Captains avoid six-game Nuts sweep in 10 innings

LANSING, Mich. – After a ninth-inning rally by the Lansing Lugnuts (18-23, 47-58) forced extra innings, a Jonah Advincula RBI double and a Jeffrey Mercedes two-run homer in the 10th led the Lake County Captains (18-22, 55-49) to an 11-9 win on Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of 4,237 at JacksonⓇField™.

The loss denied the Lugnuts their first-ever six-game series sweep. It also halted Lansing’s six-game winning streak and eight-game home winning streak.

“Even though we lost, we fought back, and we got back and we tied the game,” manager Javier Godard said. “And at the end of the day, that's what I want our guys to do. We didn't get the win like we wanted, but they competed, and we're gonna take this momentum to next week.”

Trailing 8-4 through six innings, an Ali Camarillo two-run homer in the seventh and a Daniel Bucciero two-out, two-run single in the ninth tied the score.

Pinch-hitter Jared Sprague-Lott had a chance to drive in Bucciero at second for the winning run, but stuck out swinging against Conner Whittaker.

Facing Abel Mercedes in the 10th, Advincula’s RBI double plated placed-runner Tyler Howard and Mercedes followed with his second homer of the game for an 11-8 lead. Mercedes loaded the bases with walks, but Jose Dicochea relieved him and set down three straight batters, including strikeouts of Jace LaViolette and Anthony Martinez, to give the Nuts a chance.

In the bottom of the 10th, a C.J. Pittaro groundout and a Bryan Arendt sacrifice fly scored placed-runner Sprague-Lott, but Gunner Gouldsmith flied out to left fielder Tommy Hawke to end the game.

The Captains benefitted from five home runs in the ballgame. In addition to his blast in the 10th inning, Mercedes sent a solo shot to right field in the fourth. Francisca also hit a pair of homers; the Dominican Republic native pulverized the fourth pitch of his at-bat in the third for a 458-foot solo homer onto the concourse in right-center field, and he hit another solo shot in the sixth, this one a 359-foot bomb into the ivy in right field off reliever Darlin Pinales for Lake County’s eighth run.

Jace LaViolette opened the scoring in the first inning off starter Devin Kirby-Williams with a two-run shot to right.

“They can hit the ball out of the park, everybody in their lineup,” Godard said. “And we made some mistakes in the middle of the zone, and they were ready for it. … We gotta be, in situation like that, count dependent, just get the ball lower.”

Over four innings, Kirby-Williams allowed seven hits, six runs, and three walks with three strikeouts. Riley Huge fired a single inning, giving up two hits, a run and a walk before Pinales was called upon for two innings, allowing only the single run. Luis Carrasco pitched a scoreless eighth and Mercedes blanked the Captains in the ninth but allowed three runs (two earned) in the 10th.

Before the seventh inning, all of the Lugnuts’ scoring was in the second. After Myles Naylor led off the frame with a double and advanced to third on a Pittaro ground out, Arendt plated his teammate with his first double with the Lugnuts, a shot into right-center field.

After a Gouldsmith walk, a Pineda three-run homer (his second of the series) supplied the other runs in the four-run inning.

“He's been working on not missing his fastball. … It's a work in progress, but he showed some adjustments this week, making some better swing decisions,” Godard said.

“It's (offensive success this week) definitely building more confidence in me,” Pineda said.

Pineda, Guedez, Camarillo and Arendt all finished with two hits, and Pineda (3 RBIs), Camarillo (2 RBIs), Bucciero (2 RBIs) and Arendt (2 RBIs) supplied the scoring.

After the Midwest League off day on Monday, the Lugnuts head to Comstock Park to face the West Michigan Whitecaps from Aug. 11-16 before returning home for their penultimate homestand against the Peoria Chiefs from Aug. 18-23. For tickets and more information, call (517) 485-4500 or visit www.milb.com/lansing.

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