Seager, Cash earn Loons twinbill sweep

Entering Sunday's doubleheader, Great Lakes shortstop Corey Seager hoped his second twinbill in as many days would be enough to spark his slumping bat.

After working with hitting coach Mike Eylward and getting some extra hacks over the weekend, it appears that the first-rounder is primed to break out of his early season funk.

The Dodgers' No. 4 prospect went a combined 5-for-6 as the Class A Loons swept both games by a run in each game Sunday.

It was not just Seager who stood out for the Dodgers' Midwest League affiliate, however. After Jharel Cotton (1-1) spun the Loons' first complete-game shutout since 2010 in the opener, Ralston Cash (2-0) and two relievers combined on a one-hitter in the second.

The Loons edged Game 1, 1-0, and held on to win the nightcap, 2-1.

"It's always good to win and when you win, it makes everything a little better," Loons manager Razor Shines said. "We pitched really well today and it's hard to lose games when you pitch like that. Today our pitching was really good in both games."

Seager started his afternoon on the right foot, going 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored in support of Cotton, who allowed five hits and two walks while striking out six batters.

Then the 18-year-old went a perfect 3-for-3, marking the first time in 2013 that he has recorded consecutive multi-hit games. Mired in an 8-for-46 slump to start the year, Seager is now batting .250 through 15 outings.

"I wasn't trying to think too much when I was up there," Seager said. "I've done my work in the cage the past couple of days and things really came together for me."

As good as Seager and the loons were in the opener, those who stuck around for the second installment were rewarded with another pitching gem.

Cash struck out eight batters and walked four, Luis Meza got three straight outs to strand the tying run on third base in the sixth and Scott Griggs picked up his third save of the season after striking out two batters in a scoreless seventh.

Selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2010 Draft, Cash lowered his ERA to 1.23. He has recorded 23 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings, and he has not allowed more than one earned run in any of his three starts.

"A start like that is good," Cash said. "You give up one hit and you keep your mistakes to a minimum, but there may be some teams that don't allow you to do that because four walks can add up. I'm not unhappy with the start, but there are things to build on."