West Michigan tops Lansing, 6-2, closes in on playoffs

LANSING, Mich. – In a Copa de la Diversión game, las Calaveras de West Michigan (39-19) scored four runs in the seventh inning and defeated the Lansing Locos (33-25), 6-2, on Tuesday night at Jackson® Field™.

With the win, West Michigan opened its East Division lead to six games with eight games remaining in the first half and decreased its magic number to 3.

Designated hitter Nate Nankil homered for the second straight game for Lansing, tying the game at 1-1 in the second inning.

But West Michigan catcher Bennett Lee answered with a tie-breaking home run in the fifth off Corey Avant, the only earned run allowed by Avant in five innings of three-hit ball, striking out seven.

Two innings later, Seth Stephenson and Max Clark delivered RBI singles and Peyton Graham followed with a two-run double to give the visitors insurance.

A Ryan Lasko RBI single in the bottom of the ninth proved too little, too late.

Lansing finished with six hits, three against starter Hayden Minton in five innings, none against Preston Howey in two innings, and three against Colin Fields in the final two innings.

Nankil finished 2-for-4 while first baseman T.J. Schofield-Sam was hit by two pitches in defeat, raising his team-leading total to 17 HBPs.

Wednesday is a Dog Days of Summer with gates opening at 6 p.m. and first pitch at 7:05 p.m. between Lansing right-hander Jake Garland and West Michigan right-hander Max Alba. Tickets are available for purchase at the stadium box office, (517) 485-4500 or online at milb.com/lansing.

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