fourth straight win

LANSING, Mich. – Caeden Trenkle went 4-for-5 with a double and three singles, Max Muncy lined a two-run single, and the Lansing Lugnuts (4-0) continued one of their best starts of the past decade with a 5-2 victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps (3-1) on Tuesday night at Jackson® Field™.

Christian Fernandez struck out six batters in 4 2/3 innings in helping the Lugnuts open their six-game series with West Michigan in the same fashion that they swept three games over the weekend at Great Lakes: an early lead backing strong pitching and spotless defense.

The four-game winning streak to open the year ties the best for Lansing since 2017, trailing the six-game winning streak opened the 2012 season.

Two Whitecaps first-inning errors and an RBI single by Jonny Butler gave the Nuts an immediate 2-0 lead against West Michigan starter Jack O’Loughlin.

Four innings later, Trenkle led off with a single against reliever Zack Hess, Jack Winkler doubled him to third, and Muncy laced a 3-0 pitch into center field to score both of them for a 4-0 lead.

Trenkle added insurance in the sixth against Blake Holub, singling home Danny Bautista, Jr., who had singled and stolen second, for a 5-0 cushion.

West Michigan had entered the game having allowed only three runs total in 27 innings in its season-opening sweep of Fort Wayne.

Meanwhile, the Whitecaps’ offense was stymied by Fernandez, who stranded a Ben Malgeri double in the second by striking out Dillon Paulson, then stranded two more runners on base in the fourth by whiffing Izaac Pacheco, Eliezer Alfonso and Malgeri.

Kumar Nambiar relieved Fernandez and tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings to bridge to the seventh, where Hunter Breault pitched around a two-out double by Justice Bigbie before allowing a run on a Roberto Campos groundout in the eighth.

Facing Tyler Baum in the ninth, Paulson doubled with one out, Austin Murr walked with two outs, and Danny Serretti punched an RBI single to bring the visitors within three runs. But Baum struck out Tigers No. 2 prospect Jace Jung on a change-up to end the game.

Led by Trenkle, the Nuts finished the game with a season high 12 hits. Both Winkler and Bautista, Jr., added a pair of hits.

Wednesday is the first Dog Days of Summer of the year, with dogs welcome to the ballpark and Pup Cups available. Gates open at 5 p.m. with a 6:05 p.m. start, as right-hander Mitch Myers makes his Lugnuts debut against West Michigan right-hander Wilkel Hernandez. For more information, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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